The lamentable state of the modern evangelical landscape is strongly evidenced by the abundance of preachers who prefer deism to depravity, therapy to theology, psychology to penal substitutionary atonement, and Dr Phil to doctrine. This lack of faithful Gospel preaching is a regular source of discussion on this blog and with good reason - it lies at the hub of an apostate wheel.
If you are like me then you need to come up for air at these times and be edified by something that is God glorifying and full of redemptive quality. I stumbled upon this video several days ago where "reformed rapper", Shai Linne, recites a poem and then launches into a short sermon. Whether rap is your thing or not this is so worth the listen because of the content . . .
How great it would be for Hillsong to invite Shai Linne to one of their conferences so that he could teach them the Gospel! They need a lot of help in this area . . .
Today concludes my series of responses to Gandalf's critique of my emphasis on the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. In the previous posts of this series I have answered these objections and re-emphasised the critical importance of teaching and understanding the atonement correctly as it strongly affects our view of God, our view of ourselves, and thus how we approach God. Today, as a closing footnote to this series, I want to take a look at an example of a how wrong views of the atonement can infiltrate the "Christian media". It also serves as an example of how these things can sneak under our radar of discerning true and false gospels.
At the end of part 5 of this series I asked the question regarding a major theological flaw in the first Narnia movie that affects the Gospel. Do you know what it is? Watch this video and see if you can figure it out . . .
Who killed the lion? Who did she represent - Satan! This is an example of the ransom theory of the atonement where God has to pay a ransom to Satan. the ransom theory undermines human depravity in that it portrays sinful man as an unwilling and helpless captive of Satan awaiting a deliverer. This is contrary to Scripture where Paul portrays fallen man as:
"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18)
What about Jesus, did he have a higher view of man. Most know John 3:16 but few know what follows:
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (John 3:18-20)
It is true that Satan is the accuser of the brethren. But the only accusation Satan can raise against a Holy and righteous judge is an appeal to his perfect justice and the consequent need for Him to deal with our sin. The only way God could reconcile sinners without compromising His righteousness was for Christ to die as a substitute under God's wrath:
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief (Isaiah 53:4-10 emphasis mine).
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:23-26)
I'll leave it to rapper Shai Linne to close out this discussion on Penal Substitutionary Atonement:
Featuring the preaching of CJ Mahaney this is just great stuff. Hip Hop/Rap may not be your cup of tea but this is theologically streets ahead of what you'll hear on your "family safe" Christian radio station. Just listen to the content and give thanks. Can you believe that Christ would die for you??? Why would He lay down His life for a wicked sinner like me? Kneel and marvel at the foot of the blood stained cross!
This is so good, it will definitely preach. Hybels, Warren, and Osteen should all buy front row seats and spend their time taking sermon notes. Shai Linne is not the only rapper with magnificent reformed theology, it is a sub culture on the rise. And Timothy Brindle is one of those, and a white boy to boot! Brindle is a great testimony to the transforming regenerative power of the Holy Spirit. Here Shai and Timothy team up to expound on a doctrine largely neglected in modern evangelicalism -The Holiness of God. . . Enjoy!!
I am so excited about Shai Linne I've got to put up another of his songs. In a sea of man centred repetitive "worship music" this hip hop/rap guy stands out as someone who brings glory to God and packs a serious theological punch.
I would suggest you will learn more of value from 3 minutes of Shai Linne than from the empty rambling warm fuzzies of most "seeker sensitive" preachers. The point in this song is simple, every great leader and figure of history is dead or dying - but Jesus is Alive!
Where do you find music with excellent theology? You might have to turn your ear to my favourite Puritan rap artist if you want to actually learn something biblical and worthwhile. I'm not speaking of the whole genre of course but there is a guy called Shai Linne on the scene who does hip hop with amazing reformed theology.
Theologically Shai is a Calvinist who packs more theology into a 3 minute song than many evangelical preachers do into a 45 minute sermon. Shai is a guy off the streets who finds inspiration from reading classics like "The Cross of Christ" by John Stott as well as preachers like Paul Washer, John Piper, and CJ Mahaney - How cool is that!!
Here is a track from Shai's new album "Atonement" called "Were You There" . . . you just gotta listen to this!
Shai has also been discussed and played on my favorite radio show Way of the Master Radio . . .
