Butch howard in Studies in Ephesians -Butch Howard

9 years ago

Eph. 5:19 KJV Session 15 The Role of Music in Spirit filled Christians' Life: "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;" The first mention of musical instruments is Genesis 4:21. (Harp, organ) The words sing, or song are found 176 times in the KJV. The book of Psalms is essentially a jewish hymnal. Music was a part of every Old Testament celebration, and act if worship. Music is one thing on earth that will be in Heaven also. Music matters. Someone said, "Music is a universal language." It's found in every culture, of every people group in human history. For us humans, music is magical. Music is a powerful part of the human experience. There are of course, many musical genres. Music is both soothing, and stimulating. It can provoke both joy and sadness. Not all music is beneficial. In fact, some music is quite destructive. Obviously, Paul and others consider music to be an important component in our spiritual health and development. This alone is cause enough to study its role in our spirituality. Our preferred music genre, stems from our earliest experiences with music. We remember childhood songs and jingles. We tend to gravitate to the musical preferences we craved as teens. From a spiritual perspective, there are some facts we ought to know: We are "wired" by our Creator to desire, even need music. Music, of itself, is neutral. Lyrics, and other influencers determine whether music is bad or good for us spiritually. Music ought to be selected with intent and purpose. Music naturally alters our emotional temperament. Music prepares the human spirit and soul for worship of someone or something. Given music's capacity to influence, we must choose our music wisely, cautiously. It's probably always been this way, but people tend to believe music is harmless. Therefore, we tend to wade passively into Satan's clutches unconscious of music's potential to trouble us. I know of many, many Christians who listen to both secular and Christian music genres and see no harm or even a need to be cautious and selective regarding what they let in their ear gate. Is it okay for Christians to listen to non-Christian musical genres? I think a better question is, Will secular music adversely affect my fellowship with the Holy Spirit? The Bible has much to say about both our thoughts, mindset, affections, and yes, music! Think about why you listen to music. Here are some of the most common reasons given: I like some sound around me while I drive, work, or relax. Music helps me unwind, relax. Music makes me more productive. I listen to music when I'm unsettled, upset to calm me. Music gets me in a better mood. Music brings back good memories. Music consoles me. Music makes me happy, joyful. Music puts me in the mood to "party." You might have your own, different reasons why music is important to you. Chances are, music does matter to you! Okay, now let's ask why does the Bible say so much about music? Why does music matter to God? What role does or should music have in our spiritual life, and our relationship with Christ? In the Old Testament, music had a major role in celebrations. It still does even today. What do, or what should Christians celebrate? That's going to be quite a list. We celebrate anything we consider good, wonderful, beneficial in our lives. Of course, "every good and perfect gift, cometh down from the Father of light, in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." In the Old Testament, music had a major role in worship. Moses sang after God delivered Israel through the Red Sea. The Psalms contain jewish hymns sang in both private and corporate worship. Even heathen nations such as Babylon used music in worship of idols. Today, much of the world's music is actually worship of celebrities, wealth, status, and even Satan. In the Old Testament, music had a major role in mourning. Again, things have not changed much. Music today often is instrumental in how we grieve and mourn. Do Christians celebrate, worship, and mourn? Indeed we do! Yet, we do these things in very different ways, and for very different reasons than our unsaved, worldly counterparts. Therefore, our music ought to be distinctive of who we are, and how we live in this world. Given that music is a powerful force in humanity, we must choose wisely what music we allow to influence us. I cannot bring myself to believe I can listen to just any type of music and it have no detrimental influence upon my fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Who rules your life? The Holy Spirit, or is it your old fleshly nature? Your answer will be evident in the music you choose. In Phil. 4:8 Paul provides a criteria for our thought life. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Hold your music to this standard, and I assure you, the Holy Spirit will not be grieved or uncomfortable in you. Sadly, many Christians feel offended by the mere suggestion of filtering their playlists through Phil. 4:8. "Its just music!" That's a statement made by one more interested in their own gratification than pleasing the Holy Spirit. Have you noticed the best "jingles" in advertising are for beer, and other questionable activities? Secular music's top hits tend to celebrate behaviors and values unbecoming to a Spirit filled Christian. There are reasons for this! Let's turn our attention then, to Paul's admonition to the Ephesian believers and to us. "Speaking, to yourselves..." There is an important insight tucked in this opening phrase. What we say to ourselves affects our outlook, our emotional responses, our decisions and actions. A cartoon I saw recently goes like this: "You talk to yourself?" "Yeah," Replies the other guy. "Sometimes, I need expert advice." Whether we are willing to admit it, or not: people do talk to themselves. Actually, that's a good thing to do, according to the Bible. Many passages in the Bible instruct us on dealing with self. Music, is intensely personal. We not only hear it, we feel it at the deepest levels of our being. Both Satan and God understand this reality. Notice how many songs emphasize the person, the inner self. It's not just Christian music. All genres do this. Singing, humming, playing a radio, or listening to a playlist of songs speaks to us on the inside of our being. The songs we choose, will determine what we say to ourselves. "...in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs..." This is a very interesting choice of words the Apostle Paul uses. Let's remind ourselves, he is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the very person of the Godhead who lives inside every one of us who are saved by the grace of God desires impute into what kind of music we take into our inner being. Paul says... Speak to yourselves in Psalms, (the Scriptures) While most of us do not know the ancient music of the Psalms, many of them have been put to modern music for our benefit. And, I would add, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making up our own melody when we sing a Psalm. I've done this many times.  Other Scriptures lend themselves naturally to music. Study the songs of the saints throughout the Bible. It's a wonderful, insightful study indeed.  "....hymns..." Today, many churches, and far too many Christians are avoiding hymns of the faith in favor of more trending genres. Paul mentions hymns because they matter to our heritage and our faith. Learn them, study them. Research the stories behind their creation. SING THEM! Many traditional hymns focus more upon the person, character, and nature of God, than the believers' experience. This alone makes hymns essential to our spiritual wellbeing. "...spiritual songs..." A lot of Christian music falls into this phrase. Choruses, praise and worship music, contemporary music and other genres fit this description. It is important to key on the word spiritual. Too much modern Christian music incites the flesh instead of ministering to our spiritual needs and desires. Since we each are unique, one of a kind beings; it ought to come as no surprise we won't all enjoy and appreciate the same genre of music. There are numerous factors which play into our preferences. Every Spirit filled person ought to however, hold the same standard as to what our music says to us, and how we allow it to affect us. If music makes provision and stimulates our baser fleshly, physical instincts and desires, it is spiritually detrimental to us. When a song's lyrics entice our former appetites; that song is detrimental to our spiritual life. This doesn't mean, we must exclude all but patently Christian music. In fact, some Christian music so called, is quite detrimental to our spiritual life. What's acceptable in the arena of non-Christian music? Patriotic music Many Folk songs  Songs about the natural world Love songs not promoting immoral relationships  Emotionally and spiritually uplifting music Music that meets Phil. 4:8 standards I have chosen for myself to avoid the typical top hits music. Virtually all of these have questionable emphasis and appeal to the old fleshly nature. My preference is predominately Christian music, and my favorites are hymns. I know other, very committed Christians with different music preferences. Yet, without exception these Christians are quite discerning and intentional in their music selection.  This is the key. Treat music with respect as to its potential to influence your flesh and your spirit. Choose wisely. Focus upon the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Remember, you aren't the only one listening to your music. The Holy Spirit listens also. Your family, friends and fellow believers are attentive to your choices in music. You are affecting their choices more than you might imagine. "...singing, and making melody in your heart..." We all have gotten a song or jingle "stuck" in our head. Like an old, cracked long play record, it just goes on over and over again and again. Some songs we can't seem to stop singing. Singing, is personalizing music. When we sing a song, we make it our song. We probably do not actually sound like the recording artist, or the soloist at church when we sing. But that's never stopped us from singing a song has it? Singing is fun. It's enjoyable. It's therapeutic. It's rejuvenating. "Making melody..." Does this mean our singing must be musically coherent and harmonious? Well, I sure hope it doesn't mean that! My favorite biblical statement on music is, "Make a joyful NOISE..." When I sing... it's bad. I mean, it's really, really bad! My wife prefers I sing only in the shower and only when she's not home. But I love to sing! And, regardless how awful it sounds, I still sing! Why? Because I love music. I enjoy singing. I sing everyday. Often my worship of Christ erupts in song. I cannot help myself. I do have enough discernment to avoid singing solos at church. My fellow worshippers are delighted about that. Corporate worship allows even bad singers to enjoy worshipful music together and sing praises to our Lord. That's a big reason you and I need to be a part of a local assembly of believers in Christ. ...in your heart..." Biblically, the heart refers to our innermost being, not the muscle pumping blood through our body. This reminds us, music touches the human heart. Music moves us deeply.  When singing hymns, and spiritual songs we ought to sing them from the very depths of our being. "...to the Lord" Songs are often sung to other people. Songs are often written for other people. But hymns and spiritual songs ought to be addressed exclusively to our Lord. He alone is worthy. Music, when sung to the Lord, is of itself an act of worship. Everything we do as followers of Christ, is to the Lord. Jesus, is the Reason for everything. The Holy Spirit works relentlessly to move us to a mindset, and heart attitude of Christ centeredness and Christlikeness. Living in a state of fullness of the Holy Spirit will cause us to be solely focused upon doing all we do unto the Lord. Music is one of the few things on earth that will carryover into eternity in Heaven. Several passages, particularly in the book of Revelation indicate there is music in Heaven, and there will continue to be music in Heaven. Songs are mentioned when spontaneous worship erupts in Rev. 5 and other passages. Specifically, it is revealed we shall sing "a new song." (Rev. 5:9; 14:3)  Often, I try to imagine the sound of hundreds of millions, if not billions of beings singing in Heaven. Even when in worship services at our local church, I often close my eyes, stop singing and imagine I'm listening to heavenly voices singing praises to my Lord. Music in Heaven will be unlike anything we have experienced here on earth. Not only will the music be perfect. The music will be sung by perfect voices. It will be heard by perfect ears. And it will happen spontaneously forever and ever! That's a delightful line of thought isn't it? That's part of what awaits us in Heaven. I know music is probably a big part of your life. That's normal. That's human. Does your choices in music aid your spiritual health and development or hinder it? We have a lot of control over what goes into our heart and head through our eyes and ears. We must not be derelict in managing the music content we allow to influence us. Make music a big part of your spiritual regime and routine. It will make a positive difference in your spiritual life. Hopefully, some of you will want to share your own observations and insights in the comments section. I'm looking forward to reading them.