Be sure to have read part 1 before reading this.
In part one I said gospel music must be enjoyed. It
must have words ( a message), tune and beats that will influence someone to be
Christ-like. In this second part what I am about to address is that both the listener
and producer of the music must be very cautious. Cautious about what? You need
to ask questions like: When I am singing, do my music influence people to be
Christ like? Does the music I am listening to help me become godly? Is the
music I am singing pointing people to Christ? Are the Words Christ centered and do they
deliver the gospel in a pure way? Is the message about God clear and accurate? Is
it in accordance to sound doctrine? I am sorry to mention but much of today’s
gospel music does not reach this standard. Why is it so?
Let me address this by looking at the issue of
influence. If you agree that music does have influence and that your music is Christ
centered then how possible is it that a person who is drunk wants to drink more
beer and afterwards commit sexual immorality while you sing or after you sing?
Is this what we call persuading someone to think and act biblically? I don’t
think so.
Someone will say, “It’s still OK because Jesus
preached to sinners.” Yes he preached to sinners he did not sing to sinners. The
point where many miss it is comparing singing to preaching. In as much as the
two may contain a similar message, they are very different. When someone is
preaching people listen attentively and don’t do anything else apart from
taking down notes. Preaching again has no melody and beat to it. It is simply a
voice of someone speaking. Music on the
other hand contains words, melody and beat. Music is an art. Someone can be
singing and dancing at the same time. Not so with preaching. Someone can be
singing and at the same time the people in the audience are dancing. Not so
with preaching. Have you ever shared the gospel with someone? Did the person or
people you spoke to dance or sing while you talked? You can’t even think of it
can you? It’s not normal. It would actually be sending you a message that he is
not interested in your words. Remember music is words, tune and or beat. There
is nowhere in Bible where you find Jesus singing to sinners at an Orgy
(Drinking party). It is true we must
preach and share the gospel but we must be careful to do it the right way. Nowhere
in Scripture do you find the apostles sharing the gospel at a drinking party. Paul
in many passages condemns orgies (drinking parties) and tells believers to not
associate themselves with such parties (Galatians 5:21, 1 Corinthian 6:10,
Romans 12:13 and 1 Peter 4:3). Orgies were sinful. Notice he was not condemning
parties but drinking parties. I want you to look carefully at 1 Peter 4:3-4. It
says, “3 For you have
spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in
debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that
you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on
you.” Notice what comes out in these verses is that
these Christians once lived as pagans but are now changed and have nothing to
do with the past (drinking parties). Not that they could not share the gospel
but that they were to win those who were still living in a pagan lifestyle by
being different. It actually says, “They
are surprised that you do not join them…”
Be careful what you listen to and be also cautious how and where you
sing.
The other reason modern-day gospel music is not
pointing people to godliness is the motive
for singing. You need to ask yourself, “what is my purpose for singing?” Be sure
that your motive for singing is biblical. We are told that “whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the
glory of God” 1 Corinth 10:31. When you search your heart, can you honestly
say “my aim is to glorify God?” Or is it, “how much money will I make from
this? Or “how popular will I become?” If
the motive is wrong then you are better off not singing. Otherwise you will be
like one who already has his reward because his heart is not right with God.
Lastly, much of today’s gospel music is sung and produced by people who love the world. They compare themselves to the world. The believer (singer or not) must not compare himself to the world. What do I mean by this? The believer must not say “if Christians can listen to secular music then what’s wrong with singing gospel music at an orgy?” Remember what I said in my preamble in part one? I mentioned that we are sinners saved by grace. The fact that a Christian would want to participate in worldly stuff shows his sinfulness. The fact that you are saved does not mean you are free from sin. You still have the fallen nature in you so you are prone to wonder. “For by grace you have been saved through faith…” Eph 2:8. It is possible that you can use the good for evil. You are not perfect until Christ returns. And many fall into sin because they think too highly of themselves. So the Christian will find himself falling short but this is not a leeway to conform to the pattern of the world. What is to conform to world pattern? How can the Christian (both singer and listener) who love music not conform to the world? This is what I seek to address in part 3
1 comment:
Very well put and to the point. Let's not confuse outreach with singing. Also I am in agreement with your quote of Peter and how he commended the Greeks that had become saved and thus separated themselves from those who were in drinking binges.
I say this, the only reason these artists even dare to go into such places is purely for fame and money (pride), nothing else.
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