Biblical (Godly) Music Vs Worldly Music

Up until the late 1960s, Christian music invoked images of church, hymnals, and
organs. Traditional was the word of the day... but not anymore. The face of Christian
music has spent the last 30+ years evolving and growing. Pipe organs have been set
aside for electric guitars and drums. Hymnals have been replaced by hard-hitting
lyrics. The "Jesus Movement" of the 1970's was when things really started changing
and Christian music began to become an industry within itself and came to be called
Contemporary Christian Music or CCM. Songs lifting up Jesus Christ were blended
with many worldly music styles.

No music exists in a vacuum. An otherwise good song may be rejected because of its
associations. The key question for this test is, "What does the music bring to mind in
the heart of the worshipper?" It's not what does it inspire in ‘my’ heart, but what does
it inspire in the heart of the worshipper. Music stirs our emotions—both negative
and positive ones. "Does the music stir our negative or sinful/carnal feelings?"
Christian music should stir our passion for godliness, prayer and righteous living. If
music causes you to crave sin, it is wrong; no matter how innocent it may appear. We
should always evaluate how music affects us emotionally. No music is amoral. Music
steers the person either towards God or drives the person away from God.

Biblical Music: A key Biblical principle is that Christian music is to be spiritual or

holy. Ephesians 5:18-19, KJV: "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;"
The term “spiritual” has the same meaning as “sacred.” It means different, set apart to
a Holy God. Sacred music will be different in character from the world’s sensual
dance music. The single most dominant aspect of music throughout the Bible is
singing and the use of the voice. Psalms 98:1, KJV: "O sing unto the LORD a new
song; for He hath done marvellous things:" demonstrates the importance of using the
voice to praise God and to glorify His name.

The PURPOSE of Christian music is to PRAISE the Lord. (Psalms 21:13, KJV: "Be
Thou exalted, LORD, in Thine own strength: so will we sing and praise Thy
power.", Psalm 9:2, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 33:2-3).

Some Christian artists claim that they're using Christian music as a tool for reaching
the lost. The purpose of Christian music was NEVER meant to evangelize the
lost! The GOAL of using Christian music as Evangelism is not the Bible GOAL of
Christian music. God's method of reaching the lost is the preaching of the Word of
God and not music. Bible Truth is not contemporary and it will never be considered
cool by the world unless it is distorted. The ONLY way Christian Music can appeal
to the world is make it UN-Christian — which is exactly what CCM does. Just as
the lost world is not interested in a "Bible-believing" church that preaches the Word
of God, the world is not interested in music that openly praises the Lord. The lost
world is NOT going to praise the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is CLEAR — "the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God" 1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV!

Christian music is NOT for the world – it is for the Lord! A Christian's music is sung
to the Lord. It is not for the world. ("Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart TO THE LORD;"
Ephesians 5:19, KJV, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 9:11). Isaiah 12:2 sums it up
wonderfully, ". . .for the LORD JEHOVAH is . . . MY SONG . . .":

If it is FRIENDLY to the world then according to the Word of God it is AGAINST

the Lord! (James 4:4, KJV) After Babylon captured the children of Israel, Babylon
requested Israel to sing, but Israel refused to sing "the Lord's song in a strange
land". Notice, it is "the Lord's song" — NOT the world's song or even Israel's song.
(Psalms 137:1-4, KJV)
CHRISTIAN MUSIC SHOULD EMPHASIS THE MESSAGE — NOT THE
MUSIC, NOR THE MUSICIAN
Christian music should give ALL the attention and praise to the Lord — and NONE
to the music, or the musician, or the singer. The Lord should get ALL the praise, ALL
the glory, and ALL the honor. Spiritually speaking, the Christian musician should be
heard but not seen — the Christian musician should be hiden in Christ. “Sing forth
the honour of His Name: MAKE HIS PRAISE GLORIOUS”. Psalm 66:2, KJV.

Christian musicians today are so caught up with their "music" and just the "right-
sound" that the message takes a backseat. A lot of Christian music is a "performance"
rather than a message. When that happens, the "performance" completely destroys
the message by pointing all the attention to self or the music. Consequently, the
musician "robs" the Lord of any praise and from a Christian perspective, it's fruitless.
Sadly, many musicians (and not just limited to CCM) are like the chief rulers that the
Lord Jesus addressed in John 12: “For they loved the PRAISE OF MEN more than
the praise of God”. John 12:43, KJV.

Christian music is not entertainment. Christian music is spiritual "food". Real

Christian music admonishes [reprove mildly], while praising the Lord.

“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, KJV. Christian music
should feed the spirit — NOT THE FLESH.

CHRISTIAN MUSIC IS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH — NOT CONCERT HALLS,

NIGHT CLUBS. The primary place for Christian music, (excluding tapes, CD's and
other recordings) is the church. (“Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new
song, and his praise in the CONGREGATION OF SAINTS”. Psalm 149:1, Psalm
22:22, Hebrew 2:12, KJV).

In Christian, Biblical music, the MELODY is the main component, but in rock – the
rhythm or the beat literally takes over the music. . Ephesians 5:18-19, KJV: "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;"

"The rhythm in rock is the dominant part of the sound. The heavy emphasis
on the BEAT is what distinguishes rock from every other type of
music." (Frank Garlock, Music in the Balance, p. 32) "Perhaps the most important
defining quality of rock and roll is the BEAT, . . . Rock and roll is different
from other music primarily because of the BEAT." (Charles Brown, The Art of
Rock and Roll, p. 42).

And it is that BEAT that the FLESH loves! The sexuality of music is usually referred
to in terms of it's rhythm — it is the BEAT that commands a directly PHYSICAL
response."(Simon Frith, Sound Effects, Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock 'n'
Roll, p. 240).

"Rhythm is the element of music most closely allied to BODY

MOVEMENT [fleshly, carnal], to PHYSICAL action. Its simpler patterns
when repeated over and over [which is exactly what rock does] can have a
hypnotic effect on us". (Joseph Machlis, The Enjoyment of Music, p. 19).
Worldly music: Worldly music is sensual and stirs the flesh. The worldliness of
Contemporary Christian Music is seen in that the contemporary music itself borrows
from the world’s sensual rhythms. Contemporary Christian Music openly and proudly
uses any type music in the service of the Lord and refuses to separate from music that
is openly used in the worship of the flesh and the devil.

What is worldly music? Worldly music is music that sounds like the music used by the
world for sinful activities. John defined the world as “the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John. 2:16). Music that is characterized by these
things is worldly music, and that is certainly true for blues, jazz, rock, rap, reggae, and
other forms of modern dance music. This type of music has an intimate association
with immorality, drunkenness, drug abuse, gambling, prostitution, and other evils, and
it is impossible to disconnect the music from this association. The chief component
of the aforementioned types of music is the heavy back beat. It is called the
ANAPESTIC BEAT. “Sex, drugs, and rock & roll” is not just a popular saying; it is
a true saying because “sex, drugs, and rock & roll” go together like peas in a pod.

Contemporary Christian Music does not merely unhesitatingly borrow from the
world’s music; it actually boasts of doing so. There is no sense of separation, no sense
of sacredness and holiness.

Because Contemporary Christian Music imitates worldly music, it sways youth to

worldly lifestyles, doctrinal confusion and new age spirituality.

Most of CCM like worldly music glorifies man: And according to the Lord Jesus
Christ that is Satan’s goal: According to the Lord Jesus Christ – Satan’s goal is to
uplift man. Satan glorifies and uplifts man! Most CCM concerts GLORIFY and
PRAISE the performer. They copy the world's tunes. Many try to "crossover" into the
worldly music world. They copy the world's looks and "hip-hop" language. They
fellowship with the world. CCM musicians copy the world's music. CCM musicians
copy the world's looks and lifestyles.

The Bible clearly commands us to "come out from among them, and be ye
separate" and to "touch not the unclean thing" (2 Corinthians 6:17, KJV)

Contemporary Christian Music is because it is worldly, meaning it is not separated

from the world as the Scriptures demand. “Love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust
thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17, KJV).
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of
God” (James 4:4, KJV). “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2, KJV).“For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-
12, KJV). “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them” (Ephesians. 5:11, KJV).
When Israel broke down the walls of separation and failed to make a distinction
between the unclean and the clean, the holy and the unholy, God judged them.
This is an apt description of the CCM philosophy. It puts no difference between the
holy and the profane. “All music is holy,” it boasts; nothing is profane. All dress styles
are holy; nothing is profane. God is the God of everything.

Christian music should emphasis and praise the Lord — not the music nor the
musician. Much of Christian music today is more entertainment than ministry. A lot
of Christian musicians (and not limited to CCM or Christian Rock) are far more
interested in impressing their audience and "flaunting" their musical talent than
ministering to the Lord. You can not sing to "please men" and sing unto the Lord. It's
one or the other. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please
men? for if I yet pleased men, I should NOT be the servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10,
KJV.

Worldly music and its offspring CCM is represented by the use of music in the
worship of the golden calf by the Israelites. "And he said, It is not the voice of them
that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but
the noise of them that sing do I hear. ¶ And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh
unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot,
and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount." Exodus
32:18-19, KJV.
Many CCMers' say, "The Bible gives no instructions on the STYLE of music for
a Christian to listen to. It's all a matter of preference and culture." But "what
saith the Lord"? Does the Bible give us any indication to the type of music we
should sing? Did the Lord God Who made Heaven and earth, Who created music and
sound, Who put so much emphasis on music in His Word — did He forget to tell us
what is Christian music?

Not hardly. Thank God — He has given us instructions for our music. Thank God
— we can BURY "once and for all" the ridiculous LIE that — "the Bible gives no
instructions on the type of music for a Christian to listen to. It's all a matter of
preference and culture."

Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make
sweet MELODY, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. Isaiah 23:16,
KJV

For the LORD shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will
make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and
gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of MELODY. Isaiah 51:3,
KJV

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; Ephesians 5:18-19, KJV

The Lord God refers to music as — MELODY! According to God — the emphasis
of Christian music is the MELODY — not the BEAT! How is it that the CCM world
keeps "parroting" — "the Bible gives no instructions on the type of music for a
Christian to listen to. It's all a matter of preference and culture"? Is it because they can
NOT read 5th grade English? Or is it — they do NOT care what God says! Many
CCMers when shown Ephesians 5:19, nearly all coolly, reply, "Aw, It don't really
mean that". In other words — "I don't care what God says — I'm gonna rock 'n'
roll"!

So far we've seen:

1. MELODY is the main theme of music.

2. Rock music emphasizes the BEAT.
3. God defines music as MELODY.
Most of rock music and CCM does not have ANY MELODY! According to the
technical definition of music — rock is NOT even music! According to the Lord God
— rock music is NOT music!

NO MELODY = NO MUSIC!

The world famous composer and conductor, Dimitri Tiomkin said of rock music:

"The big beat is deliberately aimed at exciting the listener. . .There is actually
very little MELODY, little sense in the lyrics, ONLY RHYTHM[beat]". (Los
Angeles Herald-Examiner, Aug., 8, 1965, p. 9J)
Lenny Seidel, a concert pianist and twenty-five year Christian music scholar, gives this
definition of both godly music and rock music:
"True godly music will be composed of three elements - all in perfect balance
with each other. They are: melody, harmony, and rhythm.

Rock "music" has NO MELODY only fragments of melody endlessly repeated. Since
there is no true melody, there is no real harmony. There is ONLY RHYTHM. And
rhythm in and of itself is not music." (Leonard J. Seidel, Face the Music –
Contemporary Music On Trial, pp. 46-51)
NO MELODY = NOISE!

Rock music emphasizes the HARD, driving BEAT. What instrument do you hear
more than any other in rock? What instrument is it that pounds out that heavy beat?

THE DRUM

The Bible lists many kinds of instruments: Psalms 150:3-5 says:

3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet: praise Him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise Him with stringed
instruments and organs.
5 Praise Him upon the loud cymbals: praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Psalms 150:3-5, KJV.
With all the many references to musical instruments, there is one instrument that
is NEVER mentioned! The DRUM! Why is that? The drum was a very common
instrument in Egypt and the lands around Israel. And yet the DRUM is NEVER
mentioned in a King James Bible.
Did the Lord just forget to include the DRUM or is there another reason?
Is it because — drums are associated with voodoo, shamanism, paganism and magic
rituals?
"[Drums] represents the beat of the heart and is played to summon up magic
powers." (Miranda Bruce-Mitford, The Illustrated Book of Signs & Symbols, DK
Publishing, 1996 p.80)

"The shaman was the original 'long hair', the first rock star draped in leather,
dancing POSSESSED to a rhythm banged out on A DRUM." (Danny
Sugerman, Appetite for Destruction, p. 208)

In Siberia, in northern Asia, drums are used in shamanic rituals to heal people. It is
believed that the shaman can communicate with the spirit world THROUGH
DRUMMING. (Louise Tythacott, Musical Instruments, Thomas Learning, 1995, p.
37)
"Pagan dances and rituals are always accompanied by the incessant BEAT of
DRUMS. Rhythm plays a major role in these demonic activities." (Hart, Lowell
Satan's Music Exposed, Salem Kirban Inc., 1980 p.71)

David Tame writes in The Secret Power of Music:

"Today's DRUMMER differs but little from the shaman in his incessant
beating out of a rhythm, and likewise often enters into a form of trance while
performing." (The Secret Power of Music, David Tame, p. 199)
The DRUM has always been associated with the paganism and the devil.

One simple guideline for Christian music is NO DRUMS!

CHRISTIAN MUSIC SHOULD FEED THE SPIRIT — NOT THE FLESH!

CHRISTIAN MUSIC SHOULD EMPHAZIE THE MELODY — NOT THE

BEAT!

CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO THE LORD — NOT

WORLDLY
It's amazing when God sought for a man after His own heart, God picked — a
young musician named David! When God picked His king for Israel, it was — a
young musician named David!

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to
whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man
after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My Will.
Of this man's seed hath God according to His promise raised unto Israel a Saviour,
Jesus: Acts 13:22-23, KJV
It's interesting to note that before David was a soldier — he was a musician!
It's interesting to note that before David was king — he was a musician!
It's interesting to note that when God choose David — he was a musician!

It's also very interesting that when the servants of Saul sought for a musician to play
before Saul because an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him, they chose David! (1
Samuel 16:14-18, KJV).

Noticed in verse 18, the testimony of David:

that is cunning in playing, [good musician]
and a mighty valiant man, [valiant-heroic, courageous]
and a man of war, [how did they know that? David hasn't fought Goliath yet]
and prudent in matters, [prudent - wise and disciplined in conduct]
and a comely person, [comely - fair, handsome, modest]
and the LORD is with him. [The world knew David was dedicated to God]
1 Samuel 16:14-18, KJV
Christian musicians, like David, should have a clear-cut testimony for the Lord Jesus
Christ! Christian musicians, like David, should be separate from the world — Saul's
servants KNEW David was different!

Christian musicians, like David, should have this testimony — "the LORD is with
them"!

Christian musicians like David, should be dedicated to the Lord.

In the Old Testament the Levites had a special place with the Lord. They were the
spiritual leaders. And do you know who God told David to choose for
musicians! THE LEVITES!
And David spake to the chief of THE LEVITES to appoint their brethren to be the
singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by
lifting up the voice with joy. 1 Chronicles 15:16, KJV

God did NOT allow just anybody to be His musicians! Apparently the Lord took His
music very serious! For when He choose His musicians — He SPECIFICALLY
choose the most dedicated and consecrated tribe in all of Israel — the
LEVITES! WOW! The Levites were separated for the service of the sanctuary. The
priests were also chosen from the Levites.

The Christian musician should KNOW the Word of God!

Christian musicians should be "filled with the Spirit"!

Christian musicians should be "filled RICHLY with the Word of God"!

Christian musicians should be dedicated to the Lord — not the world!

“We are spirit, soul, and body, and God has given us music to bless us spirit, soul, and
body. Here's how it fits together: There are only three parts to music, because God
made music, and He made music to be a blessing to man. 1 Thessalonians 5:23, KJV--
"...and I pray God your whole SPIRIT and SOUL and BODY be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." All that we are is affected by music.

How does this work? The spirit deals with our thoughts, and particularly our thoughts
toward God. If you're not saved, your spirit is dead; and you're not thinking about
God. It will take someone else to talk to you about the Lord to get you even to think
about Him. Jesus said to His disciples, "...the words that I speak unto you, they are
spirit, and they are life" (John. 6:63, KJV). In the words of God are life. That's how
we get eternal life; we are born again through the incorruptible seed. That has to do
with spiritual things.

MELODY, HARMONY, AND RHYTHM

How does that apply to music? Take melody, one of the parts of music. Melody is
for our spirit. It is to enable us to commune with God. If I softly hum "Jesus Keep
Me Near the Cross," without any particular rhythm or harmony, I make praise to the
Lord. That song is a prayer. I can help my spirit by humming a melody. Any piece of
music that has a decent melody, though it have no harmony or rhythm, may be used
to commune with God. You can think upon the Lord in your spirit. That is what
melody is for.

Let's take our soul. That's where our feelings, emotions, and affections are. In our
soul we have attitudes and feelings about the things we think about in our spirit. If I
say, "spinach!" or "barley green," that evokes a feeling, a taste even. You have a
feeling that goes along with the thought. That's what the soul is. Your ability to like or
dislike things is harbored in your soul. That's what gives you your personality,
basically--what you like and dislike, and how you react to all those things.

Harmony, on the other hand, is for the soul. A lot of Gospel tunes are written in
major keys; they are bright and happy. As young children in grade school we are often
taught that major chords are happy, and minor chords are sad. If I play a whole series
of minor chords on the piano, you will soon be very weighted down and sorrowful.
The minor chords depict sadness. There is nothing wrong with minor chords in and
of themselves, but they must be balanced. If we are going to talk about how our
Saviour was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, we might want to use some
minor chords--but not a steady diet of them. You need to mix and balance them with
other types of chords.

If I sing "There Is A Land That Is Fairer Than Day" in a major key, Heaven sounds
like a wonderful place. But if I change that to a minor key—keeping the same rhythm
and melody--all the sudden Heaven doesn't sound like such a happy, wonderful place.
The only thing I have to change to effect this different mood is the harmony.

Text painting in music is painting a picture with melodies, harmonies, and rhythms,
on purpose, to affect the way people respond to something. They manipulate people's
feelings through chords, melodies, and rhythms. With all pieces of music the
composer, with his palate of sounds, paints pictures. The most noble thing that can be
done is to take the Scriptures and set them properly in music, painting a correct and
suitable picture. What happens when people take the old hymns and add something to
them that doesn't belong? The picture is ruined. Consider "Who can cheer the heart
like Jesus ... All that thrills my soul is Jesus; He is more than life to me." The
traditional music paints the picture of quiet, spiritual joy, of the lovely abiding
relationship between the saint and his Saviour. On the other hand, when that beautiful
song is put to a modern beat the picture is ruined.

The holy relationship between the Christian and Christ cannot be depicted with the
world's sensual love music. Today they are trying to put the sixties sex music into "All
That Thrills My Soul Is Jesus," and it doesn't work! Somebody is painting a different
picture underneath that beautiful picture of the Lord who only can cheer the soul of a
man. They are thereby making light of it.

When you change the rhythm, you tend to change the style that a person sings in. If
you play "I Was Sinking Deep In Sin" with a boogie blues background, you feel like
singing with an Elvis Presley style. It is hard to play carnal rhythms and sing
spiritually.

Of the three aspects of music, it is the rhythm that should be the least
important. It is the spirit which is the most important. Dance music is primarily for
the body. It's not something that appeals to the thoughts and spirit. It's not
something, really, that appeals to the feelings.

Think of it like this: On one side you have God, and on the extreme opposite side you
have the devil. The devil is opposed to everything that has to do with God and wants
to draw people away from God and holiness. How does he do this? He works by
degrees, by a progression. Here's what happens. Ideally, everybody would be over on
God's side, singing and praising Him, seeking Him, fearing Him, finding favor with
Him, pleasing and serving Him. That's where everybody ought to be. On this side we
have music which is holy and pure, music which deals with man's spiritual nature.

Now let's say we add just a little bit of sensual rhythm to a song. We make it just one
degree away from truly spiritual, holy music. It will appeal to a lot of Christians. Then
we have some other music that really is boogie, but we call it Southern gospel; and
that will appeal to a lot of Christians. They excuse it by saying it is just "down home"
music. No, it isn't. It's boogie woogie, but some Christians still think it is O.K. Then
there is the Contemporary Christian Music, which sounds like it is being sung in a
nightclub. Of course it is big business today, and it is farther still away from painting a
proper picture of our Lord.