The Fountain of Love: Communion with the Father | John Owen

Deep Dive into The Saint's Fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by John Owen - Chapter 3In Chapter 3 of his work, John Owen explores the distinct communion that believers share with the Father, emphasizing that while all persons of the Trinity collaborate in salvation, saints experience a unique fellowship with the Father through the attribute of love. The gospel uniquely reveals the Father not just in terms of wrath against sin, but as the very fountain of free, undeserved, and eternal love. Believers are called to actively engage in this communion by first receiving the Father's love through faith in Jesus Christ, and then responding with a reciprocating love.Owen details two primary similarities between the Father's love for the saints and their love for Him. First, both are characterized as a love of rest and delight, meaning God finds deep joy and satisfaction in His people, while believers find their ultimate spiritual rest and supreme contentment solely in Him. Second, this mutual exchange of love is mediated entirely through Jesus Christ, who acts as the sole conduit for the Father's blessings and the saints' devotion.However, Owen also highlights three vital differences. First, the Father's love is a love of bounty that freely infuses goodness into His people, whereas the believer's love is a love of duty that honors Him without adding to His perfection. Second, God's love is preceding; He loved humanity even while they were sinners, devoid of any inherent loveliness, whereas human love is consequential and reactive to God's supreme excellency. Finally, the Father's love is perfectly constant and eternally unchangeable, while human devotion remains inherently fragile, frequently fluctuating and waning. Through these comparisons, Owen illustrates that the believer's highest calling is to rest securely in the unchanging love of the Father.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