Lyrical Theology Thursday: Shai Linne – “Justified”. And Introduction to series.

Posted on 21. Jan, 2010 by William Jacobson in Music, Theology

Introduction

Welcome to the very first post for Lyrical Theology Thursday. This series is intended to meditate on God’s Word through hip-hop music.

The term “Lyrical Theology” was coined by rapper and fellow minister of the gospel Shai Linne. The term means two things. “Lyrical” in that the song will be very creative in rhyme patterns and style. “Theology” in that the song is theological in nature. A lot of times the songs will go verse by verse through a specific Bible passage. A lot of these songs make you feel like your listening to Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology over a dope beat. I love all kinds of music. But this “new” genre of hip-hop has become a favorite and keeps my ears and mind glued.

Every Thursday (Lord willing), I will bring a new song with lyrics to read. My prayer for those who love hip-hop already, is to be introduced to some God glorifying, musically excellent hip-hop. And my prayer for those who may hate hip-hop or never really cared for it, is to at least praise God for using these men to glorify Himself through this medium. So with no further ado, lets get to our first post!

Shai Linne: “Justified”

I love the idea of starting this great series off with this song. Shai Linne also known as “the lower case mc”, is easily my favorite musical artist to date. A rapper from Philly who is currently interning under Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. His three albums are classics through and through. His most recent album “Storiez” is a must get. This song is called “Justified” and it is off his first album “the Solus Christus project”. In this song, Shai will be the expositor of Romans 3:12-24. I can not think of a better way to start off this series. If your still wondering what this series will be like, this song should give u a great indication.

Verse 1

Let’s set the context, I promise you- It’s not complex
So far, Paul has been explaining why God’s vexed
Mad at us, His wrath is Just, we lack trust
Blasphemous, even though we know it’s hazardous
Chapter one, verses eighteen to thirty-two
He talked about our great schemes and the dirt we do
He said people refused to give God His due praise
Suppressing the truth in their wickedness, they’re ruthless
Therefore, God gave them over to their sinful ways
And because of nature, we have No Excuses
Chapter Two’s for those who think they don’t fit in this category
They think they’re on the path to glory-Nope, wrath & fury
They point the guilty to hell, they’re swelled-
Lacking humility, even though they’re filthy as well
Needing more than a bath, because like a greedy man who hoards his cash-
In the same way, they’re storing up wrath
For the day when God’s righteous judgment is revealed
And all see their sin debt’s an infinite amount
When no secret word, thought or deed will remain concealed
Before God, to whom we must give account
That’s why

Hook:
It feels so good to be justified
Either trust or die, you must decide
Stakes is high- make the right decision
For the Lamb who’s life was given-Christ is risen

Verse 2

As we continue, the apostle Paul is a man on a mission
To convince you of hostile, fallen humanity’s condition
Learn what God disperses- “hurt your pride” verses
Romans 3:12 “All have turned aside, they’re worthless”
Bound by sin, a race of hopeless slaves
Verse 13: “Their throat is an open grave”
It says that “they use their tongues to deceive”
“The poison of vipers is under their lips”
Look at Hip-hop; that’s not a hard one to believe
Cats who run with their cliques with guns on their hips
Doesn’t it fit? Thugs found dead in clubs
Verse 15: “their feet are swift to shed blood”
Police end up deceased in mad hot zones
Verse 17: “The way of peace they have not known”
Everybody appears hard- despite the clear odds
Verse 18: bottom line- “Nobody fears God”
His Holy Word declares we’re all lawbreakers, well
That’s the explanation for this planet’s confusion
If God didn’t intervene, the fall would take us all to hell
But Praise the Lord! He granted a solution!
And

Hook:
It feels so good to be justified
Either trust or die, you must decide
Stakes is high- make the right decision
For the Lamb who’s life was given-Christ is risen

Verse 3

Verse 21- God’s righteousness- He manifested it
But that’s nothing new- it’s in the Old Testament
It belongs to those who put their faith in Christ
If you believe, you’re redeemed because He paid the price
We were hostages, but then He set us from the bondage of sin-
So now we pay homage to Him
Verse 24- Divine gift- JUSTIFICATION!
The most important term in a Christian’s vocabulary
And most believers can’t define it- that’s frustrating
‘Cause understanding this helps us resist the adversary
Christ spilled His capillaries; that’s why our Savior can’t be Mary
That’s a burden only the God-Man can carry
In Justification:
God declares sinners to be righteous by Grace Alone through Faith Alone
In the finished work of Christ Alone- He saves His own
Add anything to that, you’re in the danger zone
At the cross, God treated Christ as if He lived my life (what?)
I’m so perverted- that’s why He was broken and murdered
Through faith, God treats me like I lived the perfect life of Christ
Yo, I can’t earn it, and no I don’t deserve it but

Hook:
It feels so good to be justified
Either trust or die, you must decide
Stakes is high- make the right decision
For the Lamb who’s life was given-Christ is risen

Tags: Hip Hop, Justified, Lyrical Theology Thursday, romans, Shai Linne