In Ephesians 5:19
we read, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms,
hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to
the Lord." Also we read in Colossians 3:16,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
teaching, and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord." Here we see in our singing, we are to speak,
teach, and admonish one another. This is what God expects
us to do when we sing.
But can a
mechanical instrument of music speak, teach, or admonish as God wishes us
to do when we sing? Of course it can not. A mechanical
instrument of music cannot accomplish anything God has commanded when we
sing to Him in worship. Here we see that when we sing, we are "to
sing with grace in your hearts" and "make melody in your heart." The
melody God wants is to come from the human heart and not from lifeless
mechanical musical instruments. The mechanical instrument does not
have a heart from which it can worship God.
In 1 Corinthians
14:15 we read, "I will sing with the spirit and
I will sing with the understanding also." Not only
does an instrument not have a heart, but it also does not have a spirit
with which to understand. Then why use it? It is only because
people like it.
It is sad to say
but people are more interested in pleasing themselves, than pleasing
God. They are not using the instrument to please God, because God
has not authorized its use in worship to Him. God has only told us
to sing. People like the sound of a piano, organ, or a band.
They like to be entertained. This is what they want. They
don’t really care what God has authorized. People are on very
dangerous ground when they take this attitude. Please respect what
God wants and has authorized in His word, because this is the only way we
will be able to please Him and go to Heaven.
We read in 2 John
9, "Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the
doctrine of Christ does not have God." To go beyond the
doctrine of Christ is to do that for which we have no authority. We
can not practice instrumental music by the authority of Christ, because
Christ has nowhere authorized it, and because of this we will not have
God.
Some people say "I
like instrumental music in worship." If this is the case then what
"I like" becomes the authority and not God. When man becomes his own
authority then each worshipper can introduce anything he likes with no
regard to what God has said. It becomes: "I like it, I want it, and
I am going to have it." Their feelings take precedence over
everything else. What God says becomes meaningless when we allow our
emotions and feelings to become our guide. Many people seem to think
they are wiser than God and believe that instrumental music is more
pleasing to God because it seems to be more pleasing to them. In
Proverbs 28:26 we read, "He who trusts in his own
heart is a fool." The Bible is our only authority in matters
of religion; not our opinions, emotions, conscience, or human
feelings.
In Colossians
3:16-17 we read, "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. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus." In verse 16 we are told to sing.
In the very next verse we are told, "whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." Notice it says to "do
all". Everything we do in religion is to be done in the name of the
Lord Jesus. To "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" means that we
must do everything by His authority. We can certainly sing by the
authority of the Lord. But where would we go in the New Testament
for authority for instrumental music in the worship of the church?
It just isn’t there.
In Romans 10:17 we
read, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word
of Christ." So we see that faith comes from the word of
God. Then we see in Romans 14:23, "For whatever
is not from faith is sin." Therefore if we believe and
practice something religiously that is not authorized by the Bible it is
sin. Worshipping in a manner not authorized in God's word is
sinful. Worshipping God with the mechanical instrument of music is
not authorized in the Bible so it is sinful. But do people really
care?
Questions Lesson 19
Singing In Worship (Part 3)
(click on the button of the answer of your
choice)
1) (Ephesians 5:19,
Colossians 3:16) In our singing in our worship
service
We are to entertain one another.
We are to impress others how well we can sing.
We are to speak, teach, and admonish one another.
2)
The mechanical instrument of music speaks, teaches, and
admonishes one
another as God wishes.
3) (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16) When we sing in
worship we are
to make melody
On a piano.
In our hearts.
On an organ.
4)
The mechanical instrument of music has a heart on which
God wishes the
melody to be made.
5) (1 Corinthians 14:15) We are to sing with
A piano.
An organ.
The spirit and the understanding.
6)
A mechanical instrument of music cannot accomplish
anything God has
commanded when we sing in worship to
Him.
7) (2 John 9) If we transgress and do not abide in
the doctrine of Christ
We still have God.
We do not have God.
We are well pleasing to God.
8)
To go beyond the doctrine of Christ is to do that for which
we have no
authority.
9) (Colossians 3:16-17) All that we do in worship
including our singing
Is to be done in the name or by the authority of Christ.
Can be done as we choose.
Should be entertaining to all.
10)
We cannot use the mechanical instrument of music by the
authority of
Christ in our worship services.
