Purchased grace

A summary of John Owen's Communion with God, part 2, chap. VII

Christ, by his death and resurrection, has purchased for us:

1. Acceptance with God
1. by removing that which set us at enmity with God, namely sin and guilt, which he does by his death; and
2. by giving us that for which we are accepted, namely the obedience of his perfect life, imputed to us.
2. Sanctification (by which he "makes us not only accepted, but also acceptable"), consisting of
1. the removal of defilements, meaning
1. the cleansing of our nature of its sinful habit;
2. the removal of the pollutions accompanying our actual sins; and
3. the removal of the defilement accompanying even our best deeds ("so that the saints' good works shall meet them one day with a changed countenance, that they shall scarce know them: that which seemed to them to be black, deformed, defiled, shall appear beautiful and glorious; they shall not be afraid of them, but rejoice to see and follow them").
2. the bestowal of cleanness and purity by
1. giving the Spirit of holiness to indwell us;
2. giving habitual grace ("a principle of grace, opposed to the principle of lust that is in us by nature"); and
3. actually influencing us in particular cases for the performance of every spiritual duty.
3. Privileges to stand before God, being:
1. primarily, adoption as sons; and
2. consequentially, all the favours of the gospel which attend this adoption.