The Glory of Christ -- His Office and Grace (John Owen)

Description

To see the glory of Christ is one of the greatest privileges that a Christian can enjoy. Anyone who does not see his glory in this world, will not see his glory in heaven, and no one should look for anything in heaven that he has not experienced in this life. Read this book, and may God by his Word and Spirit give you such a sense of his uncreated glory, blazing forth in Christ, that you will be satisfied and filled with joy. This is the orginal text with a new layout and is fully subtitled which makes it more accessible to a new generation of readers.

Table of Contents

This Edition 13

Introduction 15

An Oxfordshire Teenager 15

Faith and Family 16

An Influencial Ministry 17

The Glory of Christ 18

Focus of His Early Ministry 19

Rich Nuances of Jesus' Words 20

A Preacher's Bonus 21

Making the Most of Owen 22

Preface 23

Christ—Humanity's Only Boast 24

Crowns us with Glory and Dignity 24

Secures the Union Between God and Our Nature 26

Gives Our Nature Victory over all Opposition 27

His Ascension Declares Our Nature Fit for Glory 27

Meditate upon the Glory of Christ 28

For Encouragement in the Trials of this Life 28

For Comfort as Death Approaches 31

1 The Explanation of the Text 41

‘That They May Behold My Glory’ 42

The Greatest Goal and Privilege of Believers 42

Unbelievers Oppose Christ's Glory 43

Christians must Testify to His Glory 44

The Ways of Beholding Christ's Glory 44

By Faith or by Sight 45

Now or Never 45

Not with the Naked Eye 47

Diligently 48

The Benefits of Beholding Christ's Glory 49

It Will Prepare Us for Heaven 49

We Will Be Transformed into His Likeness 50

Satisfaction and Peace Will Result 50

It Is the Source of Everlasting Blessing 50

2 The Only Representative of God to the Church 53

‘The Image of the Invisible God’ 53

The Blindness of Unbelievers 55

Part of Sin's Punishment 56

The Source of all Evil 57

How May We See God’s Glory? 59

The Desire of Saints in all Ages of the Church 60

In Christ Alone 61

Reasons to Behold Christ's Glory 64

It Is a Privilege and a Duty 65

It Is not a Secondary Concern 67

Help for the Lukewarm 69

God Glorifi ed in Christ 72

His Glory is Great in Salvation 72

Faith in Christ is Faith in God 73

Human Wisdom Disorientates 73

3 The Mysterious Constitution of His Person 75

Two Distinct Natures—One Person Forever 75

Satan's Ruin; the Church's Foundation 76

Promised and Prefigured in the Old Testament 77

How to Stimulate Contemplation 78

Do Not Waste Your Thoughts 78

Study the Scripture 81

Be Disciplined in Meditation 84

Take Every Opportunity to Think of Christ 85

Admire, Adore, and Give Thanks 88

4 His Condescension in the Office of Mediator 93

Great Condescension 95

Infi nite Transcendence 95

Infi nite Self-Sufficiency 96

Exceptional Condescension 97

Wrong Teaching Rejected 97

The Truth Declared 101

The Mystery of God's Wisdom 103

A Sanctuary and a Stone of Stumbling 103

The Principal Act of Faith and Motive to Self-Denial 105

5 His Love in the Office of Mediator 107

The Nature of Christ's Love 107

Determined by the Father's Love 107

Realizes the Purpose of the Father's Love 108

How to Taste Christ's Love 112

Get Your Mind into Shape 112

Be Specific in Your Thoughts 113

6 The Discharge of His Mediatory Office 115

He Obeyed Freely and Willingly 115

He Did It For Us 116

Supreme Obedience to the Law 117

Against Unparalleled Opposition 117

The Lord of All Became Obedient 117

His Suffering—A Spring of Glory 118

‘I Will Put Myself in Your Condition’ 119

Folly to the Perishing; Wisdom to Believers 120

7 His Exaltation After the Accomplishment

of the Work of Mediation 121

‘The Glory that Should Follow’ 121

Christ Prayed that His Disciples May See It 122

His Brilliance Is Uneclipsed 122

The Human Nature of Christ is Glorifi ed 123

He Is Exalted Above All Creation 125

The Father's Approbation Magnifi es Christ's Glory 125

His Unique Glory in Redemption is Fully Manifest 125

Revelation Not Imagination 126

Have You Seen His Glory? 126

Put the Concerns of Christ First 127

8 Representations of the Glory of Christ

Under the Old Testament 129

The System of Religious Worship 129

The Song of Solomon 130

Appearances in Human Form 131

Prophetic Visions 132

The Incarnation Revealed 133

Promises, Prophecies, and Predictions 134

Metaphorical Expressions 134

9 His Intimate Conjunction with the Church 137

It Was Just That Christ Suffered 137

Some May Suffer Justly for the Sins of Others 139

Divine Justice Is Not Erratic 139

Christ and the Church Share the Closest Bond 140

Some Effects of Christ's Sin-bearing 144

He Is Resplendent in Justice and Mercy 145

He Is Glorious in His Fulfilment of the Law 146

10 The Communication of Himself to Believers 147

Divine Communication from the Beginning 148

The Essence of God's Glory 148

God Created for His Own Glory 148

Everything Depends on God 148

His Glory Made Plain in His Workmanship 149

Three Persons—Equal in Power and Glory 149

Divine Communication in the New Creation 150

The Purpose of the New Creation 150

Christ is the Primary Recipient 150

The Sole Repository for the Church's Needs 150

The Riches in Christ's Person Imparted in His Office 151

God Set Apart the Substance of the Church 151

From the Father; through the Son; by the Spirit 152

The Spirit Animates the Elect 153

Life Flows Incessant from Above 153

How We Receive Christ 153

By the Father's Sovereign Grace 154

By the Acts of Christ 155

11 The Recapitulation of All Things in Him 159

The Work of Divine Wisdom 159

God Is Infinite Being and Goodness 160

Nothing Can Be Added to God 160

His First Outward Work 161

God's Creative Properties Preserve Creation 161

Two Families—Men on Earth; Angels in Heaven 161

God—Immediate Head of Both Families 162

Sin Wrought Pandemonium 162

Angels Rejected; A Remnant of Mankind Elected 163

Restoration into One Family 163

Immediately Dependent on One Common Head 163

Christ Is Head of the New Family 164

God Communicates Solely Through Him 164

How He Brings Angels and Men Together 164

A Vista of the Incomprehensible 165

None But Jesus Could Bear the Weight of Glory 165

All the Concerns of God's Glory Center in Christ 165

He Restores the Glory of God in Creation 167

He Expresses all the Treasure of Divine Wisdom 167

He Provides Security from Ruin 168

12 Differences Between Beholding

the Glory of Christ by Faith in this World

and by Sight in Heaven 169

The View from this World 170

A Mirror Image 170

Through a Telescope 171

Obscured by Dark Sayings 171

A Wall Needs to Be Demolished 172

The View from Heaven 174

‘Face to Face’ 174

With Eyes to See Him as He Is 175

Press on Towards Christ 181

Learn from Old Testament Saints 183

The Marks of a Hypocritical Profession 186

13 The Second Difference Between Faith and Sight 189

Why Christ Hides from Us 191

Discerning Christ's Withdrawal 192

Growth in Grace Decreases 192

A Sense of His Love is Lost 197

Faith Interrupted and Obstructed 202

Passions and Desires Blind the Mind 203

Evil Cravings Increase; Faith Weakens 205

Satan Does Not Give Over 206

An Uninterrupted View 208

Our Minds Made Perfect 208

We Will Walk By Sight 209

No Dark Nights 210

Our Eyes Will Not Be Dim 211

14 Other Differences Between

Faith in this World and Sight in Heaven 213

The Partial Will Pass Away 213

Scripture—the Horizon of Faith 214

Heaven Has No Limits 215

The Different Effects of Faith and Sight 216

Sight is Totally Transforming 216

The Work of Faith Is Imperfect 219

Sight Brings Perfect Rest 220

Faith Is Sanctifying, not Glorifying 221

Part II

1 An Exhortation to Such

as Are Not Yet Partakers of Christ 227

Reasons to Close with Christ 228

Consider Your Latter End 228

Do Not Make Presumptions 229

Be Convinced of Your Woeful Condition 229

Jesus Has Given You Many Invitations 231

Unbelief Makes Christ a Deceiver 232

Christ Cannot Save Unbelieving Sinners 233

Coming to Christ Glorifi es God 234

All His Glory Will Be Yours 235

Do Not Out—Sin the Devil 235

Today Is the Day of Salvation 236

Christ Has Lingered For You 236

Shelters of Unbelief 237

‘What Do I Still Lack?’ 237

‘I Can Make Nothing of It’ 239

‘Now Is Not the Best Time’ 241

‘A Clean Break Is Too Severe’ 243

‘Believers Are no Better than Me’ 244

2 The Way and Means of the Recovery

of Spiritual Decays and of

Obtaining Fresh Springs of Grace 247

Grace Thrives Towards the End 247

The Righteous Flourish 249

An Autumn Spring 252

Decay and Deliverance 253

Spiritual Life Entails Growth 254

Believers Sometimes Fail 259

Dig up the Root of Evil 263

Curing the Sickness 272

Collecting the Fruit of the Promise 281

Nothing Without Christ 281

By Faith Alone 282

With a Steady View of Christ's Glory 282

The Course of Recovery 283

Product Details

Title: The Glory of Christ -- His Office and Grace

Author: John Owen

Publisher: Christian Focus Publications

Pages: 288

Binding: Paperback

Size: 21.5 x 13.7 x 1.5 cm