True Christian Music is inspired by the Holy Spirit

Procyon, I never thought that a Christian could be so judgmental and full of himself.

Aaron, why do I feel like you're trying to bait me? Why do I feel like the fly walking into the spider's parlor if I were to answer your question? Hmmm...

 

The answer to my question is, yes, the carnal mind is at enmity with God. The Scriptures also state that the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. In other words, the wants and wishes of an unregenerate mind are diametrically opposed to the wants and wishes of the regenerate mind. So there is something to what procyon is saying, though I don't think he's expressing it the best way possible.

 

Procyon, please check your Private Messages.

 

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)

The music that has been coming into the church during the last decade has been "worldly" with "gospel/Christian" lyrics tacked on. Most of the time those so called "gospel/Christian" lyrics have NOTHING to do with Christ or the Bible. I have seen hymnbooks where the lyrics have been changed to "conform" to the world and satisfy the flesh. That is what most CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) is--"worldly" music which appeals to the flesh.

Music as a ministry in the church needs to be spiritual (Eph. 5:19 & Col. 3:16). The music needs to match the message.

 

The only Holy Spirit inspired music is found in the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God. The Psalms were inspired. Our hymns are not.

 

Monergist said:

I would suggest that you visit this site

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/

This is an excellent site to learn about who wrote the hymns that you claim were not inspired. By inspired, I don't mean inspired like the Bible, God breathed. I just don't want you to think that I am saying that these hymns were God breathed, because I am not making that claim. By inspired, I mean that these hymns were written by Christian men and women who had a passion for God, and loved His Word (most of the old hymns of the faith are taken from the Scriptures). Read the biographies of some of the famous hymnwriters, such as Fanny Crosby and Charles Wesley.

Monergist, do you go to a church that sings only psalms? I have heard of those churches--I think they are Reformed churches--are they not? If that is what your church teaches, that is fine. However, you should not be judging those churches who choose to sing the old hymns of the faith during their worship service and which have not brought the "worldly" CCM into their church.

 

There are many hymns that were inspired through the Written Word of God.

I have written many songs that line up with the scriptures.

The book of Ephesians chapter 5 tells us to be filled with the Spirit, singing to ourselves in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs.

Songs that are pleasing to God are not to be limited to Psalms only, but spiritual songs and Hymns as well.

 

Hi Linda,

Its helpful if we choose our terms carefully. When I read the words "Holy-Spirit Inspired" I immediately equate that with scripture because scpriture is the ONLY Holy Spirit Inspired writings of any type. That was my point.

Hymns should be carefully selected and judged by the amount and accurracy of the theological truth that they contain. There is no argument from me that some contain more truth than others. This is true with older hymns as well as modern.

I go to a church that sings Psalms and hymns. We do that because scripture tells us to sing Psalms and hymns. Scripture doesn't tell us not to sing CCM, but it does tell us to sing Psalms and Hymns. If we must judge we must judge rightly according to scripture, not according to our own standards or preferences.

I don't care for CCM and I love many of the great old hymns. But they are not 'inspired.' There's something really unique and special about them and I defend their use. But most churches today miss a great blessing by not obeying the command to sing the truly inspired songs, the Psalms.

 

How great is our God. Sing with me
How great is our God. All will see
how Great, how great is our God.

Chris Tomlin's lyrics to, you guessed it, "How Great is Our God"
Doesn't sound so bad does it.
Doesn't sound evil to me.
It seems to glorify God even though it is CCM.

 

The lyrics are good, tinytim, granted. But I just listened to the song. The music does not fit the message. It sounds more sensual than worshipful.

What is being fed is the flesh. Music can either enhance the message, or it can poison the message. A glass of water with a drop of poison in it is still water, but it is also poison.

 

Too me the music is worshipful.
So how do we settle our difference of opinion?
The only way a Christian can, from the Bible.

You said it "sounds" more sensual than worshipful. That shows me that you are trusting your sense of sound.
What is it about the sound of the song seems more sensual?
And if we are going to trust our senses, can somethings taste sensual, or smell sensual?

I admit, I like the sound of that style.
But I'm sure you like the sound of the style you listen too.
Do you only listen to hymns?
I like hymns also.
If so, what do you enjoy for entertainment.
Entertainment is not wrong.

God wired us to like certain things and to dislike other things. That is how God created us. God gave us emotions and our senses to enjoy.
There were heretics in the 1st century that taught that everything in the flesh was sin. They went to the extreme to say that Because the flesh is sinful, Christ couldn't have had a normal flesh. I'm sure you don't believe that.
So what is wrong with enjoying something with the 5 senses God gave us?
Granted worship is not entertainment, but the concept of entertainment is not wrong.
Driving down the road, what style of music do you listen to?
The reason I am asking, I knew a preacher once that preached so hard against CCM, but when he got in the car he either listened to country or southern gospel. His reasoning was the church was no place for entertainment. I agree. But I asked him why he then chose country for entertainment, and he couldn't give me an answer.

I can worship to CCM as well as to Hymns. (praise and worship CCM that is) but I also use the Rock CCM for entertainment.
I would rather listen to CCM than country!


As a matter of fact I went to Ministers camp this past Aug. and the praise leader taught us the above song. You knew God was in the room when all of us sung it. He was also pleased. You can't convince me otherwise. I know my savior's voice, And I'm telling you we were blessed. Why, because we meant what we sung.
God is great! And when we tell Him that, we are worshipping Him.

I have asked this next question for years. Maybe you have the answer.
Where in God's word does it tell us what instruments to use and how to play them?
The only argument I have found feasible was when Moses came off the mountain and Isreal was having a party. But That still doesn't hold water.

If you don't like CCM, that's fine, I don't care for Southern Gospel. But if we are going to call either one ungodly, we had better be able to prove it by scripture.
BTW, what is your favorite hymn?
Mine is "It is well with my soul."

 

Much of the CCM music, as I said, feeds the flesh. One can look at the motions of the body and see what is being fed.

The Bible speaks of praising the Lord upon string instruments, so I do not have a problem with string instruments to a point. It also mentions cymbals.

I used to be a Southern Gospel music fan, but the CCM style has been seeping over into that field so much lately that I don't enjoy it anymore.

Hymns? We sing all the old hymns. My favorite? The Old Rugged Cross

 

Is this "motions of the body" argument a Scriptural basis for condemnation of CCM? Can you show a Scriptural basis for this argument? If you can't, then the "motions of the body" argument is no more than another subjective opinion about CCM. Scripture to back up your argument would be much appreciated.

 

Yes please give scripture.
What is wrong with praising God with our body movements? I guess David was wrong?

I like "The Old Rugged Cross" also.
A CCM one in comparison is "Mighty is the Power of the Cross" By Chris Tomlin
(I got His CD for Christmas, that is what I've been listening to mostly this week)

Chorus Lyrics:
"Might, Awesome, wonderful is the holy cross
Where the lamb laid down His life
to lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross."

I know you might not like the music (even though it is a slow, ballad type) But I praise God everytime I listen to it for sending Himself down to die for me.

 

We cannot appeal to Old Testament examples as models of Christian worship. The worship in the darkness of that dispensation was very carnal in its forms. But Christ told the Samaritan woman that the time was coming, and now is when true worshippers would worship God in spirit and in truth. He said that God seeketh such to worship Him. So if you want to bring dance or "creative movement" (which is the SBC euphemism for "dance") one must show that it meets God's requirements of spirituality.

So, tiny and cc, we eagerly await the statement of your case.

 

Aaron, why do you think this has become my case to state? I'm not saying that I think dance is an appropriate form of worship. I don't see where I implied it either. In fact, I don't think it is, but that is a personal preference.

Here is what I was responding to.

The statement is made that much of CCM is feeding the flesh. The basis for that statement is that observation of how a person's body moves in response to a song is what determines whether a particular song is feeding the flesh or not. I asked for Scripture to back up the claim. Without a Scriptural basis, this is another attempt to take a subjective opinion about CCM and condemn it as evil.

Arguing about whether dance is appropriate for worship or not is not my argument to take up.