“While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear you him… And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only (vs5, 8).”
Seeing God in His glory is seeing “Jesus only” in the salvation of sinners. Other than this, there is wrath. If we’d know God gracious, then we will not see the law and the prophets, but they will point us to Christ. We will not see preachers and brothers, but we will see Jesus only. And, seeing Jesus is OBEYING the gospel by His merit unto conformity to His will.
The gospel of God’s grace is “Jesus only”, and the more of Him, the better.
First, Hear Jesus only, not a mixture of law and grace, and not a moral sermon, but the unfolding of the scriptures in the Light of Jesus (Matt 17:3-5). If Christ is not preached, then the glory of the text has not been preached. The law is good, but there is NO WAY to holiness, except by God’s grace through Jesus’ blood. Take out or even mix Christ, and you corrupt the gospel, so that it cannot save – “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4).
Second, even though you and I are sinners, even though you have blasphemed God, short changed Jesus Christ, and done every foolish thing imaginable after being exalted by Him, you are still saved by grace – “And Jesus came and touched them, and said, “Arise, and be not afraid” (Matt 17:6-7). You were never on merit; you were always saved upon the basis of Christ’s accomplishments, and He has returned to teach you to serve Him better. Take no salvation by merit, and take no salvation without works of faith and love being wrought in us by faith in Christ.
Thirdly, we are hateful sinners by nature, the worst in the world: haters of God, “But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they willed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them” (Matt 17:10-12). Do not judge a man by what he does BEFORE he hears Christ, for he doesn’t know the grace of God. But, to HEAR and not repent, when so great a grace is preached, when a way so easy is opened, and when God is GRACIOUS through Christ, exposes the hate of man towards holiness.
Men act confused, but they are not. They merely make excuses not to believe, doing away with Christ. Even believers, in our sin, can silence God’s messengers unto our own hurt and pain. We are wise to repent of every false way in us and be turned from all wickedness, because it leads to fruitlessness and so much needless pain. Obedience is the path of the believer, and Christ’s death JUSTIFIES God to walk with us hand and hand, not condemning but TEACHING His children. Don’t reject the Christ, for you expose hate towards God that shall be punished, even as these men were slow to hear, and the unbelievers were moved to murder.
Lastly, the only way the worst demons are cast out is by bringing it to Jesus only – “Howbeit this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matt 17:14-21). We must be emptied of all strength, and the fasting comes because the failure is known. The prayer comes because the sin is repeated. But, in due time, the Lord Jesus unfolds the Lord Jesus is the reason that the Lord Jesus is going to conform you into the image of the Lord Jesus, “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to me” (vs17). The gospel is bringing everything to Christ, and PRAYER and FASTING is the way. We rely on Him before God, even though we’re sinners, entirely by faith, desiring what God gives. God makes us WANT salvation, so that we ASK Him to save, and then He saves the man He humbled.
The gospel of God’s grace is “Jesus only”, and the more of Him, the better.
First, Hear Jesus only, not a mixture of law and grace, and not a moral sermon, but the unfolding of the scriptures in the Light of Jesus (Matt 17:3-5). If Christ is not preached, then the glory of the text has not been preached. The law is good, but there is NO WAY to holiness, except by God’s grace through Jesus’ blood. Take out or even mix Christ, and you corrupt the gospel, so that it cannot save – “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4).
Second, even though you and I are sinners, even though you have blasphemed God, short changed Jesus Christ, and done every foolish thing imaginable after being exalted by Him, you are still saved by grace – “And Jesus came and touched them, and said, “Arise, and be not afraid” (Matt 17:6-7). You were never on merit; you were always saved upon the basis of Christ’s accomplishments, and He has returned to teach you to serve Him better. Take no salvation by merit, and take no salvation without works of faith and love being wrought in us by faith in Christ.
Thirdly, we are hateful sinners by nature, the worst in the world: haters of God, “But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they willed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them” (Matt 17:10-12). Do not judge a man by what he does BEFORE he hears Christ, for he doesn’t know the grace of God. But, to HEAR and not repent, when so great a grace is preached, when a way so easy is opened, and when God is GRACIOUS through Christ, exposes the hate of man towards holiness.
Men act confused, but they are not. They merely make excuses not to believe, doing away with Christ. Even believers, in our sin, can silence God’s messengers unto our own hurt and pain. We are wise to repent of every false way in us and be turned from all wickedness, because it leads to fruitlessness and so much needless pain. Obedience is the path of the believer, and Christ’s death JUSTIFIES God to walk with us hand and hand, not condemning but TEACHING His children. Don’t reject the Christ, for you expose hate towards God that shall be punished, even as these men were slow to hear, and the unbelievers were moved to murder.
Lastly, the only way the worst demons are cast out is by bringing it to Jesus only – “Howbeit this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matt 17:14-21). We must be emptied of all strength, and the fasting comes because the failure is known. The prayer comes because the sin is repeated. But, in due time, the Lord Jesus unfolds the Lord Jesus is the reason that the Lord Jesus is going to conform you into the image of the Lord Jesus, “Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to me” (vs17). The gospel is bringing everything to Christ, and PRAYER and FASTING is the way. We rely on Him before God, even though we’re sinners, entirely by faith, desiring what God gives. God makes us WANT salvation, so that we ASK Him to save, and then He saves the man He humbled.
