Preach Righteousness

"We don't stand here to proclaim our righteousness but to proclaim the righteousness of God's Son (2 Corinthians 4:5).

-Richard Caldwell (my pastor)

You Are Safe (Spurgeon on Election)

John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Here is distinguishing grace and discriminating regard, for some are made the special objections of divine affection. Do not be afraid to dwell upon this high doctrine of election. Desire to have your mind enlarged that you may comprehend more and more the eternal, everlasting, discriminating love of God. When you have mounted as high as election, tarry on its sister mount, the covenant of grace. Covenant engagements are the munition of stupendous rock behind which we lie entrenched; covenant engagements witht he surety, Christ Jesus, are the quiet resting places of trembling spirits.

If Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father promised that He would give me to the Son to be a part of the infinite reward of the travail of His soul, then, my soul, until God Hiimself shall be unfaithful. When David danced before the ark, he told Michal that election made him do so. Come, my sould, exult before the God of grace and leap for joy of heart.

Emcee R.C. Sproul

My previous post pointed out the self-centered and haughty lyrics of holy hip hop. I want to make it clear that there are exceptions within this genre that glorify God with Christ-centered lyrics. Here is a perfect example from Timothy Brindle and Shai Linne. If R.C. Sproul decided to pick up a mic and rap instead of picking up a pen to write, this is what he may have sounded like.

Haughty Hip Hop

Before I got saved, I was a dj for about 7 years (back when turntables and records meant something) and being a native Houstonian, I was exposed to the southern rap that infects the clubs and radio stations in my hometown. I hated it. There was no substance to the message and it was littered with profanity, sexual content, and self gratification. As an alternative, I always had a love for underground hip hop or what was commonly referred to as hip hop with a conscience….or so I thought. You had your Mos Def’s, Talib Kweli’s, and if you’re from Houston, the K-Otix.

I listened to KTRU & DJ Theory on Tuesday nights on a consistent basis. The hip hop had substance and a love for knowledge and righteousness…err…self-righteousness. There was an arrogant swagger behind it all but I saw it as positive because at the time, being a self-righteous individual, I desired lyrics that were puffed up in head knowledge and self-empowerment. And of course, they weren’t talking about sex, drugs, and violence…they were busy worshipping themselves.

Then you had the more mainstream artists like Tupac and Nas portraying themselves as a "Black Jesus" and elevating their status in the hip hop industry to that of a messiah or savior.Emcees even went so far to call each other "god" in their lyrics. Either way you look at it, hip hop and rap was, and still is, a culture and genre full of idolatrous, self-righteous and blasphemous depictions of rappers that think very highly of themselves.

It was after I got saved that I noticed this self-centered, proud and boastful message. I traded in my turntables for a Bible and I gave up my deejay profession and the music it supported.

It was then I discovered a whole genre of hip hop out there for the Christian. I discovered Holy Hip Hop. Unfortunately, I hardly found anything “holy”…in fact, what I found was eerily similar to what I heard as a dj…a lot of boasting, self-confidence, and lyrical competitiveness.

The more I heard Christian emcees boasting of themselves, the more I was reminded of Peter’s bravado on the night Jesus foretold of His forsaking by the disciples.

“You will fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’” (Matthew 26:31).

But Peter full of pride and self-confidence boldly asserted: “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away" (v.33).

Peter then went on to suffer one of the greatest falls of his life. He had a chance to back-up his presumptuous boasting but instead, he denied Jesus not once…not twice…but three times (Matthew 26:69-74).

We also know that God used Peter’s fall to humble and teach him a hard-learned lesson. Later in Luke’s gospel account, Jesus reinstates Peter by asking him if he loves Him three times. After Peter responds with an affectionate affirmation, Jesus then commands him to feed His sheep. And Peter does just that as we find a different apostle behind the first letter he wrote to the early Church.

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so at the proper time, he may exalt you.” (1 Peter 5:5-6)

Peter knew firsthand that misplaced self-confidence leads directly to a fall as he denied Christ three times. And as a leader of the apostles whom God would build His Church upon (Matthew 16:18), Peter had to be humbled by being stripped of all his pride.

With that said, Holy Hip Hop has a unique platform in the church as well as in the music industry. And if Christian rappers, djs, etc. are to attach the term “holy” to the genre, which means to be set apart, let them be just that…set apart from secular hip hop by glorifying God through their music.

And after popping in a new compilation cd, “Wages of Syntax vol. 2” from Syntax Records, I didn’t really hear a difference. Like Peter on the night before Christ was crucified, I hear a lot of proud and self-centered boasting. And sadly, I found this to be true of many Holy Hip Hop artists. Add to that Christian reviews that judge and critique the music merely based on sound and lyrical artistry, and not sound doctrine, then you have yourself a genre that competes for the number one spot on the Holy Hip Hop charts.

So if you’re an mc, dj, producer, etc. I encourage you to think about the platform and the talent God has blessed you with. And in the midst of a hip hop culture that exalts and worships the music and not the Maker, make sure your lyrics are Christ-centered...not man-centered...and rather than using your music to exalt your name, exalt the Name who is above all names…Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:9), who is the only one worthy of adoration and praise, and at the proper time, He may exalt you.

The Simple, the Scoffers, and the Foolish

Proverbs 1:22

How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Here in Proverbs we see a progression of sinful behavior. We can learn quite a bit about our witnessing encounters from this verse.

We first have the simple ones who love their simple ways. In ignorance, they cling to the coziness of their simple life and simple way of thinking in regards to God's truth, eternal salvation, good and evil. I've encountered many simple people while witnessing...they hear the Gospel but shrug their shoulders and walk away…back to their simple life. As a result of their indifference to the truth, they turn away from God and consequently any hope of salvation (See Proverbs 1:32).

The scoffers who delight in their scoffing make a mockery of everything holy and religious. Just think about the new atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, etc. and movies such as Religulous by Bill Maher. They worship the god of naturalism and scoff at the thought of a Holy God who reigns supreme over all of creation. This group is particularly tough because even the mention of God, the Bible, and Jesus is immediately counted off as superstition and foolishness. However, 2 Peter 3:3 tells us that they mock the truth of God's word so that they may follow their own sinful desires (see John 3:20).

And the final group is those who hate knowledge. These are the worst of the three because they hate to be taught any truth whatsoever. Their pride deceives them into believing they are above reproof and as a result, they reject any truth that would lead them to knowledge of God which would ultimately lead them to salvation. This is especially true with false Christians. Now I know I'm not the judge of one's salvation but I encountered someone that may fit this description perfectly while I was witnessing in Atlanta. I handed a tract to a lady at the BET Awards and asked her if she were to die, would she go to Heaven but before I could even finish my sentence she replied , " I asked God for forgiveness and I know I'll make it in." I tried asking her if she considered herself to be good enough to go to heaven and she didn't want to hear it.

With God's help, I patiently took her through the law and told her that the Bible declares no one to be good but she continued to put her hand in my face and proudly exclaim, "Nah uh…stop…that's the end of this discussion!"

She then went on to say that she prays every night and asks God to forgive her so nothing anyone says to her will convince her otherwise...keep in mind she had her hand in my face the entire time. I tried getting a word in but she kept shaking her head and making loud and obnoxious high-pitched noises. It was extremely frustrating. I asked her if she had read her Bible recently and she claimed she read it earlier that day. I asked what passages and she said, "Isaiah 1, 2, and 3." I then asked her what she read and if she learned anything new and she said she forgot.

She then said, "Look...we will see who's right when we both die...maybe I'll see you in Heaven or maybe I won't!"

Her pride and contempt for any knowledge or reproof whatsoever was ultimately her own stumbling block. She hates the knowledge of God's word and as Hosea 4:6 says, "my people perish for a lack of knowledge." And unfortunately, a sinner full of pride will reject the truth of the gospel that can set them free and give them everlasting life…in other words, pride paves the way to eternal destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Furthermore, when our hearts are filled with pride, the Bible states that God is at war with us (1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6, Proverbs 3:34).

But we also know that God gives grace to the humble. As Christians, we must preach the Gospel and not quarrel with anyone but with great patience and kindness, gently oppose the simple ones, the mockers and the haters of knowledge and believe that through upon hearing the outward call of the Gospel, God is doing an inward work by pouring out His Spirit upon their hearts and granting them repentance(2 Timothy 2:25, Romans 5:5).

Judas the Preacher!

Here are some Grace Gems from William Secker's, "The Consistent Christian" concerning true and false conversions, written in 1660.

"If you know these things--you are blessed if you do them." John 13:17

To obey the truth, and not to know it--is impossible.
To know the truth, and not obey it--is unprofitable.

For, "Not everyone who says unto me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven--but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." Saving knowledge is not as the light of the moon--to sleep by; but as the light of the sun--to work by. It is not a loiterer in the market-place--but a laborer in the vineyard.

A man may be a great scholar--and yet be a great sinner. Judas the traitor--was Judas the preacher! The snake which has a pearl in its head--has poison in its body! The tree of knowledge has often been planted, and flourished--where the tree of life never grew! All abilities and gifts--without grace and holiness--are but like Uriah's letters, which were the death warrants of those who carried them!

Mere head knowledge will be as unhelpful to the soul, in the judgment day--as a painted fire is unhelpful to the frozen body, in a cold day. Theoretical knowledge may make the head giddy--but it will never make the heart holy. How many professors are there, who have light enough to know what should be done--but have not love enough to do what they know! Give me the Christian who perfectly sees the way he should go--and readily goes the way he sees!

That is barren ground--which brings forth no fruit. "To him who knows to do good, and does it not--to him it is sin." The sins of ignorance are most numerous--but the sins of knowledge are most dangerous! That sinner's darkness will be the greatest in hell--whose light was the clearest on earth!
There are many who set a crown of glory upon the head of Christ by a good profession, and yet put a crown of thorns upon his head by an evil conversation. By the words of our mouth--we may affect to adore religion; but it is by the works of our lives--that we adorn religion.

As trees without fruits are unprofitable--so knowledge without good works is abominable! Leah and Rachel are fit emblems of knowledge and obedience. Knowledge, like Rachel--is beautiful. But obedience, like Leah--is fruitful.

The Prodigal Cat

If you are from Houston then you are familiar with the local contemporary Christian station KSBJ. They center their music and message under a “family-friendly” banner. As a result, they try their hardest to be as sensitive and non-offensive as possible…even when it comes to presenting the “gospel”. This morning, as I was driving to work, I decided to turn my dial to 89.3 (KSBJ) and listen in on their morning show. Well apparently, one of the hosts was in much despair over her lost cat. Yes, they dedicated almost 30 minutes of the show talking about her beloved cat and how much it reminds them of the story of the Prodigal Cat...errrr...Son in Luke 15:11-32. Hey! Why not? Cats are more than just our feline friends...their our furry angels.

The host went on to explain that if the cat would come home to his rightful owner, then he would receive all the cat food he wants…why would a feline settle for the scraps of food in trash cans or furry mice running around in the dangers of a dark alley? As if the lame analogy was not enough, the host went on to say that, like the prodigal son, we all have a "God-hole" in our hearts that we try to fill with things other than God...all we have to do is come home to God to receive His blessings but God is powerless in this situation...we have to make the decision to come home.
There are a few crucial points that get overlooked by seeker-sensitive presentations of this parable:

1. Through divine providence, it was the dire circumstances and afflictions thereof that humbled the son and opened up his eyes to realize that his rebellion would consequently lead to death (Luke 15:17-18).
   
2. The son recognized that his sins were against God (Luke 15:21).
   
3. His desire to go back to the Father as a hired servant. He wasn’t going back home hoping to get material blessings or a better lifestyle. He headed back to the Father’s house in hopes of serving him (Luke 15:19-20).
4. The prodigal son’s demeanor shifts from greed and selfishness (Luke 15:12-13) to humility, brokenness, and repentance (Luke: 15-19).


5. The older son's contrasting representation of the Pharisee; a hypocritical, self-centered, and self- righteous person who does not recognize their own sinful heart and therefore sees no need to repent (Luke 15:29).

It is in these circumstances that that the lovingkindness and riches of God’s grace are set before us. His mercy extends to the worst of all religious and pious people to the lowest and rebellious of all sinners...we are all of one nature and in need of God's forgiveness. (Ephesians 2:3) We see how much it pleases the Father to convert and receive such a great sinner and his eagerness to forgive anyone who comes to him in true repentance (Luke 15:21-22).

So now I ask you...when you came to Christ did you have a genuine Godly sorrow that led you to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10)? Did you come broken and humble, realizing you sinned against a holy and righteous God (Psalm 51:4)? Or were proud and self-righteous...completely ignorant of your sinful condition? And because He is worthy, was your desire to serve Him? Or did you come to the Father with selfish motives, thinking that God was obligated to serve you?

Hopefully, when you look back to that day when God saved you, you can relate to the prodigal son when he said:

"Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

To which the Father replies:

"...let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."