SEEING GOD in the DARK

Unraveling the Mysteries of Holy Living

J. I. PACKER

Seeing God in the Dark: Unraveling the Mysteries of Holy Living

Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC

P.O. Box 3473

Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473

ISBN 978-1-61970-137-3

Copyright © 1998 James I. Packer

First published in 1998 by Paternoster Press as Serving the People of God.

Paternoster Press is an imprint of Authentic Media, 52 Presley Way, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, MK8 0ES, UK. www.authenticmedia.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Scripture quotations marked ASV are taken from the American Standard Version®, published in 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons. This translation is in the public domain.

Scripture quotations marked GNB are from the Good News Bible © 1994 published by the Bible Societies/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd UK. Good News Bible © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used with permission.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NEB are taken from the New English Bible, copyright © Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press 1961, 1970. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any italics in biblical quotations are the author’s.

Second Printing—May 2014

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Packer, J. I. (James Innell)

[Serving the people of God]

Seeing God in the dark : unraveling the mysteries of holy living / J.I. Packer.

pages cm

Originally published under the title: Serving the people of God : Carlisle [Eng.] : Paternoster Press, 1998.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-61970-137-3 (alk. paper)

1. Theology, Doctrinal—Popular works. 2. Evangelistic work. 3. Christian life. I. Title.

BT77.P238 2013

230—dc23

2013026080