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Question #142

What’s wrong with the song “Shine, Jesus, Shine”?

In the song “Shine, Jesus, Shine”, we are not commanding Jesus to do anything. We are simply asking Him. If there is something wrong with asking Jesus to shine, how would you argue Psalm 4:6 “Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’ Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.” We have an example here of asking the Lord to shine. What possibly could be wrong with asking Jesus to shine? I agree with you that the Spirit will blaze when we (the body of Christ) are the light of the world. Those who aren’t living the faithful Christian life shouldn’t ask the Spirit to blaze, but the faithful Christians can. Asking Jesus to send forth His Word in song is just like asking God to help somebody in prayer. John 12:46 says, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” It says here that Jesus is the Light of The World. This song just depends on how you interpret it. I believe you are nitpicking a little bit in this song.

The Answer:

You may be right – I have been known to nitpick on occasion. But I believe the problems with this horrid little song are not mere nits. We can all agree that it is good thing for the light of Christ and the light of the gospel to shine in this world of darkness, and we can all agree that Christians are called to be the light of the world and that Jesus is the light of the world. I think we can also all agree that a Christian is not the source of that light but instead is a reflector of the light of Christ. And if the song expressed those thoughts, then all would be well with the message of the song. But this song says much more than that – for starters, it commands (yes, commands) Christ to shine even though Christ is already shining. (Read the very verse you cited above – John 12:46 – and note the verb tense.) You ask what could be wrong with that? How is it different from asking Christ to be incarnated, to live among us and be tempted like as us, to die for our sins, and to be raised again – all things he has already done? CHRIST HAS DONE HIS PART! IT IS TIME WE STARTED DOING OURS! One other point you might consider is how this song not only commands Jesus to shine – but it does so with utter familiarity. Do a little checking on how Jesus was addressed in Scripture and you will find that he was most always addressed as Lord or Master or Teacher. And yet here we are addressing him by his first name and commanding him to do that which he has already done. Why not sing instead, Shine Christian Shine? There are so may wonderful songs we could be singing - why must we be subjected to this one?

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God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)