Previous Questions and Answers
What makes a hymn sacred?
What
makes a hymn sacred? Are there some hymns or
Christian songs that are not sacred?
The
word sacred
means, “dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity (God); devoted
exclusively to one service or use” (Merriam-Webster’s
11th Collegiate Dictionary).
The
last part of that definition is why it is becoming necessary to use the word sacred
in describing what are proper hymns: “devoted exclusively to one service or
use.” Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speaking
to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord.” That is the type of
music we are told to listen to in private, “Speaking to yourselves…” That is the exact same music that we are to sing or
play before other people. Colossians 3:16
says, “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.” The phrase,
“teaching and admonishing one another…” shows us this is the proper music
to sing and play before others.
Whether
in private, or in public, you will notice that the music is to be the same, “psalms,
hymns, and spiritual songs.” The music being passed off in churches and on
Christian radio as hymns
or Christian
could by no means ever be called sacred. It is the same music to which the world (and now,
many Christians) dance. The world parties
to that same music. That contemporary
or rock
beat
is not a sound that is dedicated to worshipping God and used solely for that purpose. That sound is as much at home on the dance floor
and in the bar (tavern), as it is in worldly (liberal) churches today. So when talking about psalms
or spiritual
songs
today, we would have to use the same word in regard to them: sacred
psalms,
and sacred
spiritual songs. If you are not specific, then you are going to hear
some rock
psalms,
and some rock
spiritual songs.
That
is why I have gone to using the term sacred
hymns,
to clearly distinguish between the contemporary sound of this day, and the sound that is
dedicated exclusively for the worship of God. Some
years ago, we bought a cassette that was labeled as hymns. But when we listened to it, we found it to be contemporary
or with the rock
beat
in it. This whole issue is a matter of
honesty, or the lack of it. That cassette was
not really hymns, and the seller knew that. Romans
12:17 says, “Provide
things honest in the sight of all men.” 2
Corinthians 8:21 says, “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the
Lord, but also in the sight of men.” Hebrews 3:13 says, “But
exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin.”
Some
years ago, I wrote to the President of Grand Rapids Baptist College (in Michigan), and
asked why he was allowing Christian Rock music to be played on their radio station. I got a very cold letter back stating that no
rock music was ever allowed to be played on their radio station. This was in the early 80’s when most
Christian’s were not willing to admit that the beat of the drums and guitars in their
music was the same as in rock music (only in the early 80’s, just toned down a
little). James 1:22 says, “But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Many Christians have deceived themselves into
thinking that they are not disobeying God by listening to such music. They have deceived themselves.
It
was in the 1980’s when I saw the first Christian
singing group advertise in a magazine that they sang Christian
Rock. When the first group finally admitted the truth, it
was like opening the gate to a herd of stampeding cattle.
Then everyone started advertising that way.
Proverbs 13:20 says, “He
that walketh with wise men
shall
be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
To
stay the criticism that arose over that, those Christian
Rock
bands started saying that “music is neutral.”
They said, “It is the words that are important.” If music is really neutral, and the words are the
most important thing, then why do they never sing the sacred hymns? Because they are not being honest again. The words are not the most important thing to them
— it is the music — the rock music, that is most important. Rick Warren proved that, recently, when on their
churches’ anniversary, he admitted that he had
During
warm-up, many praise
bands
in local churches begin jamming rock
& roll,
as their flesh gets wound up in the rock
beat,
and it becomes the master. John 8:34 says,
“Jesus
answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of
sin.” Rock music is a driving, demonic
beat that takes control of the flesh. 2 Peter
2:18-22 says, “For when they speak great swelling words
of
vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through
much wantonness,
those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of
corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of
the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known
the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it,
to
turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But
it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is
turned
to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”
In
the 60’s, rock music was the sound
of rebellion,
and any honest person who grew up in those years will tell you that. Today, Christian Rock music is also the sound
of rebellion. The rebellion of multitudes of professing
Christians who are tired of rules (God’s Word), and are crying out for all doctrinal
barriers to be removed. The one-world false
church is rising up, and it has already chosen its music.
2 Corinthians 6:17 says, “Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and
I will receive you.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore
if any man be
in
Christ, he
is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When a person gets saved, God makes everything new
— including that person’s music. Ephesians
5:6-19 says, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things
cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are
ye light
in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For
the fruit of the Spirit is
in
all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving
what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things
which are done of them in secret. But all
things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest
is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that
sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools,
but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the
days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but
be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to
yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord.”
