Untitled Sermon (38)

Give Thanks to God...

"At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.” ()

Let’s give thanks to God the Father who revealed Christ to us.

"For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf ... to believe in him...” () It’s in Christ that we’re blessed with every Spiritual blessing ().

He increases our faith () and wrought’s upon us by His Spirit where that “immeasurable greatness of His power” (,; ).

The Love of God the Father...

We have communion with the Father; and this is LOVE,—free, undeserved, and eternal love. This the Father peculiarly fixes upon the saints; after our conversion, this is how we saw Him, to receive of Him. This is one of the many great glories of the gospel. Because the Father, as the fountain of the Deity, is not known any other way except as full of wrath, anger, and indignation against sin, nor can the lost have any other thoughts of Him (; , ; ; ; ) —

But in the gospel He is now revealed peculiarly as love, as full of love to us; the manifestation, through which, is the peculiar work of the gospel...

"But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared,” () "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” () "On that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. "For the Father himself loves you...” ()

Communion consists in giving and receiving. Until the love of the Father be received, we have no inward communion with Him. How, then, is this love of the Father to be received, so as to hold fellowship with him? By faith. The receiving of it is the believing of it. God hath so fully, so remarkably revealed His love, that it may be received by faith. “Believe in God...” () that is, the Father! What are we to believe about Him? His love; because He is “love” ().

Owen, J. (n.d.). The works of John Owen. (W. H. Goold, Ed.) (Vol. 2, p. 19). Edinburgh: T&T Clark.