The Supremacy of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.
(Colossians 1:15-20 ESV)

Monday, March 7, 2011

Shai Linne - Mission Accomplished

Posted by Michael Chen at 3:13 PM
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2 comments:

Unknown said...

Well excuse me Mr. Linne, but I think you’re confused,
And there are one or two verses which you have misused.
It’s true – God only saves the group He’s elected,
But that doesn’t mean we’re born preselected.
The ‘children of promise’ He’s chosen to save;
All who seek God through works remain in the grave.
God truly desires all men to believe;
His words in The Book weren’t meant to deceive.

And the elect themselves were just like all others,
Once 'children of wrath,' just like their brothers.
So even if His death was selective,
Was the atonement He made somehow defective?
See, the blood only protects when it’s spread on the door,
And the rod only heals when you look from the floor.
Now faith isn't a work; it gives us no merit.
Of itself, it’s not any credit.
Faith alone cannot save, unless it’s in Jesus,
It's His passage through death that's freed us.
Faith is the bond; it’s only the tether;
It’s the thing that ties you and Christ together.
That’s why we can believe, even when we’re depraved,
We can obey the gospel even when we’re enslaved.

Now here’s what I feel I must simply decry:
You don’t even know why Christ came to die!
You think He came to win some sort of game?
A no-risk endeavor to garner more fame?
There is only one reason He came down from above:
Sheer, incomprehensible, disinterested love.
This one central truth of Christianity
Has been flippin’ the world since 30 AD.
And yes, when we step back and look at God’s plan,
We admit he failed miserably to woo every man.
But don’t you see? He knew this from the start.
That’s what sets our God apart.
He willing opened Himself up to rejection,
Knowing that we would ignore His affection.
And yes He was ‘crushed,’ and yes He cried.
He had no dignity; He laid it aside.
And He prayed for those who killed Him as He died.

But when it comes to the billions going to hell,
You think God is up there saying, “Oh well”?
As He looks on the throngs, condemned to die,
Mutters, “Could’ve saved them to, if I’d bothered to try”?

He would still be fair and just, that much is true,
But is that really the way Jesus sounded to you?

August 26, 2011 at 8:31 AM
Michael Chen said...

"As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?"
(Romans 9:13-24 ESV)

Yes, even with billions of people going to hell, God will still be fair and just. You could say in a sense we were not born pre-selected, as we make moral choices throughout our lives. The choice to choose God or reject Him. We make those choices out of our own accord. However, though we make the choices to receive or reject God, and are ultimately held accountable for this choice, the question is, why do someone people receive Christ as Lord and others continually deny Him until the day they die? Why are some hearts softened and others hardened?

More specifically, how did my hardened, sinful, rebellious heart change to one that is humbled and repentant and opened to receive the Spirit of God? Did I make the morally right choice one day? As God is my witness, I must give all credit to Him, who is responsible for humbling me and opening my eyes to receive the Gospel. I have heard the Gospel since I was a child, but because of my depraved condition, was not able to receive it, that is, until one day, I was on my knees before God, crying out to Him for mercy.

God choosing the "elect" is not a man-made theology. It is a theology found throughout the Word. From choosing Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and David, to the 12 disciples and Paul, we see that none of these men had merit of their own, because it was simply because of God's election that they were who they were. When God talks about loving the "world", as in John 3:16, it is a Gospel net that he casts over the entire world. Yes, it is true that He desires that none perish, but because of the sinful will of man, some will choose to reject Him forever, and God will allow that. God allowing it could be said as God hardening their hearts.

Ultimately, all things are under God's control, otherwise He wouldn't be sovereign. What He wills be will done. Jesus is gentle and compassionate, but He is also King, who will not ultimately be trampled on by those who reject Him. He will come in power, and every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that He is Lord.

August 26, 2011 at 10:22 AM

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