Thousand Oaks Baptist Church
The Qualities of
Music that Is Truly Christian
By David A. Tucker, Sr.
Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...Music that is truly Christian is unique in any age of this world. Good Christian music has been written and sung by believers throughout this Age of Grace. As the mechanics and technical aspects of music and its performance have developed and changed, good Christian music has used such new and changed elements that promote spirituality and do not promote conformance to the world, the flesh, or the devil.
However, in my opinion, many instances of so-called contemporary Christian music do not meet the criteria for being classified as truly Christian music. Among these are many of the songs and choruses currently in vogue among Pentecostals, liberals, Neo-Evangelicals, and Neo-Evangelical sympathizers. So-called contemporary Christian music may have some elements of good Christian music, but it also contains elements that compromise with or satisfy the old nature's desire for the world, the flesh, and the devil.
What are the qualities that make Christian music truly Christian? Based on over 50 years of personal experience and direct involvement with all types of Christian music in liberal, fundamental, Pentecostal, Neo-evangelical, and various denominational churches and interdenominational settings, I have come to the conclusion that music that is truly Christian has at least 12 distinct attributes or qualities. I'd like to share these with you.
1. First, music that is truly Christian makes some definite and positive mention of Christ's Person, Deity, and/or redemptive work, and relates such mention directly and clearly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, truly Christian music will accurately and explicitly glorify the Lord Jesus Christ for who He is, what He has done for us, and what He has promised to us in the future.
2. Second, music that is truly Christian has more emphasis on what Christ has done, is doing, or will do for the believer than what the supposed believer feels emotionally, thinks intellectually, or believes he has done or will do for Christ. Therefore, truly Christian music will be centered on Christ, the Bible, and the work of God in the individual's heart and life, rather than on personal aspirations, experiences, or emotions.
3. Third, music that is truly Christian will declare and make personal application of the truths of the Word of God, either to the unsaved sinner who needs to be saved, or to the born-again believer who needs to continually mature in Christ. Therefore, truly Christian music will motivate the hearer to salvation, assurance, sanctification, dedication, consecration, and holiness.
4. Fourth, music that is truly Christian will have a clear and definite emphasis on New Testament truths and derive any paraphrased rendering of Scripture mainly from the New Testament, rather than either the Old Testament or the works of men. Therefore, truly Christian music will thereby honor God's Word.
5. Fifth, music that is truly Christian will encourage and augment in the believer's life the clearly defined fruit of the Holy Spirit, motivate believers to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, and nurture a dedicated, separated, holy Christian life. Therefore, truly Christian music will not lead people back into the world and its ways.
6. Sixth, music that is truly Christian will not emphasize what the New Testament does not emphasize. For example, while the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and is to be worshipped as God, the Holy Spirit set aside only a small percentage of the space in the New Testament to verses dealing with worshipping Christ. Far more space is given to verses that deal with New Testament doctrinal truths, the Gospel, Heaven, Hell, how to live the Christian life in a godly manner in this present evil world, winning the lost to Christ, order in the local churches, and warnings against compromise with the world, the flesh, and the devil. The New Testament gives no emphasis to Gentile social concerns, changing our contemporary society, or political activism on any level. Therefore, to be truly Christian, Christian music must reflect this New Testament balance.
7. Seventh, music that is truly Christian will use a musical vehicle that is not clearly tied to the current fads of the music of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Such musical vehicles will not provide a stumbling block to either new or more mature Christians by reminding them of the foul pit out of which they were saved. Such musical vehicles will not cause older, more mature believers to be offended or to have valid concerns for the moral and spiritual purity of such music and its negative effect on other, unsuspecting believers. Both recent and mature converts will experience the Holy Spirit's peaceful and reassuring inward testimony that this musical vehicle is of the Lord, not of the world, the flesh, or the devil. Such musical vehicles will not leave unbelievers with the feeling that no difference exists between the foul, demonic music of the world and the sweet, pure music of Christ. No musical concord should exist between Christ and Belial, whether in the words, the vehicles, or the presentations.
8. Eighth, since Christianity is filled with the joy of Christ and His salvation, music that is truly Christian will reflect that joy, both in its words, in its musical vehicles, and in its presentation. Major keys will predominate; minor keys will be minimized. Melodies will be easy to learn and follow the content of the words. Chord structures and resultant harmonies will be easy to apply and easy to follow; transitions and accidentals when used will not detract from the melody or natural harmonies. The rhythm will be appropriate to the content of the words, and the beat will not stimulate or excite the flesh or be emphasized above what is necessary to maintain the movement of the melody and appropriate harmonies.
9. Ninth, the presentation of music that is truly Christian will not include forms that are now associated with the world, the flesh, and the devil in the hearts and minds of either believers or non-believers. For example, such presentations will not include dancing. Of the 26 references to dancing in the Bible, 21 are found in the Old Testament. Of these 21, nine were the result of or resulted in sin, two refer to animals, and the rest were peculiar to the religion, culture, and customs of Israel, but not always in the will of God. In the five New Testament references, two concern the sensuous dancing of the daughter of Herodias that resulted in the beheading of John the Baptist, and the other three were references by the Lord Jesus Christ to customs peculiar to Israel and not in any way encouraged for Christians. Absolutely no New Testament references relate to Christian dancing, either as a social custom, as interpretive of New Testament truths or principles, as a form of worship, or in any other manner. Such dancing was common in the pagan religions and social customs of New Testament times. However, no examples of Christians dancing are found in the New Testament, whether in church, in public, or even in the privacy of their own homes. Furthermore, the New Testament writers specifically warned Christians against borrowing pagan practices (such as pagan social or religious dancing) for their lives and churches.
10. Tenth, music that is truly Christian will truly be music and it will be music of the best kind. Such music will not be mere noise, mere rhythm, repetitious chanting, nonsensical syllables, or unsubstantial, trivial, frivolous words, or lacking true melody. Its writing and composing will be led by the Holy Spirit and will present truth that is always in concert with the doctrines of the New Testament. It will never contradict clear Biblical teachings.
11. Eleventh, music that is truly Christian will be written and composed by truly born-again Christians who are filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Such music will reflect various stages of Christian maturity, to be sure, but it will at least reflect some measure of growth in Christ, some growing knowledge of the Bible, and some understanding and appreciation of the application of the Bible's truths to both everyday life and spiritual service for the Lord. If melodies and harmonies from music written by unbelievers are used, only those appropriate to use by Christians should be considered. Furthermore, special care should be used to somehow divorce these melodies from their worldly associations, lest a remembrance of these should prove to be a stumbling block to believers of any spiritual level of maturity.
12. Twelfth, music that is truly Christian will speak only for the individual born-again believer, and not attempt to speak for an entire congregation. Even though Christian music may properly be sung by a congregation, we must recognize that Biblically each believer can only sing what is meaningful for himself. He cannot sing in such a manner that he includes someone on the next row who may not be a believer. He cannot sing in such a manner that he includes someone across the aisle who may be a heretic, hypocrite, or living in open sin. Music that is truly Christian will not attempt to force group worship upon individuals, or attempt to include spirit-filled believers with unbelievers or disobedient believers. Many contemporary choruses and hymns written by unbelieving liberals, Pentecostals and New Evangelicals (who refuse to believe in the depravity of the natural man and the downward moral and spiritual trend in society) include strong references to collective worship. We must recognize and reject most choruses and hymns of this sort as lacking New Testament support.
Should our fundamental, Bible-believing Baptist local churches use purportedly Christian music that does not meet these criteria? Personally, I do not believe so. To do so only confuses new babes in Christ who need a far better example than what the world offers. To do so deeply troubles and discourages many older, godly saints who have spent much of their lives defending against the inclusion of such musical garbage in their churches. To use music that does not measure up to these standards opens the church doors to the devil and his filthy crowd, and allows them to take over every area of our worship and ministries. To do so takes the Holy Spirit out of soul-winning evangelism, and replaces Him with godless psychology, experience-centered religion, and fleshly lusts driven by the demon evoking drive of the big beat.
For years, fundamental, Bible-believing local churches have been a haven for distressed souls who have found that the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil cannot save or satisfy the soul. Whether those ways relate to the emotions, the mind, the body, social customs, political platforms, educational systems, literature, music, entertainment, accumulation of money, goods, and lands, or whatever, they cannot and do not satisfy. Only Jesus satisfies the longing, hungry soul. Only personal faith in His shed blood, His sacrificial, substitutionary death and His glorious resurrection can save the soul. Only music that is distinctively different from the world's music and that truly glorifies Jesus Christ and the Gospel can be used by the Holy Spirit to truly touch the heart and reach the soul and then continue to satisfy. Why should we want to change or dilute that?
During the few years since I first sat down to write this essay, I have seen so-called Christian music in the churches decline even more and faster than before. Ministers of music and even pastors and evangelists who once took a firm stand against contemporary music are now defending the use of music that glorifies the world, the flesh, and the devil. Satan and the world now have a foothold from which to utterly destroy once godly local churches and their largely unsuspecting members.
If your music director uses music that does not meet the criteria set forth in this essay, go to him with a copy of this essay and humbly entreat him to stop using the garbage music and to use the good stuff instead. If that works, then you've helped to strengthen your local church and stop the tide of ungodliness. But if the music director doesn't listen, then go to your pastor with a copy of this essay and humbly entreat him to make the necessary changes. If he does, great! But if that doesn't work, either, then it's time to pray for the Lord to change the pastor's heart in this matter. If, over time, that hasn't happened, then pray for a change in the ministry in your church. If, over time, the Lord doesn't see fit to do that, then start looking for the right kind of church with the right kind of Christian ministry and music. Stay faithful to Jesus Christ and to the Word of God.
Let me strongly urge you to take a firm but loving stand for the right kind of Christian music in your home and in your church, and against the garbage that many contemporary musicians are trying to foist upon us today. Do it now! It's up to you. Are you going to be satisfied with the devil's pottage? Or will you become a responsible Christian and start doing what you have to do for Jesus?