The Joy of Singing
By Robert McDowell
By Robert McDowell
One of the most beautiful gifts God gave to man is the ability to sing. The cadence of several parts blending harmoniously is more than enthralling; it has brought joy and comfort to many weary and fainting hearts. Man is not alone in his enjoyment of singing; God delights to hear His people lifting their voices to Him in praise and adoration.
Colossians 3:16 tells us, "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." Many people can be blessed when the message of the song promotes the Word of Christ and is sung with the desire to exalt God.
Our hearts stir when we sing "The Old Rugged Cross" and we are blessed anew by the great sacrifice Christ made for us when He gave His life to redeem lost humanity. Our hearts well with adoration and praise as we sing "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" Or think of the impetus we receive to live a more holy life when we sing "Purer in Heart, O God, Help Me to Be."
These songs stir our feelings, but their influence is more than emotional. Their messages promote spiritual growth. Colossians 3:16 tells us that our songs should have purpose, that they should teach and admonish. Doctrinally sound music will always complement truth by conveying a sound Scriptural message.
Sound Gospel music centers around God, not man. It will exalt God, His attributes, and the wonders of His grace and mercy to man. It will inspire an attitude of surrender and submission to God's will. It will evoke a growing commitment to serve God, as a living channel of His power. Our singing should help us to prepare for Heaven.
Colossians 3:16 also tell us that our singing should instruct others. Many songs testify to the saving merits of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Others portray the road to peace, joy, humility, love, and many other Christian virtues. And the words are greatly enhanced when they are sung "with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Are you weighed down with trails and tests in life or burdened with grief? Don't despair. Instead, think of Paul and Silas in prison, and sing (Acts 16:25). When we, from a heart of love and adoration, exalt God in praise, we are reminded that God knows and cares and thus our burdens grow lighter. The oppression of discouragement or even despair cannot survive long in a heart that overflows with gratitude for God's love and tender mercy.
Psalms 96:2, 3 instructs us, in the context of singing, to "shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people." The witness of song has made a deep impact on many searching hearts, stirring the conviction that has aided them in finding salvation.
To man's disgrace, much of the music that has develop in modern times does not bring glory to God. Carnal man capitalizes on the emotional nature of music to enslave multitudes in a state of sensual ecstasy. Modern music has contributed greatly to the current exercise of "free love" and its contempt for moral restraints.
Sad to say, the influence of this sensual music is subtly making inroads into today's "Gospel music." We hear more and more songs focused on human feelings and emotions -- an offshoot of the country music of the mid-1900s. From jazz comes the swinging rhythm, phrase repetition, and the subtle use of syncopation. Even more recently, we hear the inroads of strong beat and off-beat patterns so reminiscent of rock music.
The fact that the gift of music has been adulterated does not mean we should stop singing. But we do need to exercise spiritual discernment in the kind of music we enjoy, because it will affect our worship and our desire to know and follow God.
Why do we reject the use of musical instruments in New Testament worship? It is true that in the Old Testament, the word melody meant "to play a string instrument with fingers." But in the New Testament, God changed the medium of praise from the strings of a harp to the chords of love in our hearts. Melody now means "to sing praises." So in Ephesians 5:19, God instructs us to sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord.
Churches that employ musical instruments in their worship will gradually experience a degeneration in the quality of their singing. The beauty of a congregation blending in a four-part harmony is soon replaced by a trained choir, a singing group, or even recorded music. But as we follow God's directives for the New Testament era and sing praises from the heart, we are blessed by the inspiration of the true heart worship that ascends to God as a sweet incense.
Our singing needs to be a heart response to the work of the Word and the Spirit in our lives. Paul said, "I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Corinthians 14:15). When we sing from the heart, our spirit is strengthened and we gain fresh zeal to remain faithful to God.
One of the joys of eternity will be singing praises of the Lamb, the one who is worthy of all our adoration and praise. Let us exalt the Name of the Lord now from a heart of love and thanksgiving so we can be a part of the blood-washed throng who will sing the praises of the Lamb forever.
