Owen: 'He loves life into us . . .'

I have not read much John Owen myself, but I know one of my brothers has benefitted much from him, and Roger Nicole once called him the greatest theologian to ever write in the English language, including Jonathan Edwards. So I found myself leafing through the edition of Communion with God Christian Focus published this past year. In the book Owen explains how we can commune distinctly with each member of the Trinity (!). Though I was only half-awake as I was doing so, two sentences woke me up. Describing the way Christ's love is necessarily fruitful in the life of the believer, he says that

the love of Christ, being the love of God, is effectual and fruitful in producing all the good things which he wills to his beloved. He loves life, grace, and holiness into us; he loves us also into covenant, loves us into heaven. (p. 112)

Did you hear that? "He loves life, grace, and holiness into us." Succint, pithy, profound, and right. He loves it right into us. I think that gets at the heart of the New Testament. I find myself encouraged, and worshipping.