The Conjugal Delight of Christ and His Saints | John Owen

Deep Dive into The Saint's Fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by John Owen - Chapter IVJohn Owen's text explores the deep, conjugal communion between Jesus Christ and believers, focusing primarily on their mutual affection and delight in one another.Christ's love for His saints encompasses delight, valuation, compassion, and bounty. His delight is compared to a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride. As a primary demonstration of this joy, Christ shares His deepest secrets with believers, revealing His true nature, His grace, and the governance of His kingdom. Furthermore, because He delights in them, He empowers saints to communicate their own hearts to Him through prayer. He accomplishes this by providing the assistance of the Holy Spirit to reveal their true spiritual needs, establishing Himself as the only accessible way to the Father, and granting them the boldness to approach God without fear of wrath.In response, believers find their ultimate joy, hope, and salvation in Christ. Drawing heavily from the Song of Solomon, Owen illustrates this reciprocal delight through the bride's devotion. Believers demonstrate their love by carefully maintaining their fellowship with Christ and vigilantly avoiding sin that might disrupt His presence. They possess an intense, insatiable longing for closer communion, desiring to be permanently sealed upon His heart and arm. When they experience spiritual desertion or feel Christ's absence, they are filled with profound anxiety and distress. In these dark periods, they diligently seek Him through private reflection, the promises of Scripture, and public church ordinances until their fellowship is completely restored.Finally, this mutual affection extends to the things Christ values. Because believers delight in Him, they naturally delight in His people and His church ordinances, viewing fellow saints as the most excellent individuals in the world.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerWorship Music: https://suno.com/playlist/3a498d0f-c90e-4981-8aa7-59834e7239f7https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730