# “Infinitely lovely and loving” by John Owen

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2025/03/28/infinitely-lovely-and-loving-by-john-owen/
- Published: 2025-03-28T12:00:00-05:00
- Author: tollelege

“God _loves_ that He may be _beloved_.

When He comes to command the return of His received love, to complete communion 
with Him, He says, ‘_My son, give Me thine heart_,” (**Prov. 23:26**),— thy affections,
thy love.

“_Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy strength, and with all thy mind_,” (**Luke 10:27**). This is the return
that He demandeth.

When the soul sees God, in His dispensation of love, to be love, to be infinitely
lovely and loving, rests upon and delights in Him as such,— then hath it communion
with Him in love.

This is love, that God loves us first, and then we love Him again.

Thus is this whole business stated by the apostle, ‘_According as He hath chosen
us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without 
blame before Him in love_.’ (**Eph. 1:4**)

It _begins_ in the love of God, and _ends_ in our love to Him.”

–John Owen, “[Communion with God](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0851513921?tag=toletaupanre-20),”
[_The Works of John Owen, Volume 2 _](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0851513921?tag=toletaupanre-20)(
Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1684/2000), 2: 24.

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[Love of God](https://tollelege.net/category/love-of-god/)