Is Your MUSIC in Tune?

Now that we’re born again, we have a new identity and we live under a new covenant; a better one than those of the Old Testament lived under. There’s no longer a gulf between the Father and us, we can come boldly to Him. We have been given the inheritance of Christ. We’ve been made co-heirs. That means that we’ve got what He’s got… NOW. We have the Holy Spirit living in us, leading us into all truth. We have the authority and the power that Jesus had when He walked the earth. We live in fullness of the kingdom now. His coming down to earth to redeem us through His resurrection from death to life has changed everything. Man’s relationship with the Father is totally restored through what Jesus did for us! (1 Jn 2:27)

In light of ALL THAT, to sing or to listen to songs that project the “old testament message” is wrong and in fact, is damaging to our spirit. Those are “out of tune” with what all Jesus lived and died for.

For instance, to sing…“I thirst for you”, or “I’m hungry for you”, or “I long for you”… or “rend the veil and come down…” ? Those are all Old Testament concepts. Because He has rent the veil, and He said “he that comes to me shall never thirst, and shall never be hungry, because he’s the Bread of Life”.

We must now see everything in the Old Testament through the filter of the New Testament, from a “new creation” mindset, in which is the mind of Christ. To sing, “I want to be like You” is a great heartcry and devotion, but in the New Creation, we’re now like Him, “it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). We are like Him, “as He was, so are we in this world”. We have His mind…“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1Cor 2:16).

“He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father” (John 14:12).

Since it is God Who has commanded us to sing, it is God Who should also determine what kind of songs we sing, and He would want us to worship Him according to the new contract that He’s established between us and Him. He sent His son to redeem us, once and for all, and to live in us, and to have the same Holy Spirit that Jesus has while living on earth, so we are to sing in accordance to that new understanding. Our songs are not meant to be self-entertainment, or “me-me” durges. A congregation learns its theology by the songs they sing, not just by the preaching they hear.

Congregational singing is a privilege and in fact, part of the discipline of a Christian; literally a duty of God’s people. The actual style of music should not matter all that much. The Word says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Ps 100).

However, because it’s the favorite part of church service for many Christians to worship God through music, we have to make sure that the theology of what we’re singing is right. When you consider that worship music can take as much as one fourth or even one third of a service in some churches, it puts a heavy responsibility on worship leaders to make sure that the doctrine is sound.  “Be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1).

Plus, there’s nothing more distracting in worship than musicians singing songs to the Lord, and yet it’s all about their performance, and all about themselves. Good worship musicians should be totally transparent and self effaced.

Many churches invest heavily in sound equipment and instruments that talented musicians can use to lead congregations in worship through music. Worship music can sound and look quite different, depending on the church. Some churches use no instruments and only hymnals. Some sing traditional gospel choir music. Some sing contemporary music. Some put on what can only be described as a straight-up rock concert. Regardless of the music style preference, all of these worship bands are vulnerable to the same malady: bad theology.

It’s easy to get caught up in enjoying the music and overlooking the theology in the lyrics of some songs. However, because the Bible says, “Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thes 5:21), the doctrine in the songs that we sing must be as sound as the preaching. Some may say, “I don’t know if this song is quite right for church, but I can enjoy it in the car.” Not so. If it’s wrong theology, it’ll affect your spirit.

As I’m beginning to know who I am in Christ and Who Christ is in me, I’ve realized how “old covenant” and oftentimes “lukewarm” most Christian music is. “So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth” (Rev 3:16). In short, there are many doctrines of devils that have worked their way into church music.

Jesus said, “You do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the POWER of God” (Mat 22:29).

God did not sow a Son to reap servants that beg Him, but to bring many sons to glory that walk, talk, and do the same works and even greater as Jesus!!!  (Jn 14:12)

Songs can just lull us to lethargy, expecting God to do something that He has told us to do! God, through the Holy Spirit has given us the POWER to put His enemies under His footstool. That is our job, as His body on this earth! “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the POWER that WORKS IN US” (Eph 3:20).

I’ll say that again… “according to the POWER that WORKS IN US.” That’s the NEW testament.

I like what John Piper says, “We ought to produce and sing gospel-rich, doctrinally faithful, Christ-exalting, big-God songs — so many that we don’t have to use the ones that seem theologically skewed and that may mislead our people”.

He is waiting for the sons of God to manifest! (that means, He’s waiting for our new identity to kick in, in us). “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God” (Rom 8:19).

Before Jesus came, the Holy Spirit could not come into unsaved men; only come upon them, but not abide in them. But now, we have received His POWER. “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Let’s sing and worship as EMPOWERED sons!!