DiM

DiM | “Cornerstone” by Hillsong Worship

Faithful Stewardship 4 Comments

Presentation1Evangelical Worship Edition.

February 25, 2016. Today we are taking a look at songs we’ve not yet covered on the Popular Songs list at WorshipTogether. We’ll be looking at “Cornerstone” by Hillsong Worship. It’s not a new song, but it’s probably going to be one of Hillsong’s most enduring songs. Once we’ve rounded out the list of Popular songs on this site, our Evangelical Worship Edition will start looking at the “New Songs” list.

Hillsong Worship. Hillsong church is a house of heresy. It is an enemy to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Brian Houston is a false teacher, a wolf in the pulpit. Brian and his fellow preachers twist the Scriptures for shameful gain. Everything that comes out of this “ministry” is suspect. Having said that, this song is salvageable in that when the proper theology is applied to the song, there is some merit in its lyric. This song being played in a Hillsong affiliated church? Not good. This song being played in a doctrinally sound church for corporate worship? Potentially beneficial.

Music Video (Live at RELEVANT)

 

Lyrics (via WorshipTogether)

Verse 1
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and  righteousness
I dare not trust the  sweetest frame
But wholly  trust is Jesus’ name

Chorus
Christ alone, Cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Savior’s love
Through the storm He is Lord
Lord of all

Verse 2
When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil

Verse 3
When he shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless stand before the throne

Writer(s): Edward Mote, Eric Liljero, Jonas Myrin, Reuben Morgan
Ministry(s): Hillsong
CCLI #: 6158927
Scripture Reference(s): Psalm 118:21-23, Isaiah 28:16, Matthew 21:41-43

Discussion

Let us begin by taking a look at the cited Scripture References.

Matthew 21:41-43 (ESV)
41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

Here Jesus is referring to a couple of Scriptures. I want to expand the references a bit for the sake of context. These are clearly pointing to Christ.

Psalm 118:19-24 (ESV)
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Isaiah 28:14-17 (ESV) | A Cornerstone in Zion
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers,
who rule this people in Jerusalem!
15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
and with Sheol we have an agreement,
when the overwhelming whip passes through
it will not come to us,
for we have made lies our refuge,
and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
16 therefore thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,
    a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
17 And I will make justice the line,
and righteousness the plumb line;
and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”

These passages are being cited in context. That’s impressive to me. These passages point to the work of Jesus Christ in His first advent. These were not purely prophetically pointing forward, but we have also what the Apostles taught regarding Christ as the cornerstone. We’ll get to the song lyric in a bit, but I want to discuss the picture of Christ as the Cornerstone and a Firm Foundation.

Cornerstone and Firm Foundation of What?

That’s the big question. In the Old Testament they would have assumed a new Temple of God, maybe even a New Kingdom. We who belong to the New Covenant understand that all of these are true and they find their fulfillment in the Person and Work of God the Son, Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews goes to great lengths to flesh out how the Old Covenant foreshadowed pointed to, was fulfilled in, and replaced by Jesus Christ the Messiah. There is no longer a physical Temple in Jerusalem, so this isn’t a work being made by man. Instead, the foundation and cornerstone refer to the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ.

Ephesians 2:11-22 (ESV) | One in Christ
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Amen! We are the Body of Christ, we stand on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets (the Divinely Inspired Scriptures, the Written Word of God) with Christ as its cornerstone. And in Christ we are being joined together and growing into a holy temple a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Notice how this New Testament teaching in no way undermines the prophetic passages in Psalms or Isaiah… everything points to Christ and His Person and Work.

The Lyric of the Song

There are several lines in the song that convey parts of the Gospel for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. It isn’t clear enough (in my opinion) for the unbeliever to hear the Gospel, but as I said earlier when sung within the context of a biblically-sound church, it can be profitable for encouragement.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…
I rest on His unchanging grace…
may I then in Him be found dressed in His righteousness alone…

These lines put together a picture of the Promise of Salvation because of Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement for our sin. When we stand before the Throne of God, by faith we will not be standing on our own righteousness, but we will be dressed in His righteousness. Praise the Lord!

Another line I really love in this song is “My anchor holds within the veil”. In its best light, it’s an artistic reference to Hebrews 6. Let’s take a look.

Hebrews 6:13-20 (ESV) | The Certainty of God’s Promise
For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Person and Work of Jesus Christ is the assurance of our salvation. Praise the Lord.

A call to discernment

Now, with all of the good found in this song, why didn’t it earn an approval? Because for all of the good that can be found in the song, it has to be properly aligned with Scripture for the message to come out clearly. Hillsong doesn’t preach a christocentric Gospel. Hillsong preaches man-centered false theology. Hillsong doesn’t hold to the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Hillsong promotes, encourages, and blesses modern-day false prophets. They don’t rebuke self-appointed apostles. Hillsong promotes a form of christianity that circumvents the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and preaches a different christ, a different cornerstone, a different spirit, a different gospel. Their Presence theology encourages a mystical and emotional direct connection to the spirit apart from the clear teaching of Scripture. So in that sense, they aren’t singing the same confession of scriptures we’ve just worked through.

Edit: I completely dropped the ball in this review when I failed to search for these lyrics in hymnals. “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” by Edward Mote, 1797-1874. The Lutheran version doesn’t have the refrain added by William B Bradbury’s “Solid Rock” (reference). So that is why this song is so much better than most of what Hillsong puts out… Hillsong didn’t write it so much as repackage it, dropping a verse and changing the Refrain into a full chorus.

Conclusion

This is lyrically the best song I’ve reviewed coming out of Hillsong Worship. It’s vagueness is salvageable by sound doctrine, and exploitable by heretical teaching. This is a bit of an anomaly for music coming out of one of the major heresy houses (Hillsong, Bethel, IHOP, etc). That doesn’t mean we should be okay having it looped ad finitum to whip the congregation into an emotional frenzy, but it can be properly used for Biblical Worship. Please exercise discernment in how this is used, and ensure the congregation understands the connection of the Temple to Jesus Christ.

Jude 24-25 (ESV) Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle

Faithful Stewardship 12 Comments

Presentation1CCM Radio Edition.

February 23, 2016. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Trust in You” by Lauren Daigle which currently sits at #15 on the 20theCountdownMagazine.

I first heard this song a couple of weeks ago while on my morning commute. Lauren Daigle has a wonderful voice with a unique sound. It’s beautiful. The problem here is with the lyric and what is being conveyed by it (both intentionally and, I think, unintentionally). In a musical industry promoted and pushed by the Word of Faith (WoF), Prosperity, and Presence heresy houses… there is at least in some sense a realization that the theology “doesn’t work”. I wish they’d repent of their false theology, but they keep pushing it. But what happens when all of the “decree and declare” and “sun stand still prayers” yield no results? What happens when we do everything we can to “bring down strongholds” only to lose a loved one to cancer, or drug overdose? One should reexamine their doctrine, return to the Word of God to see if what you are being told is Scriptural. This song almost seems to go there… but it doesn’t. It goes back to the proof texts of WoF and re-declares them in an odd way. When I hear this song, all I hear is “God, when you let me down and don’t keep your promises… I forgive you”. Maybe it’s my sinful nature that prevents me from hearing the overall message of this song in any other way. I’m open to the idea that I’m being overly dismissive of this song. Let’s take a look at it.

Lauren Daigle VEVO

 

Lyrics (via KLove)

Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wondering
Never changes what You see

I’ve tried to win this war I confess
My hands are weary I need Your rest
Mighty Warrior King of the fight
No matter what I face You’re by my side

(chorus)
When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You

Truth is You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen
So in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less

(chorus)
When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You
I will trust in You

(bridge)
You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation
The Rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go
You’ve not already stood

(chorus)
When You don’t move the mountains
I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You

Publishing: © 2014 CentricSongs (SESAC) / Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (SESAC) / Word Music & Pocket Full of Rocks Publishing (ASCAP)

Writer(s): Words and Music by Lauren Daigle, Paul Mabury and Michael Farren

Discussion

We’re going to assume the “You” in this song to be the God of the Bible. I mention this because it isn’t clearly stated in the song, and that’s bad. The Name that is above All Names should be proclaimed in every Christian song.

Okay, so if you don’t see where I’m hearing “God, I forgive you’ it’s in the repetitive I will trust in You as it falls immediately after all of the expressions of disappointment. The Bridge is the best part of the entire song. These are all good confessions of Who God is. But the theology being expressed in the verses and chorus make me question whether or not Jesus Christ (the Rock) is the firm foundation of her faith. Let’s work through the disappointments listed:

  • When you don’t move the mountains I’m needing you to move. There is an expectation that with enough faith God will move the mountains in our lives. This is somewhat pulled from the account in Matthew 17:14-21, but what is the context? Should we contextualize the demoniac or the mountain as anything we decide we need to have happen? I don’t think we should do that. WoF theology twists this passage to present faith as a magic lamp that if we rub right we’ll get the Holy Spirit genie to come out and grant us wishes. Is that what Lauren is after here? Not directly, but the focus here is one of disappointment that something she’s prayed for God to remove yet remains.
  • When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through. Again we have an expectation of something happening that is loosely connected to the parting of the Red Sea, but not clearly defined. The parting of the Red Sea points to water baptism, to salvation in Jesus’ Name. WoF (of the Prosperity variety) teachers often continue to contextualize the parting of the Red Sea into some sort of present-day spiritual warfare thingy in our everyday lives. Is there something blocking your healing/promotion/prosperity? Well, it must be your Red Sea moment… God will part the waters if you have enough faith. The problem with such contextualizing is that it actually minimizes the Red Sea and falsely elevates our everyday trials and tribulations that we should expect because God’s Word tells us to expect them. James 1:2-4 (ESV) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
  • When You don’t give the answers As I cry out to You. There is an expectation that we should be receiving direct revelation from God. That we should be hearing God speak to us either audibly or via some deep impression in our “spirit” when we pray. The notion that prayer should be a two-way street isn’t taught in scripture. Yes God can speak in any way He chooses, but that’s not to say that is the role or purpose for prayer. And God did speak regarding prayer and we have His Words in Written form. Consult the Word of God directly and know it is God who breathed out those words.

So that’s the overall problem I have with the song. It is what rings loudest when I hear the song play on the radio. The singer is disappointed by her theology, but pushes on to declare she will Trust in Him. It comes across to me as an “I forgive you”. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’ll confess I’ve been hurt by the failure of WoF theology and asked questions only to have the WoF thrown back in my face pointing to my lack of faith or lack of trust as the reason why something did or didn’t happen.

Verse 1. Modern-day evangelicalism is overly obsessed with our own dreams. It’s a real problem. Thankfully, she’s talking about letting go of the dreams… that’s a good start. But then she’s talking about laying them down at God’s feet? Oh, so it’s a sacrifice thing… like something you’re offering to God. Are we trying to eisegete Abraham’s offering of Isaac… because God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac… and that was to foreshadow God sacrificing His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Don’t eisegete any of that, please. We let go of our dreams not to appease God or to make Him favorable to us or our situation, we let go of our dreams because they are sinful, they come from our sinful hearts. The lyrics provided on KLove talk about her “wonderings”, but I can’t help but wonder if the word being sung or intended here is “wanderings”. As sinful creatures we are prone to wander, being lead astray by our own fleshly, sinful desires. That is why we need repentance and the forgiveness of sin regularly. When it is our faith and doctrine that starts to wander, we’re in danger of shipwrecking our faith and damning ourselves. That is why we need the Preached Word of God, we need to grow in knowledge and wisdom of the Word of God, that our faith might increase.

Pre-Chorus. There is that will of ours, striving to merit righteousness in some way. It is a good thing that she is confessing this as sin. I wish the metaphor of the Rest found in Christ were teased out a bit more. Yes, we find rest in Christ Jesus, but WoF treats it as a momentary reprieve or a stop at the charging station so that we can get back out there and do more good works… that’s not the picture of entering God’s rest. The picture of entering God’s rest is one of entering the Promised Land by faith in Christ Jesus. Yes, the LORD is a Mighty Warrior King, but He isn’t at our side, He’s out front. He has fought the battle, He has won the war on our behalf. He threw down the walls of Jericho. He killed Goliath while we all stood at a distance, condemned in our unbelief.

Chorus. We’ve already worked through this as my main issue with the song. I will add one more thing to this discussion. Faith isn’t a thing that we have apart from Christ. It’s not an effort of the will that can be prompted and urged or exercised through sheer will or zeal. Faith has to be anchored in Christ Jesus, otherwise it’s just belief, and can be tossed about by winds of doctrine. WoF heresy teaches folks to place their faith on what they declare or on promises that are nowhere given in Scripture. That’s not faith.

Bridge. This is the best part of the song. These are good confessions of Who God is. These are reasons to trust in Him, but not for the kinds of things that WoF theology promotes… the sorts of signs and wonders that led to the disappointment of the singer in the first place.

Verse 2. Her second verse seems like a throw-back to her song “First“. We still have some confessions of the Sovereignty and Omniscience of God. There’s even a continuation of the thought from the first verse of letting go of our own dreams or plans. That’s good.

Conclusion

I struggle with this song. There’s so much missing here, there’s no clear Gospel message. The focus of the song is the singer working through disappointment and committing herself to trusting in Him. I just want to tell Lauren, “let’s look in the Word for encouragement and understanding of the trials of this life”. Because the song doesn’t stand on its own, it isn’t approved. My first inclination is to disapprove the song based on the sense of the song being some sort of forgiving God for not doing something kind of message. My children sometimes do this to me, my daughter especially. She’ll do it in the middle of being scolded for one thing while asking for something else she knows she can’t have. /sigh. So, it’s our sinful human nature at work. So, since I cannot objectively disapprove of this song, it will remain in the middle-ground, and I encourage the reader/listener to exercise Biblical discernment.

Romans 16:24-27 (ESV) Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” by Danny Gokey

Faithful Stewardship 10 Comments

CCM Radio Edition.

February 16, 2016. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” by Danny Gokey which currently sits at #12 on the 20theCountdownMagazine.

This song earned a disapproval immediately, but there is a good thought expressed in the song that is worth exploring, that of the need to heal and move out of our past. The video we are using isn’t the airplay version of the song, and it was recorded in a live-take, so some of the words might be slightly different from what you hear on the radio, but not enough to change its meaning. We are going with this version of the song because Danny retells the story of the background of this song. Sadly, that background wasn’t scripture, it was an experience.

Danny Gokey Studio Video (w/ Story Behind the Song)

 

Danny Gokey didn’t write this song. It was written by Randy Phillips of the trio Phillips, Craig, and Dean.

Lyrics

Shattered like you’ve never been before
The life you knew in a thousand pieces on the floor
Words fall short in times like these
When this world drives you to your knees
You think you’re never going to get back to the you you used to be.

Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away, step into the light of grace
Yesterdays a closing door you don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
Tell your heart to beat again

Beginning just let that word wash over you
It’s alright now, love’s healing hands will pull you through
So get back up, take step one
Leave the darkness, feel the sun
Because your stories far from over and your journey’s just begun

So Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in

Let the shadows fall away, step into the light of grace
Yesterdays a closing door you don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
Tell your heart to beat again

Let every heartbreak and every scar
Be a picture that reminds you, who has carried you this far
‘Cause love sees farther than you ever could
In this moment Heaven is working everything for your good

Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away, step into the light of grace
Yesterday’s a closing door you don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
Tell your heart to beat again
Your heart to beat again

…oh so tell your heart, to beat again…

Discussion

The basic premise of the song is faulty. It isn’t up to you to tell your heart to beat again. The anecdote about a surgeon telling the anesthetized patient “tell your heart to beat again” is quite compelling and moving, indeed it fits the definition of an “awesome story”. But the story is then used a springboard to suggest that this holds some sort of spiritual meaning, that the Great Physician has healed our hearts, BUT… but now it is up to us to tell our hearts to beat again. I have a real problem with that message. Despite that rousing story from an unidentified doctor who talked his way into an undisclosed operating room, this is not how medicine works, this is not how healing works, not of our physical hearts nor of our souls. Please note, I’m not saying the story is fabricated, just that I couldn’t verify any of it. Let’s look at the primary issue with spiritualizing this anecdote and the message of the song.

Synergism versus Monergism

The anecdote is being used to push a notion that God heals the heart but it doesn’t beat until we tell it to do so. Synergists give lip service to “salvation by faith alone” but they’ll tack on the need for works to complete the salvation. Synergism is baked into the core theology of many churches, but also works its way into Monergistic churches. Why? Because part of our sinful nature is the desire to get credit for what we do. We also want to compare ourselves to others and we can’t do that with “faith alone” so we look to works to establish a pecking order. So, while the doctrine of these othordox churches clearly confess monergism, synergism creeps in to rob the believer of his/her assurance of salvation. It’s not new to our century, such creeping was already taking place in the early church.

Galatians 3:1-9 (ESV) | By Faith, or by Works of the Law?

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The right way to understand the role of good works is to view it as that which flows out from salvation rather than something that is needed to gain the assurance of salvation. When the Holy Spirit regenerates a person, granting saving faith at the hearing of the Word of Christ, that person is made alive in Christ. Fully. No need for that person to do anything, much less tell themselves to breath again, or their heart to beat again.

The stated purpose of this song in the two “background” stories isn’t presented as one of salvation. In fact, the original video from Randy Phillips targets those who’ve been hurt, who are broken-hearted. But such specifics didn’t find their way into the lyric, so we had to establish this groundwork first.

Healing of the broken-hearted

I mentioned earlier that this song did have something of merit in it, that is the idea of recovering from our past. Randy Phillips specified broken heartedness, and Danny Gokey left it a bit more broad, but the basic premise is that God has already healed your broken heart so you need to stop living in it. Now matter how softly one makes this suggestion, it is still something you have to do, which makes it Law. The answer to this problem isn’t in finding some formula or principle for how to do it; the answer is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Repent, and be forgiven in Jesus’ Name. Jesus also taught that we needed to forgive others as we have been forgiven. We cannot keep such a Law of our own, we must extend the Grace we’ve been given. Let’s read some Scripture on the topic.

Matthew 6:9-15 (ESV) Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 18:15-35 (ESV) | The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

A hard teaching, indeed, but necessary for us to understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the very heart and center of all of Scripture. Our hearts are wicked, stained by sin. By Grace our hearts have been made new and we’ve been made alive in the spirit by the Holy Spirit of God, but we still have our fleshly hearts to contend with. It is something we must crucify in Christ daily. Repent, and be forgiven. Forgive others, and when you fail that, repent and be forgiven again.

2 Corinthians 5:1-5 (ESV) | Our Heavenly Dwelling

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (ESV)

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This is the healing of the Great Physician, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Beware of Victim-Blaming

My wife and I are particularly sensitive to the flip-side of the synergistic coin. It’s an ugly side that few are willing to discuss until they need to separate themselves from an individual, or defend themselves from having their false doctrine exposed. The flip-side of this coin is where we find the words, “God did His Part, God is not a liar, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever… therefore if you didn’t get your healing, or if you are still burdened by your past, it’s because you aren’t doing your part”. The dark underbelly of this coin is repulsive and runs contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every false religion in the world has law and works-righteousness. Christianity’s coin is unique and stands apart. Our coin has the Law of God on the one side and the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the other. The Law points to the Gospel, and the Gospel answers the Law. The Law exposes our sin, the Gospel grants repentance and forgiveness from sin.

Conclusion

The song doesn’t have any Gospel in it. Disapproval was certain, but there is a real need that the song is attempting to address, the need for healing, for forgiveness, and for hope. This song offers more Law for the hurting to keep, so it fails in its goal. What is needed is the Gospel of Grace, the Hope of Salvation, the peace that passes all understanding… even when the emotions are wrecked.

Romans 16:24-27 (ESV) | Doxology

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Guilty” by Newsboys

Faithful Stewardship 5 Comments

CCM Radio Edition.

February 09, 2016. Today’s song is “Guilty” by Newsboys which currently sits at #17 on 20theCountdownMagazine‘s top 20 chart.

I was really hoping the “guilty” was going to be a reference to our sin and that the point of the song was to preach Law and Gospel, Repentance and the Forgiveness of sin. I’m rather disappointed in what I found in the lyric. This song is the CCM equivalent to a pie crust promise, “easily made, easily broken” (Mary Poppins quote). It only works in a worldview where being told “you can’t say ‘Jesus’ because of ‘separation of church and state'” amounts to persecution. It doesn’t. Not even close. The song also suffers from a “cool-rebel” motivation for proclaiming the Gospel and Worshiping our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a stupid motivation to push. We aren’t motivated by rebellion, we are motivated by the Truth of the Gospel of Grace. Let’s get down to it.

Newsboys – Guilty (Official Music Video)

 

Lyrics (via Newsboys.com)

Verse 1
When did it become breaking a rule
To say your name out loud in school
When your names the only one that sets us free
When did it become incorrect
To speak the truth about life and death
When your life gave us all eternity

Pre-Chorus
Even if it gets me convicted
I’ll still be on my knees with my hands lifted

Chorus
If serving you’s against the law of man
If living out my faith in you is banned
Then I’ll stand right before the jury
If saying I believe is out of line
If I’m judged cause I’m gonna give my life
To show the world the love that fills me
Then I want to be Guilty

Verse 2
I’ll rise up and honor you
I’ll testify to all the good you do
cause your Grace and your Mercy have overtaken me

Pre-Chorus

Chorus

Bridge
Guilty by association
Guilty of being a voice proclaiming Your ways
Your truth
Your life
I’ll pay the price to be your light.

Discussion

Let us begin.

Verse 1. When did it become breaking the rule… quite early on, in fact.

Acts 4:13-22 (ESV)

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another,saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The religious leaders of the day forbade preaching, speaking, and teaching in the name of Jesus despite having such a powerful sign of healing testifying to the Name of Jesus in their midst. So, Biblically, this song is already starting on the wrong foot. At best it is appealing to the American nationalist who believes America to be a Christian nation where the name of Jesus would never be considered illegal to invoke. From that misguided and short-sided perspective, it makes sense. Notice the caveats I had to employ.

Now it seems this song is being written to address “Christian-American Culture” with the first lines of the first verse addressing the current trend of ruling against Christianity in all cases of “1st Amendment Religious Freedoms”. It is worth noting that the only religion consistently being prohibited is Christianity. That’s to be expected since it is the only True religion. If the first couple of lines are regarding “freedom from Christianity laws” the next lines are probably an attempt to address abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide (truth about Life and Death). Society wants to hear nothing about what God’s Word says about life and death. The last line is supposed to connect what is being prohibited is connected to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the promise of forgiveness from sin and the Promise of eternal Life in Jesus Christ. The problem is that the lines don’t bear this out, I’m eisegeting into them my best construction. The other way this can be taken (and I think this way resonates more with its intended audience) is a build-up to rebellion, a pep-rally for cultural revolution… with an Evangelical flavor.

Pre-Chorus. Yep… rebellion is the motivation. Even if it gets me convicted… We haven’t seen anything yet in this country, but it’s coming. But is this the right motivation for sharing the Gospel? Nope. How much are you sharing the Gospel now that it isn’t literally against the law? Historically, the Church grows strong under persecution… but only after it has been culled to a remnant. Remember the parable of the soils? There are some who for a time bear fruit, but when persecution comes they are burned up for their roots are shallow. Others will be distracted by their own desires and are choked up by the weeds. Anyway, my point is that this line is purely motivational pep-rally fluff. The next line doesn’t improve upon it because it is one of those lines you sing where you say you’ll keep doing something that you aren’t currently doing… I’ll still be on my knees with my hands lifted… you may, you may not, but why make it a promise? Why proclaim something if you aren’t doing it, and what does staying on your knees with your hands lifted earn you? What does that do for God? What does it do for the Gospel? The line is an evangelical church-ism, where evangelicals just assume that these outward displays of piety indicate true worship. Jesus isn’t swayed by the external displays of piety…

Luke 18:9-14 (ESV) | The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee,standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Now, in the parable Jesus gives voice to all that is going on in their hearts. There is also a contrast in outward actions, yet, but even if the Pharisee were on his knees with his arms lifted in the air saying the same “prayer” would have yielded him the same results in the parable.

But there is another problem with boldly declaring how you will react should a situation arise of which you have no understanding… you make oaths you cannot hope to keep. You’ll sin, and have to repent of lying to boot. And we don’t need to go to the unbelieving Pharisee to make this point… we can look to the Apostle Peter.

Luke 22:31-34 (ESV) | Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Jesus told him point-blank he was going to fall away, but that He had prayed for Peter so that after he has turned again he might strengthen his brothers. All of them were going to fail, but Jesus assured them that He would bring them back. Peter doesn’t get it and decides to prove his zeal by making lofty claims of what he would do. Friends, you can’t out-zeal the Word of God. Just can’t do it. So don’t do it. Confess the Word, don’t try to one-up it in your misguided zeal.

Chorus. Works. Law. No Gospel. Dear Christian, you do NOT want to be judged by your works. You’ll fail. We all fail. And this gets kinda weird in that it’s somehow making rebelling against an antichrist state is a good work. That’s not what defines a good work. Please, this is a twisting of a sense of rebellion into a zeal for righteousness… but it’s starting in the wrong place. We don’t start by countering the World. The Great Commission isn’t based on the world, it’s based on Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV) | The Great Commission

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There is no mention of whether or not we’ll be arrested, or imprisoned, or convicted by the courts here… nor should there be. The motivation is Christ, not works, not rebellion against the world. That counter-culture stuff comes from theology of glory, a theology of purpose-driven nonsense and of dominionism and it’s 7-mountain fantasy. It’s all rubbish. We preach Christ and Him Crucified because of what He has done for us.

Verse 2. The focus of this verse is the singer. It’s a continuation of the thought at the end of the pre-chorus, through the chorus about all of the great works I’ll do IF the world crosses the line and makes this stuff illegal. /sigh. I’m getting more frustrated by this song by the minute.

Bridge. I’ll pay the price to be your light… I can’t even, right now. Tell me, what price will you pay for being Christ’s light, hmmm? With so much self-motivated works driving the lyric in this song, I’m left with no positive way to spin this line in the bridge. It still sounds like Peter defying Christ’s warning concerning his impending falling away and subsequent restoration. Stop boasting in your flesh. Stop trying to editorialize your good works. I mean, who wouldn’t like having a personal narration guy extolling your virtues and magnifying the hardships you’ve had to face and overcome…. by the Grace of God, naturally… and how you had to fight the good fight and blah, blah, blah, look at my good works. Vanity.

John 16:20-33 (ESV)

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Conclusion

While one might be able to make an attempt at arguing in favor of the intent of the song, the song doesn’t stand on its own. It starts off on the wrong foot in the very first verse and never recovers. While I attempted to give the first verse its best construction, the rest of the song dives headlong into crushing legalism. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, and even if you did they don’t advance the Gospel in any meaningful way. Preach the Word. Proclaim Christ and Him crucified. Know that we will face persecution, and take comfort in the Words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, “take heart; I have overcome the world“.

Romans 16:25-27 (ESV) Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

DiM | “Shout Hosanna” by Passion feat. Kristian Stanfill

Faithful Stewardship Leave a comment

Presentation1Evangelical Worship Edition.

Februrary 08, 2016. In this edition we are going to be taking a look at the final song on the top new song list for 2015 found at Worship Together. Today’s song is “Shout Hosanna” by Passion featuring Kristian Stanfill.

This song is better overall than the last few songs we’ve covered on this list. There is still a problem of focus, but at least the lyrics bear the Name of Christ, His work on the Cross, and the forgiveness of sins.

Passion VEVO Lyric Video

 

Lyrics (via Worship Together)

Intro
Verse 1
To the King of glory and light, all praises
To the only Giver of life, our Maker
The gates are open wide; we worship You
Verse 2
Come see what love has done, amazing
He bought us with His blood, our Savior
The Cross has overcome; we worship You
Chorus
Shout Hosanna Jesus He saves!
Shout Hosanna He rose from the grave!
Come and lift Him up, Hosanna!
Verse 3
Now let the lost be found, forgiven
Death could not hold Him down, He’s risen
So let the saints cry out, we worship You
Chorus
Bridge
The same power that rolled the stone away
The same power a-live in us today
King Jesus we call upon Your name,
No other name | 2x |
Chorus
Writer(s): Brett Younker, Kristian Stanfill, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash
Theme(s): Adoration & Praise , Call to Worship
Ministry(s): Passion
CCLI #: 7038016
Scripture Reference(s): John 12:13; Matthew 21:9

Discussion

The cited Scripture References are not bad, but they aren’t great. Let’s look at them.

John 12:13 (ESV) So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out,“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

Matthew 21:9 (ESV) And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

These verses are plucked from the Triumphal Entry narratives in the Gospel According to John and According to Matthew. Did the crowds understand who Jesus is? No. The words they sang were true, they just didn’t understand what they were saying. They couldn’t understand. These were likely the same folks who would cry out “crucify Him” later. I think this is a misstep here, and I am in no way convinced that this song of praise, a call to worship, was in any way written with the triumphal entry in mind. Although, if it was, I must say it would make this song coming out of Passion ironically appropriate. The call to praise, the words being used are correct, but the ones singing them and the ones being called to join them are completely oblivious to the One they are Praising… and they are praising Him without knowing Him.

Okay, but most of the lyrics in this song are good lyrics.

Verse 1. A call to praise the King of Glory, the Creator (our Maker), and the Giver of Life. Praise the LORD. I am, however, confused by the intended referent of The gates are open wide. What gates? The gates to Jerusalem? The gates to the auditorium? Just an odd line here. It is not uncommon in triumphalism or theology of glory to allegorize the gates of Jerusalem into the doors of the local church… sometimes even pushing to the gates of Heaven, though there are not multiple gates to the Kingdom of Heaven, there only One, that is Jesus Christ.

Verse 2. An invitation to the Gospel, come see what love has done, provided the Gospel is truly preached. The strength of this lyric hinges upon the faithfulness of the local church to preach Law and Gospel. Houses that preach only Law and principles or tips on how to keep the Law better, don’t follow through on this line. At least the next lines in the verse contain Gospel nuggets, Christ bought us by His blood on the Cross, thus becoming our Saviour. By His finished work on the Cross we are forgiven of sin.

Verse 3. Let the lost be found, forgiven. Yes, Praise the LORD for His Mercy and Grace in sending His Son to make a way of Salvation, for forgiveness of sin. However, the Gospel of forgiveness isn’t limited to “the lost being found” and it shouldn’t just be assumed for the saints. Sinner and saint need to hear the Gospel of Forgiveness proclaimed. This is a major problem in modern-day evangelicalism’s soteriology (theology of salvation) in that they think “getting saved” to be the primary goal of the Gospel and once “saved” it is the duty of each Christian to worship God and steadily progress in sanctification and “fulfilling your divine purpose” in this earth. The Gospel is left behind as a “conversion experience” and the rest of their “christian walk” is law-keeping. A plain reading of Galatians will correct such ideology. We never graduate from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repentance, and the forgiveness of sin while we walk this corrupted earth. Evangelicalism reduces the Gospel to a sort of “reset button” that we choose to push whenever we realize we are in sin. The Gospel of Jesus Christ IS our life. We have nothing apart from the Gospel. The Law kills us, the Gospel gives us faith and Life and forgiveness. The Christian walk requires BOTH Law and Gospel.

Chorus. The chorus is short and sweet. A call to praise Jesus Christ with a shout of Hosanna.

Hosanna [N] [B] [E] [H](save now). “Save, we pray!” the cry of the multitudes as they thronged in our Lords triumphal procession into Jerusalem. ( Matthew 21:9 Matthew 21:15; Mark 11:9 Mark 11:10 ; John 12:13 ) The Psalm from which it was taken, the 118th, was one with which they were familiar from being accustomed to recite the 25th and 26th verses at the feast of tabernacles, forming a part of the great hallel. Ps. 113-118.

[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave’s Topical Bible
[B] indicates this entry was also found in Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary
[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton’s Bible Dictionary
[H] indicates this entry was also found in Hitchcock’s Bible Names

(BibleStudyTools.com)

Bridge. I think the bridge is a departure from the rest of the song. It’s like an off-ramp taking focus away from Praising Jesus Christ our Lord and directing it more on the Power of God living in us. It falls short of identifying God the Holy Spirit and sort of sits in that odd treatment of Him as a force or source of power rather than the third Person of the Trinity. I find it unsettling, personally. I had the same issue with Jeremy Camp’s song, “Same Power”. For those churches with solid doctrinal foundations, this bridge is probably not a big deal, but for the vast majority of the visible church that is awash in triumphalism and theology of glory, prosperity, and Presence… this bridge can distract from the song’s stated goal of calling us to Worship the Triune God.

Conclusion

I think this is one of the better songs on this 2015 list, though it doesn’t quite earn our approval because the Gospel isn’t quite clear. It’s a bit blurred in this song. There are indeed several Gospel nuggets, but the song doesn’t explain anything. Then there is the dubious citation of the Triumphal entry. I’m convinced the “citations” on these songs are the results of shallow word-searches rather than expressions of what is being taught by the writers of these songs.

Jude 24-25 (ESV) | Doxology

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge