For most people with any kind of moral compass, whether they consider themselves to be a Christian or not, an obvious, and most times, viable fix for getting out of sin (in that particular area) is getting married; the idea being that if we know we’re wrong in how we’re interacting, relationally, let’s honor GOD with a covenant that HE’s both established and approved of: let’s get married. Let’s make it official. I’ve seen it work; I’ve seen GOD bless that choice to marry rather than burn. But what if, when it would normally make sense to tie the knot, our marriage creates more sin than righteousness (and certainly not that of our own, but now most importantly for the Christian, the righteousness of GOD)? What happens when the naturally apparent way out actually ends up being the way in deeper?? What happens when you’ve married someone, or something, that GOD said not to??? It’s happening, now in the unordained, failed marriage between Christianity and hip hop.
I know a lot of readers are going to disagree, even those I know personally within this space, but the messenger’s integrity must be to the message and ultimately the Giver of that message if, whether it’s received or not, the message is to be of any good to its recipients.
Let’s make a couple of points that can be Biblically proven:
1) gods don’t allow, in their circumference, space for other gods. The space for so many in Bible times was as muddied as it was due to the fight to advance a particular people’s ideology and lifestyle, which started with whatever god they worshipped; one of the main points in attacking other people wasn’t just for the purpose of pillaging goods and resources, but was to prove the strength and superiority of their so-called god. There wasn’t usually space for dual deityship (made it up). (Judges 10:6, 1 Sam.4:8)
2) GOD, in and through the Word of GOD, has established roles. This is super important because it speaks to the understanding that if/when individuals are outside of their prescribed roles, those impacted dynamics don’t produce in the manner they were purposed to. Saints of GOD are supposed to serve a GOD of purpose; not to say that HE isn’t, but to suggest that our service isn’t as aligned with HIS purpose as it ought to be. Whenever there’s a Jezebel present or in operation (in order for one to be), there must also be the presence of an Ahab; an individual who has allowed their ordained identity to be usurped and disavowed by the more dominant participant (we’ll revisit). (Gen.1:27, 1 Cor.11:3, Rev.2:20, 1 Kings 21:25)
3) Emulation is assassination…of identity. Which is a reason GOD goes out HIS way in scripture to make sure that our standard, our model, our goal, even our very reborn image and likeness is to be that of CHRIST’s and not anyone else’s. (Gal.5:19-21, Eph.4:24, Col.3:10)
The above points were made in an effort to lay a biblical foundation for a summation and fight that many professed Christians will enter into without Bible, without scripture support, without an uncompromised GOD-backing. You see, one of the things I’ve learned over years of working in ministry both personally and with/under others is that people fight for what they’re comfortable with. One of the main adversaries of deliverance and growth is comfort; familiarity. “I grew up on this”, “This is what I know”, “This is what makes sense to me”: all invalid reasons per scripture, but all applied reasons for individuals to stay in a certain place; Linuses clutching to their insecurity blankets ever so tightly. It’s one of the reasons JESUS couldn’t do many miracles in HIS hometown; the people could only see HIM through the lens of what they knew…what made sense to them…what, or in this case WHO, they’d grown up with.
What’s the point of this? Well, when you tell people that GOD has no problem with rap as a vehicle for delivering the Gospel and ministering the WORD of GOD, but then tell those same people that GOD never intended for CHRIST and hip hop to marry, you ruffle more than a few feathers. But, again, let’s look at it. First off, CHRIST already has a bride HE’s coming back for: The Church. Secondly, before you argue the relationship status, it’s EXACTLY what we’ve done: we’ve attempted to marry one culture with a King (JESUS) to an entirely different culture that happens to also have a king (self…as influenced by the enemy). Ahh. ☕🐸
I’ve seen a lot of complaints to this end, lately, but do we stop to wonder why: that the CHH music that has been being released, especially as of late, is lacking more and more C in it? I’ve seen social media posts of individuals saying they’ve fallen away from listening to CHH because the content too much mirrors that of the world; it’s not HOW it’s being said, it’s WHAT’s being said…and in too many cases, what isn’t. Consequently, or subsequently (depending on preference and perspective), we see many of these artists leaving CHRISTianity, itself: the thing that was supposed to ground you even if/when there’s no music; that identity that was supposed to shape you and afford you this platform as privilege in response to your dedication to the ONE that gave HIS life so you could; the thing that was supposed to define you without the music. Leaving CHRIST because of CHH?? How sway. Now, not as to defend but certainly not to remove the ties that bind, I don’t blame individuals within CHH for the falling away; many just don’t know. But the culture, the environment, that thing that we defend as redeemable by GOD is toxic and completely to blame. It’s a double-minded culture. It’s an idolatrous culture. There are casualties.
One of the things that grieve me more than a little bit is those who profess allegiance to hip hop and to CHRIST; even if JESUS is put first in their statement of faith, it still remains an oxymoron…like Christian Hip Hop. You can’t serve two masters; you’ll hate the one and love the other, meaning you’ll do what one says, what one prompts, what one requests or requires, over that which the other does. One of the reasons CHH has so grotesquely taken on so many of the attributes of its worldly counterparts is that, as we mentioned in point 2, too many artists involved willingly (and some unknowingly) ditch their GOD-given identities for that which the culture offers; so as referenced, hip hop becomes Jezebel and the Christians involved become Ahab. We let the thing that’s supposed to serve us, rule us. This is a perversion of what GOD intended from a relational standpoint and one that finds itself suffocating the message that’s supposed to be at the forefront, mainly because this is a marriage that was never meant to be.
Just recently, I did a podcast interview with another like-minded sister in the Faith and we discussed the argument for redemption. I shared with her on the show that so many have argued from the “GOD can do anything” like redeem a culture standpoint; but my rebuttal to that stance, HOLY GHOST inspired, is “But what does GOD want???” The LORD led me to examples in scripture of how HE desired Israel, HIS chosen people destined for not only a life of service to HIM out of relationship with HIM but also an afterlife with HIM of the same, to destroy and cast out the other people who were occupying the lands HE’d promised them. See, GOD knew other people, other cultures, meant other gods. Other distractions. Hearts turned. GOD warned against intermingled cultures because HE knew they would create confused identities. GOD didn’t say join with them, HE said cast them out. Maintain who YOU are while/when you HAVE to be in the midst of them. Disconnect. This is a WORD for CHH. Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the LORD; touch not the unclean and I will receive you. Or, stop touching the unclean thing. Hip Hop is unclean. The more we mingle, the less GOD is accepting us. (Ex.23:23-33, 2 Cor.6:17).
So, do we understand the challenges, here? This discourse may not change anyone’s mind, persay; it will, however, present and provide a substantive positioning according to GOD concerning an area that, like others, individuals love to cite or allege the gray they feel the area dwells in. We’ve got to consider our ways; the vehicle we’re supposed to be driving is driving us because we’ve allowed it to be fueled by a contrary culture instead of the Faith that was once delivered unto us. The message of The Gospel is supposed to be hid from those who are lost; this was never meant to include those delivering the message. Turn.
Grace and peace.
PS…Some are going to have more of a problem with what’s been written rather than having a problem with the fact it had to be. Aye, there’s the rub.