Sunday, May 24, 2015

Listen to Him




"...He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him..."
~Matthew 17:5

This is not the first time the God of all creation commends His one and only Son to those whom He made in His image.  Then, He gives a simple command.  Listen to him.  If only it were so simple.  We want to do more, like Peter, in his desire to build the tents for the biblical hall-0f-famers ensconcing the Son of God.  I want a formula, a to-do list, whereby once everything is checked off, I'm good. 

Listen to Him.

"Listen to him.  Let us see, in these words, a striking lesson to the whole Church of Christ.  There is a constant tendency in human nature to 'listen to man.'  Bishops, priests, popes, cardinals, councils, preachers, ministers, are continually exalted to a place which God never intended them to fill, and made practically to usurp the honor of Christ.  Against this tendency let us all watch, and be on our guard.  Let those solemn words ring in our ears: 'Listen to Christ.'

The best of men are only men at their very best.  Patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, martyrs, fathers, reformers, puritans--all, all are sinners, who need a Savior: holy, useful, honorable in their place, but sinners after all.  They must never be allowed to stand between us and Christ.  Let us take heed that we hear his voice, and follow him; let us value all religious teaching just in proportion as it leads us to Jesus.  The sum and substance of saving religion is 'listen to Christ.'"

~J.C. Ryle (italics mine)

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