Communion With God (John Owen)

Description

In 1657, John Owen produced one of his finest devotional treatises: probably originating from the substance of a series of sermons.

He examines the Christian's communion with God as it relates to all three members of the trinity. He assures that every Christian does have communion with God, no–one is excluded and that this communion takes place distinctly with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. relationship with…

God the Father is primarily through love and faith.

God the Son is through fellowship & grace.

God the Holy Spirit is primarily through comfort and sanctification.

This was a controversial work in ecclesiastical circles of the 17th century. Twenty years after its publication, the rational ecclesiastical elite were scoffing at it's contents. Owen strongly defended the ideas within this book, and history has shown him to be r sight! It is a classic of Christian devotional thought that still influences the church today. This is the original text with a new layout and is fully subtitled which makes it more accessible to a new generation of readers.

Table of Contents

350th Anniversary Edition 15

Introduction by Sinclair B. Ferguson 17

Preface 23

Part I

Communion with God the Father

1 The Saints Have Communion with God 27

Once Alienated from the Life of God 28

Brought Near by Christ 28

What Is Communion? 29

2 Communion with the

Three Persons of the Godhead 33

As Distinct Individuals 33

How the Saints Commune with God 35

The Father 36

The Son 38

The Holy Spirit 40

Jointly yet Distinctly 41

Each Communicates the Same Grace Individually 41

What Distinguishes Their Communication of Grace? 43

3 Communion with God the Father 45

Preliminary Observations 45

Communion in the Father's Love 47

He is Love 47

Love—Assigned to the Father 48

No Need to Ask for His Love 48

Commended to Us 49

The Father's Prerogative 50

All Hinges upon His Love 50

How to Commune with the Father 51

Receive His Love 51

Return His Love 53

Both Marked by Rest and Satisfaction 54

All Through Christ 57

Bounty v. Duty 58

Antecedent v. Consequent 59

Constant v. Waning 60

4 How to Commune with the Father in Love 63

Preoccupy Yourself with Everlasting Love 64

Who Love Is This? 64

What Kind of Love Is This? 65

Believe That the Father Loves You 66

Return Love for Love 67

Don't Think Hard Thoughts of God 67

Taste and See that God Is Good 68

No Excuses 69

‘Does He Love Me?’ 69

‘Why Should He Love Me?’ 70

‘Do I Love Him?’ 70

Run to the Father for Comfort 71

Be Holy as He Is Holy 73

Part 2

Communion with the Son Jesus Christ

1 The Saints Have

Fellowship with Jesus Christ 77

Mutually Satisfying 77

Two Lilies;

All-Sufficient Jesus 81

In Christ's Banqueting Hall 82

Sweetness 82

Delight 83

Safety 84

Support and Consolation 84

The Church—His Banqueting Hall 85

2 The Saints Have

Communion with Christ in Grace 87

His Personal Graces as Mediator 89

Fairest Lord Jesus 90

Beautiful Savior 93

For What Do You Labour? 95

Christ Is Knocking 96

Is He Your All? 97

3 How the Saints Commune with Christ 99

In a Marital Relationship 99

The Church—Christ's Joy and Crown 100

Mutual Commitment 102

He Gives Himself To Us 102

We Freely Embrace Him 104

Digressions

1 The Excellencies of Christ 107

Desirable in His Deity and Glory 107

Inexhaustible Grace 109

Desirable in His Humanity 113

Free from Sin 113

Full of Grace 116

God and Man—One Person Forever 118

Able to Bear Our Due 118

Endless Fountain of Grace 119

Perfect Mediator 120

All Authority Is His 121

‘This Is My Beloved’ 123

His Kingdom is Glorious and Enduring 124

Manifold Wisdom 125

As the Eyes of Doves 126

Comely & Courageous 128

Tender Craftsman 131

Faithful & Steadfast 132

Altogether Lovely 132

2.1 True Wisdom: Knowing God 135

How God Reveals Himself 137

Some Attributes Glimpsed Only in Christ 138

Some Attributes Supremely Revealed in Christ 141

God Reveals Himself in Christ for Our Good 151

Christ Exercises God’s Attributes for Our Good 153

They Are Able To Fulfill The Covenant 153

2.2 True Wisdom: Knowing Ourselves 155

Understanding Our Sin 155

What We Deserve 157

Our Powerlessness 159

Sin Dying in Us Now 162

How Sin Brings Infinite Glory to God 163

Our Need of Righteousness 164

Unattainable by the Law 165

Unattainable by Restitution 167

Only in Christ 168

The Certainty of Judgment 170

Confirmed in His Death and Resurrection 171

Christ Will Be the Judge 171

2.3 True Wisdom: Walking with God 173

In Agreement 173

Having Acquaintance With Him 175

In the Glorious Way of Holiness 176

In His Strength 177

Boldly 178

With the Same End in Mind 179

2.4 True Wisdom: Only in Jesus 181

Not in Academic Learning 182

Men Cannot See in the Dark 184

No Cure for the Curse 185

Not in Good Civil Government 186

The Greatest Rulers Fail 186

Policymakers Tend to Self-destruction 187

Few Great Men Are Wise 188

Learning and Legislature Unite in Failure 188

Part 2 Continued

4 The Love Between

Christ and His Saints (Part I) 191

Christ Delights in His Saints 192

He Reveals His Secrets to Them 193

He Enables Them to Communicate with Him 195

What Difference Does the Spirit Make? 197

The Saints Delight in Christ 200

We Want to Be in His Company 202

We Cannot Bear His Absence 203

We Long for His Return 205

5 The Love Between

Christ and His Saints (Part ii) 213

Christ Values His Saints 213

As Mediator for Their Sakes 213

Above All Others 217

Believers Value Jesus 218

Above All 218

Above Their Own Lives 219

Above Religion and Piety 220

Christ Has Compassion on His Saints 223

In Our Temptations 224

In Our Affl iction 229

The Saints Are Faithful to Jesus 231

In Our Affections 231

We Labor to Not Grieve His Spirit 233

We Worship As He Commands 236

Christ Provides for His Saints 239

The Saints Are Dutiful and Fruitful 240

Living in Obedience to Christ 240

Striving to be Holy 241

6 The Source of Purchased Grace 243

The Obedience of Christ's Life 244

Universal Conformity to the Whole Will of God 245

Necessary to Our Acceptance with God 248

Summary 253

Are We as Righteous as Christ? 257

The Suffering of Christ's Death 258

A Price 258

A Sacrifice 260

A Punishment 260

Christ's Continued Intercession 261

A Reminder to God 262

Procures the Holy Spirit for Us 262

7 The Nature of Purchased Grace 263

Acceptance with God 263

Sin Removed 264

Righteousness Bestowed 265

Sanctification from God 265

Defi element Removed 266

Purity Bestowed 268

Privileges Before God 269

8 Communion with Christ

in Acceptance with God 271

What Is Required on Christ's Part 271

What he Did and Suffered Was for Us 272

The Gospel Must Be Offered to Us 273

The Spirit Must Quicken Us 274

What Is Required on Our Part 274

Why is Conversion Delayed? 276

Jesus Is Our Federal Head 276

Why Obey if Christ Does it for Us? 282

The End of Obedience—Ours and Imputed 282

God Requires Our Obedience 284

Holiness is a Goal of Our Salvation 284

Obedience is Necessary 286

The Saints Approve of Christ’s Righteousness 291

We Need it to Appear Before God 291

Our Righteousness Is Lacking 292

We Find Rest in Christ’s Righteousness 293

His Righteousness Brings Us to the Haven 296

We Rejoice to See the Lord Jesus Exalted 297

We Rejoice to See God Glorifi ed 300

With Broken Hearts 301

Self-Examination 301

They Come to Jesus 302

Does Jesus Want Our Filth? 303

Why Bother with Repentance? 305

9 Communion with Christ

in Sanctification and Purification 309

What Does Jesus Do? 309

He Intercedes with the Father 310

He Sends His Spirit into Our Hearts 311

He Puts a New Spirit Within Us 312

How We Should View This Grace 314

Bought by Christ 314

Given to Us by Christ 315

What Should We Do? 317

Look to Jesus 317

10 The Privilege of Sonship 323

We Belonged to Satan's Family 325

No Inborn Rights to the Family of God 325

Empowered to Become Sons of God 326

By Divine Proclamation and Declaration 326

By Ingrafting into God's Family 328

Past Obligations and New Privileges 329

Liberty 329

Title and Privileges 335

Boldness 344

Affl iction 344

Part 3

Communion with the Holy Spirit

1 The Foundation of

Our Communion with the Holy Spirit 347

Jesus’ Parting Promise 347

I Tell You the Truth 349

It Is Good for You That I Go Away 350

I Will Send Him 351

The Spirit of Consolation 352

The Source 353

How He Is Given 355

How We Receive the Spirit 359

How He Dwells with Us 361

2 The Holy Spirit's Work in Us 365

He Works Effectively 365

He Distributes as He Wills 366

A Gift 366

3 The Effects of the Holy Spirit In Us 369

He Reminds Us Of Everything Jesus Said 369

He Caused The Apostles to Remember 370

He Comforts Us with Christ's Promises 370

He Glorifi es Christ 374

He Persuades Us That God Loves Us 375

He Assures Us That We Are God's Children 376

He Seals Us 378

Stamps Us with the Image of God 378

The Purpose of Sealing 378

He Is an Earnest to Us 380

The Spirit Himself 380

A Deposit 381

He Anoints Believers 384

To Teach Us 385

He Adopts Us 387

He Gives Us the Spirit of Prayer 388

4 The Result in Our Hearts 389

Comfort and Consolation 389

Abiding 391

Strong 391

Precious 391

Peace 392

Joy 393

Springing from His Immediate Presence 393

Springing from His Works in Us 394

Hope 395

5 Extremes and Delusions

Concerning the Holy Spirit 397

How to Exclude the Spirit from Worship 398

Impose a Form of Service to Be Read by the Minister 398

Hold Spirit-filled Prayer in Reproach 399

Test the Spirits 400

What Does Satan Produce? 401

6 Our Comforter 405

What He Comforts Us Against 405

Our Affl ictions 406

Sin 408

All the Concerns of This Life 408

What He Comforts Us With 409

The Love of the Father 410

The Grace of Christ 411

The Source of This Comfort 411

7 How to Treat the Comforter 413

Do Not Grieve Him 414

He Has Deep Affection For Us 415

Pursue Holiness on Account of His Love 415

Do Not Quench Him 416

Do Not Resist Him 418

8 How to Commune with the Holy Spirit 421

Worship Him As God in Trinity 421

Have Faith in the Holy Spirit 424

Take Notice of His Kindness 424

Praise and Thank Him 425

Pray to Him for Consolation 426

Ask for Him 426

Be Humble Before Him 427

When Men Are Not Interested in the Spirit 427

They Have no True Comfort 428

They Have no Peace 429

Their Joy and Hope is Perishing 430

Product Details

Title: Communion With God

Author: John Owen

Publisher: Christian Focus Publications

Pages: 432

Binding: Paperback

Size: 21.4 x 13.8 x 2.2 cm