The Incarnation Of God: The Necessity (What Do We Celebrate At Christmas?)

            What do we really celebrate at Christmas?

            We celebrate the incarnation of God, says R.C Sproul:¹

R.C. Sproul reminds us that what we really celebrate at Christmas is the incarnation of God Himself.

What we celebrate at Christmas is not so much the birth of a baby, as important as that is, but what’s so significant about the birth of that particular baby is that in this birth we have the incarnation of God Himself. An incarnation means a coming in the flesh. We know how John begins His gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So in that very complicated introductory statement, he distinguishes between the Word and God, and then in the next breath identifies the two, “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And then at the end of the prologue, he says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Now in this “infleshment,” if you will, of Christ appearing on this planet, it’s not that God suddenly changes through a metamorphosis into a man, so that the divine nature sort of passes out of existence or comes into a new form of fleshiness. No, the incarnation is not so much a subtraction as it is an addition, where the eternal second person of the Trinity takes upon Himself a human nature and joins His divine nature to that human nature for the purpose of redemption.

            William Lane Craig’s model for understanding the doctrine of Incarnation is valuable:²

I suggested a model for understanding the doctrine of the incarnation that allows us to affirm the deity and humanity of Christ in a logically coherent way that is also biblically faithful. This model involved, as you recall, three planks. First, that we affirm with the Council of Chalcedon that Christ has two complete natures – human and divine. Secondly, that the soul of the human nature – that body/soul composite that was Jesus of Nazareth – was the second person of the Trinity; it was the Logos. In uniting with the flesh, the Logos brought to the flesh everything needed to complete the human nature and to make it a genuine human being. And then, thirdly, I suggested that we think of the divine elements of Jesus’ consciousness as being largely subliminal during the time of his earthly sojourn. Although on occasion it may have surfaced in consciousness in different ways, for the most part we think of Jesus as having an ordinary human consciousness just like any other human being, and that enables us to explain his growth in wisdom and knowledge, his ignorance of certain facts, the ability of Jesus to feel genuine temptation, the anxieties and struggles that he experienced in life, his need for spiritual discipline and reliance upon his heavenly Father, his prayer life, the struggles in Gethsemane, and so forth. It gives us a realistic portrait of Jesus as we read about him in the Gospels, and yet he was also very much aware of who he was and the divine identity that he possessed at the same time.

            The Incarnation was necessary.

            Thomas Aquinas emphasizes that the Incarnation, a consequence to the human fall, was necessary for God to communicate HIMSELF in the highest manner to HIS creation, namely man.:³

Article 1. Whether it was fitting that God should become incarnate?

Objection 1. It would seem that it was not fitting for God to become incarnate. Since God from all eternity is the very essence of goodness, it was best for Him to be as He had been from all eternity. But from all eternity He had been without flesh. Therefore it was most fitting for Him not to be united to flesh. Therefore it was not fitting for God to become incarnate…

…On the contrary, It would seem most fitting that by visible things the invisible things of God should be made known; for to this end was the whole world made, as is clear from the word of the Apostle (Romans 1:20): "For the invisible things of God . . . are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." But, as Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii, 1), by the mystery of Incarnation are made known at once the goodness, the wisdom, the justice, and the power or might of God—"His goodness, for He did not despise the weakness of His own handiwork; His justice, since, on man's defeat, He caused the tyrant to be overcome by none other than man, and yet He did not snatch men forcibly from death; His wisdom, for He found a suitable discharge for a most heavy debt; His power, or infinite might, for there is nothing greater than for God to become incarnate . . ."

…To each things, that is befitting which belongs to it by reason of its very nature; thus, to reason befits man, since this belongs to him because he is of a rational nature. But the very nature of God is goodness, as is clear from Dionysius (Div. Nom. i). Hence, what belongs to the essence of goodness befits God. But it belongs to the essence of goodness to communicate itself to others, as is plain from Dionysius (Div. Nom. iv). Hence it belongs to the essence of the highest good to communicate itself in the highest manner to the creature, and this is brought about chiefly by "His so joining created nature to Himself that one Person is made up of these three—the Word, a soul and flesh," as Augustine says (De Trin. xiii). Hence it is manifest that it was fitting that God should become incarnate.

Article 3. Whether, if man had not sinned, God would have become incarnate?

Objection 1. It would seem that if man had not sinned, God would still have become incarnate. For the cause remaining, the effect also remains. But as Augustine says (De Trin. xiii, 17): "Many other things are to be considered in Incarnation of Christ besides absolution from sin";…Therefore if man had not sinned, God would have become incarnate…

On the contrary, Augustine says (De Verb. Apost. viii, 2), expounding what is set down in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost"; "Therefore, if man had not sinned, the Son of Man would not have come." And on 1 Timothy 1:15, "Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners," a gloss says, "There was no cause of Christ's coming into the world, except to save sinners. Take away diseases, take away wounds, and there is no need of medicine."

…There are different opinions about this question. For some say that even if man had not sinned, the Son of Man would have become incarnate. Others assert the contrary, and seemingly our assent ought rather to be given to this opinion.

For such things as spring from God's will, and beyond the creature's due, can be made known to us only through being revealed in the Sacred Scripture, in which the Divine Will is made known to us. Hence, since everywhere in the Sacred Scripture the sin of the first man is assigned as the reason of Incarnation, it is more in accordance with this to say that the work of Incarnation was ordained by God as a remedy for sin; so that, had sin not existed, Incarnation would not have been. And yet the power of God is not limited to this; even had sin not existed, God could have become incarnate.

Endnotes:

¹https://www.ligonier.org/blog/incarnation-what-we-celebrate-christmas/

²https://www.reasonablefaith.org/podcasts/defenders-podcast-series-2/s2-doctrine-of-christ/doctrine-of-christ-part-8/

³http://www.newadvent.org/summa/4001.htm#article3

Websites last accessed on 30^th November 2019.

Stop Saying It’s My Hard-Earned Money!

            What’s wrong in saying ‘it’s my hard-earned money’? After all, you have worked very hard to earn it.

            Some people work extra long hours. They hardly sleep. Such is their work or such is their need to work long and arduous hours.

            Then there are those who sacrifice much to work. Because of their work demands, these good people sacrifice even the comfort of being with their family. They work abroad while their family stays back in their homeland. They work in such dreadfully deplorable work situations. They earn a mere pittance. Why is it wrong for them to say it’s their hard-earned money?

            To refer to our income as our hard-earned money is indeed a pragmatic perspective.

            However, the phrase it’s my hard-earned money would be incomplete and even disingenuous from a Christian perspective. Hence, I suggest that we remove the phrase it’s my hard-earned money from our vocabulary.

            Why?

            Life is a prerequisite to work. We need to live to work.

            However, we have absolutely no control over our lives. In fact, we cannot be certain of our existence through the next minute. Such is the temporal nature of our life. The Bible assures us about the fleeting nature of our life:

            “For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall…”” (1 Peter 1:24, NIV).

            “You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.” (James 4: 14, NET).

            God gives us life. Our birth and death are determined by God. Consider these verses:

            “The Lord brings death and makes alive…” (1 Samuel 2: 6a, NIV).

            “All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind…” (John 1: 3-4, NET).

            “…because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone…” (Acts 17: 25, NET).

            So it is certain that in order to work, we need life and that life is given by God. In other words, God enables us to live and work.

            God blesses us with health. Mere life is not sufficient for us to work. Health is a very important prerequisite to function normally and admirably. This too is a blessing from God, “The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases… (Deuteronomy 7: 15a, NET; cf. Jeremiah 33: 6; Proverbs 3: 8, 4: 22; 3 John 1: 2).

            A healthy life is a basic necessity to work well. It is God who blesses us with a healthy life.

            Need we ponder more!

            It is adequately established that in order for us to go to work (forget about working well), we are absolutely dependent on God.

            God’s blessing enables us to go to work.

            Now comes the part where we ought to work well to earn our income. The possibility of joblessness will loom large if we do not work well.

            Who then provides us with the necessary abilities to excel in our workplace?

            A successful surgeon should be able to focus well on the surgery for long hours without losing his concentration. A mere slip could be costly.

            A dentist’s hands ought to be absolutely sensitive to the patient’s dental requirements. (A mere slip of the dentist’s hands could render the patient toothless.)

            Then there are good teachers and not-so-good teachers. Dedicated and knowledgeable teachers are good teachers.

            Knowledge, wisdom and all other attributes necessary to work well comes from God, “The Lord’s Spirit will rest on him — Spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, a Spirit that provides the ability to execute plans…” (Isaiah 11: 2, NET; cf. Proverbs 2: 6).

            So we are absolutely dependent on God to work well.

            Our income is predicated on the extent of success we enjoy at our workplace.

            God blesses us with success, “The Lord grants success to the one whose behavior he finds commendable.” (Psalm 37: 23, NET).

            We pray to God for success, “May our Sovereign God extend his favor to us. Make our endeavors successful.” (Psalm 90: 17, NET cf. Psalm 118: 25; Proverbs 16: 20).

            Think about it. We are absolutely dependent on God for life, health, and success, which are the prerequisites to work well in order to earn money.

            How then can we claim that it’s our hard-earned money?

            Our money is a blessing from God.

            So it’s not my hard-earned money.

            Whenever we mention our money, let our statements honor and glorify God.

            We could say, God blessed me to work hard and earn money or By the grace of God I was able to work hard and earn money or another similar variant.

            But let us honor and glorify God with our money and all references to it.

Why Do Pastors Cheat Lay Christians? Who Is To Be Blamed?

            A news site report that a pastor in Nigeria allegedly built a swimming pool with healing powers is fascinating, “Twitter user, Kevin Odanz revealed a pastor in Kubwa, Abuja who built a swimming pool in church called ‘pool of bethsheba’.

            The pool allegedly has healing powers and once you enter, your problems would disappear.

            However, they charge the congregation per swim. For full swim, the pastor charges N50,000. For people who can’t afford this, they are offered a bottle of water from the pool which goes for N10,000.

            Also, on some days, they offer free swim for the congregation.”¹

            Another pastor sold pictures of himself while he apparently was in heaven!²

            Instances such as this are endless. Every city would boast of multiple instances where pastors cheat their fellow Christians with so-called holy products.

            While some pastors are busy selling these holy products, there are Christians who are more than willing to buy these holy products.

            Who is to be blamed? Pastors or Christians?

            If there are no buyers, sellers cannot sell their products. As long as there are buyers, sellers will continue to sell their products. This is common sense.

            While pastors cannot escape from being blamed, we should also blame the lay Christians (equally if not more) for this appalling situation in the Christendom.

Bible Knowledge

            Many Christians do not know their Bible. They may have a Bible, but they do not read it.

            The holy products being sold by the apparently holy pastors mean nothing and do nothing. Consider the response from Gotquestions.org about holy water, which is one among the holy products peddled by some self-styled holy pastors:³

Question: "What does the Bible say about holy water?"

Answer: The Bible is silent about holy water the way it is used today. For baptism, Matthew 3:11 speaks of "baptizing with water for repentance," with nothing in the context suggesting that the water itself is holy. Baptism is a symbolic ritual, identifying oneself with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. A closer parallel to the modern use of holy water would be God's laws in the Old Testament, which required cleaning ritually unclean things with water to purify them before one could touch them (see Leviticus 15, 16, and 17:15). See also a specific reference to ritually unclean people in Numbers 19:17.

Holy water is now permanently retained at the entrance of Catholic churches, blessed at the first of each lunar month, and sprinkled over patrons as they enter. This practice was created to supplant the pagan celebration of the new moon, according to Canon 65 of the Council of Constantinople (691). According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the earliest modern uses of holy water appear in the ninth century. With that, coupled with the New Testament's silence regarding the practice and use of holy water, it can be concluded that the tradition of holy water was created for the sole purpose of putting a pagan ceremony out of commission, using a scant few biblical references to water for purification.

Any practice that makes us feel closer to God and furthers our walk with Him should be encouraged (cf. Romans 14, esp. v23). But also consider 1 Corinthians 6:12. If a practice is beneficial to a relationship with God, keep it; otherwise, throw it away. This is all the more true when said practice has little biblical foundation. The Bible nowhere instructs Christians to use "holy water" in any way, shape, or form. The Catholic use of holy water is not biblical.

            God forgives our sins. God heals. God purifies us. Go to God and not these products or places.

            Holy pools, holy water, holy this and holy that are a sham.

Idolizing Pastors

            Many Christians idolize their pastors. Their obedience to their pastors is a blind obedience.

            These naïve and gullible Christians worship their pastors more than they worship God. Once again, lack of biblical knowledge motivates such a dreadful practice among Christians.

            An excerpt from an article in Beliefnet entitled 3 Signs You’ve Made Your Pastor An Idol offers this wisdom:⁴

Worshiping Leadership

Leadership, authority, hierarchy, accountability, and submission are heavily promoted in Christian, especially evangelical, circles, and while the modern interpretation of the paid pastoral position isn't in the Bible, those who love power quote Hebrews 13:17 as a means of keeping church members (the sheep) in line:

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy.”

Interestingly, this verb "obey," cross-referenced in Strong's Concordance, is in other verses translated as "trust in," or "have confidence in," a strong distinction from "obey." Even if one chooses the latter action, it is best not to do so until the former two options have been achieved. For all Christians, the primary Shepherd is Jesus, who “lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11-12). We worship -- and obey -- Him alone…

Putting Our Pastor's Voice Over God's

There are many good teachers who study God's word with a sincere desire to grasp truth from it, passing it on to their fellow believers -- with whom they are equal in Christ. These men and women mirror the humility that Jesus showed when He washed His disciples' feet, and are little rewarded (materially) for their pains.

There are others, however, who do not "enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climb in by some other way." (John 10:1)

Thieves and robbers, they demand our respect, time, money, and obedience, which should raise alarm flags.

Before we listen too seriously, too well, and too passively to another person's voice, we should ask ourselves why we're doing this, as well as remind ourselves that, in a church situation, choosing to attend any particular congregation is a completely voluntary process, unlike the submission demanded by government, employers, rulers, and kings.

            Pastors are mere human beings. They are fallible. They make mistakes.

            They lie when they build a so-called holy pool and attribute healing powers to that pool. Similarly holy water, holy this and holy that.

            You do not need to buy everything your pastor sells.

            Respecting your pastor is different from idolizing your pastor. You need not, with all due respect to your pastor, buy anything from him.

Why Do Pastors Cheat?

            Pastors cheat because they know that their audience can be cheated. This is the brutal truth.

            Moreover, these pastors cheat because they are greedy for wealth and fame. They are the wolves in sheep’s clothing (cf. Matthew 7:15; 6: 24).

            Significantly, these pastors cheat by willfully disobeying God. They are self-seeking. The Bible condemns such a practice, “…but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.” (Romans 2: 8, NET; cf. 2 Timothy 3: 2).

            Beware of these pastors. They may not be Christians to begin with.

            To conclude, worship God. Love HIM and obey HIM. Know HIS Word. Grow in HIM.

            May this excerpt from the Westminster Shorter Catechism guide our spiritual journey in Christ our Lord:⁵

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]

[a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev.

4:11

[b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev.

21:3-4

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, [a] is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. [b]

[a]. Matt. 19:4-5 with Gen. 2:24; Luke 24:27, 44; 1 Cor. 2:13;

14:37; 2 Pet.1:20-21; 3:2, 15-16

[b]. Deut. 4:2; Ps. 19:7-11; Isa. 8:20; John 15:11; 20:30-31;

Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 John 1:4

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, [a] and what duty God requires of man [b].

[a]. Gen. 1:1; John 5:39; 20:31; Rom. 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:15

[b]. Deut. 10:12-13; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 119:105; Mic. 6:8; 2 Tim.

3:16-17

Endnotes:

¹https://idonsabi.com/pastor-builds-swimming-pool-with-healing-powers-in-church-charges-50k-per-swim/

²https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-35944680

³https://www.gotquestions.org/holy-water.html

⁴https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/galleries/3-signs-youve-made-your-pastor-an-idol.aspx

⁵http://www.apuritansmind.com/westminster-standards/shorter-catechism/

Websites last accessed on 27^th November 2019.

Should We Audit Kanye West’s Conversion?

            He once rapped that he is a god.

            Arrogance was his middle name.

            He’s now rapped Jesus is King!

            Kanye West is now a Christian!

            The world’s astonished when a celebrity repents and believes in Christ as his God and Savior. Then, for a variety of reasons, we wonder if his conversion is genuine or not.

            They suspect he’s weaponizing his faith to elevate his business.

            His infamous invite-only Sunday services for the rich and famous disgusts many Christians.

            Controversies shadow Kanye West, even his conversion.

            But the big question is this: Should we audit Kanye’s conversion? Then again, who are we to audit his conversion?

Kanye’s Christianity?

            Watch him with Jimmy Kimmel¹ or Jim Corden² or Joel Osteen³; his Christian talk is impeccable.

            Listen to his best-selling album Jesus Is King. Except for a few doctrinal concerns (which we shall get to a little later), his lyrics are unsullied as well. Here’s an excerpt from the website of The Gospel Coalition (Australia Edition):⁴

Every Hour

The opening track features a Gospel choir, who declare humanity’s need of God, ‘Every hour, every minute, every second’. Kanye joins them and sings:

Sing ’til the power of the Lord comes down

(Let everything that have breath praise God)

Sing ’til the power of the Lord comes down

(Praising the Lord, praise God in the sanctuary)

Sing ’til the power of the Lord comes down

(For His mighty works and excellent grace and His mighty power, yeah),

Sounds pretty good so far, Kanye. In fact, I’ve heard less biblical music in church.

Selah

‘Selah’ is the Hebrew word found in many Psalms, which is most likely a musical notation of some kind. In this track, Kanye shares the story behind this album, his testimony.

Everybody wanted Yandi. Then Jesus Christ did the laundry.

‘Jesus is King’ was originally titled ‘Yandi’ and was set for release in September 2018—but then Kanye came to know Christ. The album was delayed and then transformed into its current form.

John 8:36. Whom the Son set free is free indeed. He saved a wretch like me.

 Closed on Sundays

The lyrics of this track, once you get over the strange reference to Chick-Fil-A, are remarkable. Chick-Fil-A is an American fast-food chain, owned by Christians, which is closed on Sundays. Kanye sings about how his family life and values have changed since following Christ.

Closed on Sunday, you’re my Chick-Fil-A . . .

Hold the selfies, put the ‘Gram away

Get your family, ya’ll hold hands and pray

When you got daughters, always keep em’ safe

Watch out for vipers, don’t let them indoctrinate …

Raise our sons, train them in the faith

Through temptations, make sure they’re wide awake

Follow Jesus, listen and obey

No more livin’ for culture, we nobody’s slave

Stand up for my home

Even if I take this walk alone

I bow down to the King upon the throne

My life is His, I’m no longer my own.

Listen to that again. The man who once claimed, ‘I am a god’, is now singing, ‘I bow down to the King upon the throne. My life is his, I’m no longer my own’.

God Is

This is my favourite track on the album, musically and lyrically. Remember, this is the man who once said, ‘You may be talented, but you’re not Kanye West’.

Listen to him now:

Worship Christ with the best of your portions

I know I won’t forget all his done …

King of Kings, Lord of Lords, all the things he has instore

From the rich to the poor, all are welcome to through the door

You won’t ever be the same when you call on Jesus’ name.

Jesus is Lord

This track contains only four lines, on repeat. They come straight out of Scripture.

Every knee shall bow

Every tongue confess

Jesus is Lord

Jesus is Lord.

Kanye’s Christian Doctrine?

            Kanye seems to have adopted the health & wealth or the doctrine of Prosperity Gospel. His lyrics point to this notion:⁵

On God

This track opens well, ‘How you get so much favour on your side?’ ‘Accept Him as your Lord and Saviour’, I replied’.

The only concerning lyric in this song is, ‘That’s why I charge the prices I charge … No, I cannot let my family starve’. Kanye, brother, you earned $150 million last year. I don’t think your family is at risk of starvation. I hope someone reminds you of the words of your ‘Lord and Saviour’ in Matthew 19:24, ‘it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God’.

Everything We Need

This track is testament to the joy of knowing God’s provision. Kanye asks:

What if Eve made apple juice?

You gon’ do what Adam do?

Or say, ‘’Baby, let’s put this back on the tree’’, cause we have everything we need.

However, it is worth noting that one verse of this track encourages listeners to ‘spoil yourself’. I wonder if Kanye’s definition of God providing ‘everything we need’ is still a little too focussed on material provision.

Water

Here, Kanye asks God, ‘Clean us like the rain in spring’. He goes on:

Jesus, flow through us

Jesus, heal the bruises

Jesus, clean the music

Jesus, please use us

Jesus, please help

Jesus, please heal

Jesus, please forgive

Jesus, make us well

Jesus, help us live

Jesus, give us wealth

Jesus, is our rock

Jesus, give us grace.

Amen, Kanye. Except, maybe, ‘Jesus, give us wealth’. Unless, of course, you’re referring to ‘treasures in heaven’. Let’s hope you are.

            That Kanye has found Christ is more important than his doctrinal distortion. At the same time, let us pray that he realizes the fallacies of the prosperity gospel. Prayer is more important than any undue criticisms of his faith.

            Kanye needs more love and encouragement than criticisms.

            Kanye’s song Hands On reveals that he is well aware of the judgmental attitude of Christians. Hence, he would protect himself from any gratuitous judgments.

Should We Audit?

            Should we be concerned about Kanye’s faith?

            Yes, at least for one good reason. If Kanye’s faith is proven to be invalid, then Christians, especially the younger Christians should be protected from the spiritual hazards of following a flawed celebrity.

            But these are the early days of his conversion. For heaven’s sake, let us graciously give him time to grow in Christ.

            Ever since his conversion, Kanye has been vocal about his commitment to Christ and being Christlike. His conversations with Jimmy Kimmel and James Corden are excellent instances. 

            Moreover, the lyrics in his album Jesus Is King glorify the Lord. Why are we not joyful?

            Instead of being vicious about Kanye’s conversion in social media, why do we not audit our own standing with our Lord? For if we are mature disciples of Christ, then we would not be vicious with our brother who has just committed his life to Christ.

            Let us hope and pray that God would use the Kanye-vessel for HIS glory.

            When God loves and provides for those who not believe in HIM, why should we be spiteful with a brother who has just committed his life to the Lord?

            To err on the side of love is better than to not love at all.  

            An article from Calvary Chapel’s website is a good conclusion to this topic:⁶

Many within "the Church" remain skeptical of the legitimacy of Kanye’s repentance and of genuine reconciliation with Jesus. Do Kanye’s songs reflect enough? Is it even possible for someone to make the declarations that he makes without having experienced spiritual rebirth and regeneration? Can we move forward and embrace Kanye West as a brother in Christ, as a fellow disciple and as a fellow seeker? Do these lyrics declare Jesus boldly enough for Jesus to declare Kanye? Do his lyrics declare enough for me to accept Kanye? Should the Church embrace Kanye West?

The Bible has an opinion on this matter:

"…If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved'" (Romans 10:9-13, NKJV).

"…No one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Has Kanye said enough? Scripture makes it simple: Yes, he has. The Church should embrace Kanye West. The Church MUST embrace Kanye West. At this point, with as much as has been declared, it would be sinful, even shameful, to do anything less than rejoice with the Angels of God that a sinner has repented, and as the Church, to extend our most heartfelt welcome to him. Will he make mistakes in his sanctification process? Sure. Will the road ahead be ugly at times? Absolutely. He is going to need the same patience, compassion and love that we all need as we progress through our own sanctification.

Endnotes:

¹https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlR3C9sb5Xo

²https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgLOv36an3s&t=716s

³https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9dYenI2QOw

⁴https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/kanye-west-damascus-road/

⁵Ibid.

⁶https://calvarychapel.com/posts/can-the-church-embrace-kanye-west

Websites last accessed on 26^th November 2019.