Thursday, January 04, 2007

"If you want me to I'll make you whole. I'll only do it though if you say so."

Ripped straight from the biblical text . . .



Apparently, "only willing love is worth the price" of Christ's atoning death. This is so bad I really thought I was watching a parody until I saw the video caption that tells where this came from.

The really beautiful irony is that the first words you see are "Jehovah reigns." The rest of the song proceeds to define the limitations of his "reign." The unwillingness to separate from those who trumpet this kind of abuse of Scripture is just one of the reasons fundamentalism has lost its credibility as a movement.

HT and tip from Paleoinformant "Lumpy"

14 comments:

Brandon said...

wow...from what I hear from former PCC students and maybe some hear-say, it seems they are not as much Arminian as they are "anti-Calvinism." Just an observation. I'm not claiming that as fact.

The biggest question I would have is, is that song sung to trumpet a theological position or is it sung to motivate worshipers to echo praise to God. (I think I already have a minor inclination.)If not for the latter, that song shouldn't be sung at all, regardless of its bad theology.

Ben said...

I'm not sure even Arminius himself would recognize this nonsense. Pelagius or "Semi-Pelagius" might be more pleased with it.

joydriven said...

c'mon, ben. give them a break.
they know not what they do.

Anonymous said...

Joy,

How is that supposed to change anything?

Besides, Schettler's comments at the end show somebody there seems to be very conscious of what they are saying and doing- certainly enough assume responsibility for what has just been communicated.

joydriven said...

g-harmony: it was a masked joke.
obviously, there is a sense in which they do indeed know what they do (they chose, after all - of their own free will - to do it).

i don't doubt the singers' sincerity (as an aspiring lyrics-writer myself, i think there lies more fault with the lyrics-writer than with those who would take his/her song and run with it - the whole idea of "if it's in print it must be ok"). i think we are right to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume the best (possible) scenario.

that being said, i know that well-intentioned ignorance and guileless motivation (which are what i'd prefer to assume to the alternatives of blatant pelagianism and finneyish heresy) do not really change the reality that the position promoted by the song undermines the scope of God's sovereignty and underestimates the limitations of man's free yet sin-stained (so consequently corrupt and impotent) will.

sorry for the mal-disguised attempt to add some levity. i'll add the token smiley face next time to remove all doubt. =}

joydriven said...

p.s. assuming the best (possible) scenario has become all the more difficult now that i have been able to view the rest of the song with an improved wifi connection. (before, the video was cutting out for me right after the part about the oxen or something.)

the campus pastor's follow-up remarks and the song's lyrics themselves leave little room for doubt about the deliberateness of position-trumpeting.

source of the song |
more about Alfred B. Smith

i could say some critical things about the quality of the lyrics - at least their originality (John W. Peterson wrote "He owns the cattle on a thousand hills," which also includes the rhyme "rocks and rills" - so one of them was borrowing from or at least alluding to the creativity of the other one).

i'm not a fair judge because i have never harbored any affection whatsoever for the music of these men (on the contrary) - not music-wise, nor lyrics-wise.

but i do think that the world has its fair share of genuine believers who don't realize that they are parroting positions that undermine the purity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. it's definitely a motivator to continue to produce doctrinally sound alternatives to counter the counterfeit-truth that's being propagated as truth.

Anonymous said...

That's what makes soul-winning so easy, and, of course, our responsibility. Present the facts of Christ as the Supreme Choice, then anyone with half a brain will make the right decision. Don't worry yourselves with real heart change. Just tally them up each week and grow your church by the thousands. It's all about choice!

It is sad to hear about the power of God in creation and over the animals, but apparently He is impotent to move us toward Him. On the other side, although, I once believed the same. God, brought me to understand His sovereignty, and He can do the same for others.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I forgot to mention, I liked the video of Hebrews 9&10 much better. Better use of my time!

joydriven said...

Ryan,
It's not a PCC song, per se (see links in the thread above to the song's author, who, if he was affiliated with PCC, was also affiliated with other schools). Is that what you meant by "making"? As for your other comment, I'd agree - I'd prefer to believe the best re: the ensemble singers, too.

Anonymous said...

Joy,

I doubt Al Smith originally included the gestures and breathing into the mic.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to rain on your damnation party, folks; but I thought the song was quite good.

I think I'll get a copy.

Anonymous said...

Ryan,

I think you need a new anatomical structure, perhaps one with some fresh marrow in it.

It appears either Calvinism or PCC has eaten your mind out. It's hard telling which.

Anonymous said...

Ryan,

I think you need a new anatomical structure, perhaps one with some fresh marrow in it.

It appears either Calvinism or PCC has eaten your mind out. It's hard telling which.

Anonymous said...

"I love you so much, I'll let you go to hell if you really want to."

Shettler said, "[Free will] is the greatest of responsibilities."

So: A responsible person will get saved? And: If you do the responsible thing, who is responsible for you being saved?