Post by pitbull on Jan 27, 2006 6:15:58 GMT -5
I am going to prayerfully attempt to take the first Biblical guideline I previous posted for what defines Godly music. The second Biblical guideline is that a Christian's music is sung to the Lord. It is not for the world.
· “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart TO THE LORD;” [Ephesians 5:19]
· “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts TO THE LORD.” [Colossians 3:16]
· “Sing praises TO THE LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.” [Psalm 9:11]
Isaiah 12:2 sums it up wonderfully, ". . .for the LORD JEHOVAH is . . . MY SONG . . .":
· “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and MY SONG; he also is become my salvation.” [Isaiah 12:2]
When I sing hymns and spiritual songs, I am not trying to use them as a tool to reach the lost. Music is never mentioned in the Bible as being allowed to be used for that purpose. Maybe I have missed those Biblical passages that contradict this, but the purpose of Christian music was NEVER meant to evangelize the lost.
God's method of reaching the lost is the preaching of the Word of God.
· “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of PREACHING to save them that believe.” [1 Cor. 1:21]
From what I have seen, just as the lost world is not interested in a "Bible-believing" church that preaches the word of God, the world is not interested in music that openly praises the Lord. The lost world is NOT going to praise the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is CLEAR — "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God"!
· “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians. 2:14)
Again, Christian music is NOT for the world – it is for the Lord. If it is FRIENDLY to the world then according to the Word of God it is AGAINST the Lord!
· ". . . know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a FRIEND of the world is the ENEMY of God." [James 4:4]
I personally don’t want to ever be in the position of being considered God’s enemy. What about you?
After Babylon captured the children of Israel, Babylon requested Israel to sing, but Israel refused to sing "the Lord's song in a strange land". Notice, it is "the Lord's song" — NOT the world's song or even Israel's song.
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing the LORD'S SONG in a strange land?
[Psalms 137:1-4]
The same should be our attitude about music. We should hold music in that form of sacred nature.
What is the purpose of this post? It is to state that ONE of the Biblical guidelines that define what is Godly music is that Christian music is for the Lord — NOT the world.
· “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart TO THE LORD;” [Ephesians 5:19]
· “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts TO THE LORD.” [Colossians 3:16]
· “Sing praises TO THE LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.” [Psalm 9:11]
Isaiah 12:2 sums it up wonderfully, ". . .for the LORD JEHOVAH is . . . MY SONG . . .":
· “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and MY SONG; he also is become my salvation.” [Isaiah 12:2]
When I sing hymns and spiritual songs, I am not trying to use them as a tool to reach the lost. Music is never mentioned in the Bible as being allowed to be used for that purpose. Maybe I have missed those Biblical passages that contradict this, but the purpose of Christian music was NEVER meant to evangelize the lost.
God's method of reaching the lost is the preaching of the Word of God.
· “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of PREACHING to save them that believe.” [1 Cor. 1:21]
From what I have seen, just as the lost world is not interested in a "Bible-believing" church that preaches the word of God, the world is not interested in music that openly praises the Lord. The lost world is NOT going to praise the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is CLEAR — "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God"!
· “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians. 2:14)
Again, Christian music is NOT for the world – it is for the Lord. If it is FRIENDLY to the world then according to the Word of God it is AGAINST the Lord!
· ". . . know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a FRIEND of the world is the ENEMY of God." [James 4:4]
I personally don’t want to ever be in the position of being considered God’s enemy. What about you?
After Babylon captured the children of Israel, Babylon requested Israel to sing, but Israel refused to sing "the Lord's song in a strange land". Notice, it is "the Lord's song" — NOT the world's song or even Israel's song.
1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing the LORD'S SONG in a strange land?
[Psalms 137:1-4]
The same should be our attitude about music. We should hold music in that form of sacred nature.
What is the purpose of this post? It is to state that ONE of the Biblical guidelines that define what is Godly music is that Christian music is for the Lord — NOT the world.
