Tag Archives: standards

God’s Intention for Virginity and Marriage

Literature, , , , , ,
And the Related Issues of Divorce and Remarriage

by David E. Moss

Notice: Please read this article in its entirety in one sitting. This is necessary to appreciate the full context of each part. Please do not read only part of this article.

This decision to marry is the most significant and most intimate decision a human being has to make as an earthly creature. Thereupon, a man and a woman enter a relationship in which everything is shared, whether emotional, mental, spiritual — or physical. Since human beings possess some very private treasures (such as thought dreams, desires of the heart, spiritual beliefs and a physical body), it is normal, in society, to withhold those things from public view and to share some of them only with the dearest of friends. It is also normal to reserve one’s most intimate treasures for the person with whom a marriage trust is entered.

Some choose never to enter this sacred pact. All their lives they may live in chaste virginity and use their full energy to glorify God, or pursue personal interests. God grants this privilege to a few choice servants upon whom He bestows the gift of celibacy.

The rest, who are driven by the human passions that draw men and women together, seek a mate with whom to share all of oneself. It is a decision that irreversibly alters a person’s life; for once made, the individual will never be able to return to the state of virginity.

Marriage, thus, is a sacred institution. It is ordained by God. It is defined by divine words. And, it is governed by moral principles which man has no right to alter. As such, its value is immeasurable and it must be preserved in exactly the form in which it was given to the human race.

A large segment of humanity dismisses virginity and marriage as archaic and indulges in unrestricted licentious activity without regard to any code of morality. Such persons breeze in and out of marriage “contracts,” participate in impersonal sexual activities, and casually cross the lines of perversion as though they were meaningless forms of entertainment.

The world’s disorientation from the truth, however, is no basis for a child of God to rethink Biblical concepts. Unfortunately, this is happening in contemporary Christianity. With great skill, worldly people are able to make Christians of strong conviction sound unloving and even hateful. Many believers, failing to recognize the Devil’s game, would rather compromise their understanding of truth than appear antagonistic.

As this happens over a period of time, the restraining force of morality gradually disintegrates and society at large becomes increasingly more bold in its defiance of God’s intention for human relationships. Immoral and perverted forms of behavior assume the appearance of normalcy. They never are normal in terms of reality, but a corrupt society, in which right and wrong are fused together in a moral neutralism, has no means to perceive things from a divine viewpoint when God’s ambassadors surrender the standard.

For this reason, truth must be preached in every possible forum lest the same process inhibit the discernment powers of Christians. Redundancy is irrelevant because it would be better to have the message penetrate hearts through repetition than to speak insufficiently and lose all sense of divine morality in the minds of the next generation.

Young people must be taught that God intends for them to save virginity until marriage and to have a single marriage for life. To dangle alternatives before people in their formative years goes far beyond the risk of losing the sacredness of virginity and marriage. It teaches youth that God’s standards are relative and may be adjusted when they are not compatible with human experience. It dilutes the integrity of all absolute standards of righteousness and suggests that we do what God wants until it does not work and then we may change course and fend for ourselves.

Herein lies the expediency of the words that follow. Read on with a willingness to believe that God’s words are absolutely correct and that to uphold them is our sacred duty.

  • Virginity: A Divine Treasure

    God is emphatic concerning the sacredness of virginity. He declares it to be chaste (clean and pure) and insists that if given away, it be offered only to the person with whom one is joined in marriage (II Corinthians 11:2, Leviticus 21:13). Otherwise it is to be preserved intact.

    To underscore this sacredness, God ordered severe consequences for violating virginity. He said it is good for a man not to touch a woman outside of marriage. To do so is fornication – a sinful and morally unacceptable act (I Corinthians 7:1-2; Proverbs 7). In Jewish Law (which reflects God’s values), a man caught stealing a woman’s virginity was required to marry her or pay a full dowry if her father forbad the marriage (Exodus 22:16-17). A promiscuous girl could be stoned to death if she was not a virgin at the time of her marriage (Deuteronomy 22:20-21).

    Maintaining one’s virginity throughout a life time is an immense task and must not be tried without the ability to shun all sexual interest. This ability is a divine gift. Without it, a person must marry (Matthew 19:11-12; I Corinthians 7:1-2). With it, a person is free to expend all of his energy caring for the things that belong to the Lord (I Corinthians 7:32).

  • Marriage: As God Intended It To Be

    For those who do not have the resources to remain celibate for a life time, Jesus very precisely stated God’s intention for marriage.

    Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matthew 19:4-6

    Marriage is to consist of one man and one woman joined together in one relationship. Once they have experienced total intimacy of heart, soul and body, all the personal and private things of each are commonly shared and the two become one. This is to be a permanent relationship severed only by the physical death of one of the persons involved (Romans 7:2-3; I Corinthians 7:39).

    So special is this consummation of two human beings that God uses it to illustrate the precious relationship between His Son and the Church (Ephesians 5:23-27). This is an indivisible union in which Christ takes the Church to himself as His bride. Christians who marry have the wonderful opportunity to portray to the world around them the unconditional love and imperishable commitment a believer enjoys with the Saviour. No greater achievement could be enjoyed in this world than to be a faithful husband or wife in a lifelong marriage.

  • Violations: Tampering With What God Intended

    It is extremely dangerous for man to tamper with what God intends. Jesus said that God is the one who puts two people together in a marriage relationship and man has no business dismantling what God has assembled (Matthew 19:6) or distorting what God has created (Matthew 19:9). As with virginity, God underscores the sacredness of marriage by establishing consequences for violating this covenantal trust. There are two ways that marriage can be violated.

    1. By Entering “Marriages” That Are Not Real Marriages

      One violation of the Divine intention for marriage is a form of fornication in which two people enter a relationship God says can never be a real marriage in His eyes. To define what He means, He outlined numerous relationships which fit this description. This list eliminates the union of two people who enjoy certain close family ties and the union of two people of the same sex (Leviticus 18). It is possible for people in these categories to enter a relationship which man calls “marriage”, even though God has labeled it fornication (e.g. I Corinthians 5:1 with Leviticus 18:8). However, man’s label does not overrule God’s label. God is so set against such unacceptable unions that they comprise the only situations in which He sanctions a “marriage” relationship to be severed (Matthew 19:9).

      [Please note in Matthew 19:9, Jesus says “except for fornication,” not “except for adultery.” This will be further explained below.]

    2. By the Violation of Real Marriages

      The other means of violating the sacredness of the marriage trust is to commit adultery. This is the term God uses to describe any act by which a married person involves himself sexually with someone other than the partner in his original marriage covenant including both unfaithfulness and remarriage. Remarriage though is treated less severely than unfaithfulness apparently because God has chosen to be merciful in cases where people at least attempt to follow legal procedures, even though these legal procedures are man made (Leviticus 20:10; Matthew 5:28; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18). God is so adamant about this matter that He included a ban on adultery as one of the Ten Statutory Laws (Commandments) for mankind (Exodus 20).

      The point of adultery is that you can give your virginity only to one person. To offer your private treasures to a second person, even in a relationship which God otherwise recognizes as a real marriage, is an adulterous act in violation of the original marriage covenant (Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18). In His choice of words. Jesus said that God would recognize the severance of a marriage pact only in the case of fornication (a relationship which God says can never be a real marriage anyway). He did not say “except for adultery,” even though a popular interpretation of Christ’s words insists that He did. In fact, He said if a marriage was severed for any reason other than fornication, an unbiblical union, remarriage would be an adulterous act, the violation of a Biblical union (Matthew 19:9). The disciples were so astounded at this narrow exception clause that they declared it would be better never to get married than to be so confined to a single relationship (Matthew 19:10). Jesus cautioned them, however, that celibacy should never be tried by those to whom the gift had not been given (Matthew 19:11-12).

  • Consequences and Forgiveness

    Fornication and adultery are common to society and have been for a very long time. There are two forms of fornication: sexual activity outside of marriage and participation in a relationship which God says can never be a real marriage. There are two ways to commit adultery: by committing a sexual act or fantasy which violates a marriage covenant while the relationship is intact (including bigamy) and by entering into a second marriage relationship after divorce.

    Unfortunately, fornication and adultery are also becoming common to the Christian community. How is the Church to deal with its members who participate in such things?

    1. Concerning Both Forms of Fornication

      God has given some very definite procedures to follow when a person is found guilty of fornication. He is to be immediately separated from the fellowship of the Congregation and instructed concerning the seriousness of his sin. The purpose of these actions is to protect the sanctity of the group and to recover the wayward person from his spiritual crisis (I Corinthians 5; II Corinthians 2; II Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 5:3-5). Fornication is a very serious matter which God condemns extensively throughout scripture.

    2. Concerning the Violation of an Intact Marriage Relationship

      The Old Testament Law prescribed the severest of punishments for those who committed sexual acts with a person other than their marriage partner. The sentence was the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10, John 8:3-5). In the New Testament, Israel lacked the authority to enforce the death penalty without the approval of the Roman Government. This was not, however, an excuse to substitute divorce for death. By decreeing the death penalty, God was decreeing that He did not want adulterers running loose in society. Nor did He want the victims of adultery to remarry without a divinely approved termination of the original marriage.

      The Pharisees tested Christ on the subject by bringing a woman to Him who had been caught in the very act of adultery. In His famous reply, Jesus may have indicated by His writing on the ground that this woman was set up and the group of men were guilty of conspiracy, making them as guilty as she, or more so. This would explain their inability to cast stones upon one whom they had entrapped. Jesus let the woman go, but did not minimize the seriousness of adultery because he exhorted her never to do such a thing again to which we hoped she readily agreed (John 8:6-11).

    3. Concerning Divorce and Remarriage

      This is a most delicate matter. Many people, unbelievers and believers alike, enter into a second marriage without a working knowledge of Biblical teaching on the matter. Secular Law has made divorce very easy and the man-made contrivance of a bill of divorcement has always been for the purpose of freeing a person from one marriage to make them eligible for another.

      It sounds harsh and cruel to say that remarriage is an adulterous act because there are so many well meaning people who have entered second marriages with much better spouses than their first one was. Yet, this is the way God Himself describes it and short of changing the Word of God, we cannot get around it (Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18).

      The popular trend is to be conciliatory by means of a generous interpretation of Christ’s exception clause in Matthew 19:9. The suggestion is that an act of fornication by one person in a legitimate marriage releases the other member of the marriage to find a new relationship. This argument is nullified, however, by the observation that Christ did not say “except for adultery” but He did say “except for fornication.” Every violation of a legitimate marriage is called adultery, not fornication. If sexual unfaithfulness to a legitimate marriage partner is what Christ meant, He would have said, “except it be for adultery.” Fornication, on the other hand consists of only two things, either a sexual act outside the context of marriage or an unbiblical union. The distinction between fornication and adultery has a very specific bearing on the meaning of what Christ said. Christ was teaching that God only sanctions the termination of unreal marriages. He never recognizes the termination of real marriages (Matthew 19:19:6,9) except by the death of one of the partners, either natural or by penalty for sin (Romans 7, Leviticus 20:10).

      Divorce is a man-made device, and it only works in the eyes of mankind. God does not recognize divorce as a termination of a marriage covenant; instead He hates divorce and repudiates it (Malachi 2:16).

      Divorce occurs because of the hardness of man’s heart (Matthew 19:8). Before the Jewish Law was instituted, man had already made the exercise a habit. So, God specified some regulations to minimize the harm done to women by unreasonable men, not to encourage divorce as an acceptable behaviour (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). In the New Testament, God instructed divorced persons to remain unmarried or be reconciled to each other (I Corinthians 7:11). Believers, He said, are not bound to contend a separation from an unbelieving spouse because peace facilitates a witness better than strife (I Corinthians 7:15-16). Once the departed spouse is saved, reconciliation will be easier. Remarriage to a different person, however, closes the door to reconciliation for ever; not an option suggested by God.

      [I Corinthians 7:27-28 is a context which addresses the activity of virgins and refers to engaged couples. Espousal in Biblical days was binding and required a Bill of Divorcement to terminate. Since the marriage was never consummated, the persons involved were still virgins after the divorce takes effect. Divorced virgins that marry do not sin because they are still virgins. It, therefore, cannot be used as a Scriptural approval of divorce and remarriage.]

      Indeed, those who are already divorced and remarried should not be branded with a scarlet letter. If they understand what God has said about the matter, if they have dealt with it in their own hearts before Him, and if they remain committed to uphold God’s ideals for marriage in their current relationship, there is no reason why their status should even be an issue in their fellowship and service within the Body of Christ. There is only a very narrow exception in cases where God has regulated the qualifications for certain offices.

      The consequence of remarriage is of a lesser degree than other forms of adultery. Instead of a punishment inflicted, it consists of a qualification removed. In the Old Testament, divorced women were ineligible as wives for priests. If a Levite were to marry such a woman he would be disqualified from serving (Leviticus 21:7). In the New Testament, men are disqualified from being either an Elder or Deacon if they marry while a former spouse is still living (giving him two wives in God’s eyes even though men may consider him to have only one). Also women are disqualified from being a widow indeed if she had married while a former spouse was still living (I Timothy 5:9).

      The delicacy of the matter is in assuring the comfortableness of forgiven Christians while at the same time upholding the standards that God has decreed. The welfare of the Christian community requires that we be able to have a rational discussion on such a sensitive subject without projecting personal criticism from one side or sensing personal offense on the other side. At some point in the discussion, it is essential for persons from every side to put away the biases of their personal experience and honestly address the statements of Scripture concerning virginity, marriage and related matters — and to do so on the basis of what God has actually said, not on the basis of what we want Him to have said.

    4. Forgiveness and Service

      Total forgiveness may be experienced by anyone who has committed either fornication or adultery. In the Corinthian Church of Biblical times, there were some who had committed fornication and others who were guilty of adultery. All of them, who had received Christ as their Saviour, had been washed clean of their sin, sanctified from their guilt and justified before God (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

      The only distinction is that forgiveness, while it restores fellowship, cannot restore qualification (Ezekiel 44:10-14). Anyone who is forgiven for any sin, regardless of its nature, may enjoy all of the fellowship of the Body of Christ and participate in its activities and service. But where God has specifically designated certain regulations for areas of service, such as Elders and Deacons, each person has only one opportunity in a life time to qualify. Regardless of which regulation has been violated, disqualification is permanent. Where God has not specified regulations for other areas of service, forgiven Christians may participate in a variety of Christian service activities, demonstrating how the grace of God has fully restored the individual to the fellowship of the Body of Christ.

      This is difficult for some wonderful Christian men because they have been disqualified from serving the highest offices in the Church before they even knew about the regulations. In gestures of generosity, many churches are setting aside these qualifications and letting men serve in spite of them. The gravity of such a move is that out of fairness, all other qualifications must also be set aside, creating a situation in which a church may be forced to accept ungodly and irresponsible men as its leaders. Or else, if other qualifications are not set aside, the church offends a segment of the Congregation because of its unfair, selective policies. Real fairness to the Body of Christ is to maintain all of the qualifications, even if this makes the number of potential leaders quite small and even if it means a particular man qualifies in every regard except one. Among all Christians, it is expedient that Elders and Deacons fulfill the mandate of the Old Testament Priests in demonstrating the difference between what is holy and what is unholy (Leviticus 10:10). This is not designed to offend men who just miss qualifying by one point. It is designed to show that God means what He says without exception.

Conclusion

Do we want our children to move closer to the things God desires for them or to move further away? Shall we set before them a set of ideals for which to strive? Or will we surrender to the hardness of man’s heart (for the sake of being humanly “realistic”) and teach our children a set of alternatives because they undoubtedly will need them?

Marriage is the most beautiful gift God ever made for human relationships. Virginity is the most precious possession He issued to human individuals. When He created them, God had a particular thing in mind for each. It is reasonable to want God’s original intention for these things to be the basis of the convictions we hand down to the next generation of the Body of Christ.

In a time when preacher after preacher is giving in and performing wedding ceremonies for people who have a former spouse still living, I refuse to do so. It is not because I do not love these people and do not want them to experience the blessings of a fruitful relationship. It is because I do not want to suggest to other people who are watching that marriage is a disposable item in God’s eyes. For those who are already divorced and remarried, we should express great compassion toward them and confirm our love to them so they may grow in Christ from this point forward. But for those who are considering divorcing their spouse, we must warn of its dangers and assist them in salvaging what God Himself joined together.

This is the most difficult article I will probably ever write in my life time because it addresses the most personal issues of life and because I know many people who read it will be personally affected by its content. If you have taken any of these words personally and they offend you, I apologize, for this is not my intent. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Biblical issues with you, if we can do it without regard to your personal experience. On the other hand, I cannot apologize for what I believe to be the plain words of Scripture. I invite you to read this article once again with an open Bible and an open heart and see for yourself if I have accurately represented God’s intention for virginity and marriage.

An Introduction to CCM

Literature, , , ,
(Contemporary Christian Music) – or – Should We Be Introduced to It at All?

by David E. Moss

Part 1

Music will never die as an issue in the church because it is too much a part of what we do in worship. We must, therefore, keep ourselves informed as to the trends, philosophies, and influences which are constantly being pressed upon Christian music in our modern world. Otherwise, our ignorance may allow us to be led down a path that irritates God.

Contemporary Christian Music is the industry that predominantly determines those trends and philosophies that influence Christian music today. Its primary emphasis is to produce and promote secular music that has been Christianized. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word “contemporary” as meaning in one sense “happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time, simultaneous.” But the same dictionary gives another sense to this word as “marked by characteristics of the present period, modern.” It is in this second sense that promoters of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) identify their product. In other words, CCM is not just Christian music that has been written in our times, but it is “Christian music” that is characterized by the culture of our times.

This is exactly what CCM claims for itself. In a statement taken from an internet website titled “The Almost Definitive Contemporary Christian Music Hot Page,” the promoters of this industry put this definition in their own words.

What is Contemprary Christian Music?

Christian Music has been around in some form for almost 2000 years, since the time of Christ. But what exactly is Contemporary Christian Music? Before the early 1970’s, Christian Music could be categorized as either Traditional Hymns, Southern Gospel or as Traditional Black Gospel styles. From the Peace Movement of the late 1960’s came a time of Christian revival for young people across the country. This concurrent movement was known as the Jesus Movement. From the Jesus Movement, came many new Christians who were anxious to tell others about Jesus, but found the traditional methods of sharing and worshiping restrictive and out-dated. Many of these Jesus People started developing new worshiping and witnessing styles. An effort was made to write music which was culturally relevant or contemporary. The desire was to create music that would appeal to the current searching generation. Thus was born Contemporary Christian Music. From the early days of the Jesus Movement, new Christian singers such as Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill and Chuck Girard emerged to reach their generation. The name Contemporary Christian Music was coined to distinguish this style of music from the more traditional forms of religious music. The word contemporary has proven to be an appropriate description of this music over the last twenty years, as the styles have kept up with its secular counterpart. The ever evolving state of C.C.M. includes such diverse and contemporary styles as rock, jazz, blues, dance, metal, rap, alternative, new age, grunge, punk, thrash, death, gothic and industrial [etc.]. Yet regardless of the form, the essences of all Contemporary Christian Music is the same – to share God’s love to the current generation in a way that can be both understood and enjoyed. This Contemporary Christian Music Hot Page is designed to be a current guide of the different C.C.M resources on the Internet. Any current information would be welcomed and encouraged to help keep this place, contemporary. As far as whether or not you agree or disagree with the particular spiritual condition of some of the artists listed here — Sorry — Deal with It!

[Emphasis theirs.]

Thus, CCM consists of taking whatever style of secular music is currently popular in the world and attaching “Christian” words to it. As a result, we have people adorned in 1960’s dress and attitudes [you just have to deal with their lack of a spiritual testimony which is not relevant to the music] playing drums and electric guitars leading the worship services in our churches.

The promoters of CCM argue that all styles of music are morally neutral. By this argument they seek to nullify the traditionalists’ objections based on the biblical principles of not loving the world (1 John 2:15-17) and not touching the unclean thing (2 Corinthians 6:17).

For too many well meaning Christian people this rationale has worked. They have given in to the pressure and either have provided an alternative contemporary service for those who desire it, or have incorporated contemporary elements into the regular worship service. Once again, the word contemporary is used in this context not as meaning chronologically concurrent, but as meaning culturally relevant. Thus church worship services have come to look and feel exactly like secular or worldly gatherings and events.

For those of us who recognize that loving not the world, neither the things that are in the world includes worldly music, what can we do to prevent this from happening to us? We must have a commitment to the sacred traditions of hymns and gospel songs. We must draw the line earlier rather than later, and stop the incremental change in our music before it gets started.

Granted this is not easy because the change is usually unnoticeable in the beginning. You do not usually show up for services one Sunday and find out that your local church has completely converted to contemporary worship. It generally comes about in small steps. It begins with the introduction of a very lightly pop styled song. The difference between the new song and the traditional gospel song is sometimes so slight it is nearly imperceptible even to those who have some knowledge of music. This new song is enjoyable and seems harmless. No one gives it a thought. But then comes another song that is a little more pop styled. It is not much different than the first new song. It is, however, a little more noticeably different from the traditional gospel song than the first new song was, but the conditioning process has already begun. So the second new song is readily accepted also. Then another new song comes along
that goes a step further. And so the process continues, gradually conditioning a congregation to accept ever increasingly worldly songs into their worship services. Then one day, someone wakes up and says, “How did we get where we are?”

We have gotten where we are because we did not draw the line early enough. It is not easy to draw the line early in the process because at that point there does not seem to be a problem. It is just like the frog who was set in cold water and very gradually boiled to death. When was the water too warm? When was it too late for him to jump out? But perhaps a better question is, Why was he in the pot in the first place?

Part 2 – Choosing Our Values for Music and Worship

The issue of music is a never ending one among Christians and it is being discussed everywhere. Recently, there was an article published in a newsletter from a Christian health care concern stating that their staff had not been able to reach a consensus on the subject even after hours of wrangling. It is quite interesting that such an organization would print a statement like this. It is not a local church or even a para-church ministry, but the differences in music values among their staff had become a hot issue and for some reason they wanted everyone to know about it.

Because music is so important to the life of the church, it is imperative that we understand the issues involved in this continuing debate so that we are able to make wise choices in the music we use to worship the LORD. We need to lay a foundation of good biblical values in music and learn how to apply these values in specific practical ways as we mold the worship services of our local church.

Competing Models For Worship

A model is a pattern of something to be made or copied. For example, developments often have model homes. No one actually lives in the model home, but it is built exactly like a home someone could build for themselves. It is provided as an example or pattern for prospective home buyers to observe. This term “model” is used also for patterns by which programs or organizations are structured. It is used in this article to refer to different types or styles of worship.

There have always been different worship models in the church. Some models are very ritualistic while others are much freer and spontaneous. Some worship models are very orderly and reverent, while others encourage the expression of unreserved emotions. Among
evangelical churches there are two basic worship models being used today.

The Traditional Worship Model

The traditional worship model came out of the Reformation. Prior to the Reformation, the Catholic church had placed the “altar” as the central feature of the platform in church buildings. This made ritual and liturgy the most important element of worship. But the most significant development in worship during the Reformation was the replacing of the “altar” with the pulpit. The purpose of giving the pulpit this place of honor was to elevate preaching to the most important part of worship. To this day, preaching continues to have a significant part in the traditional worship service. Sermons are Bible based and teach doctrine and godly lifestyle principles. Other elements in this worship model include Scripture reading, prayer, congregational singing from a hymn book of traditional hymns and gospel songs as they were originally written, choral music of traditional hymn arrangements and scriptural anthems, and special music by individuals or small groups, vocal and instrumental, typically with live accompaniment on the organ or piano, consisting of traditional Christian music.

The characteristic atmosphere of this worship model is reverence. The belief is that as Christians gather to worship God, He is to be revered in a manner that shows deferential respect in an orderly manner.

1 Corinthians 14:26-33 – How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. …Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

For a traditional worship service, people generally dress up in their “Sunday best” as a gesture of honor to God. While there are times of quietness in the service as the congregation bows before God together, there are times of great passion as well as the hymns are sung from the heart and the preaching is heard with a teachable spirit.

The traditional worship model holds to the belief that the purpose of the assembly of believers is to honor God for all that He is as God and all that He has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ, and to edify and fortify believers for their daily walk in Him. The lost are always welcome, but the hope is that through what they observe they will be brought to conviction and call on the name of the Lord to be saved.

1 Corinthians 14:23-25 – If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

The Contemporary Worship Model

There is a new worship model that has rippled through Christianity, crossing all denominational lines including evangelical and fundamental churches. This worship model is called contemporary worship. Sometimes you will see the notices on the church bulletin board as you drive by announcing a time for a traditional service and a time for a contemporary service.

The contemporary service has several unique elements. There is often a worship team which stands on the platform, with microphones in hand, and leads the congregational singing. Songs are generally of a style called “praise and worship” consisting of choruses and other songs of lively tempo. The words are shown on an overhead screen and are learned by listening to the worship team sing them over and over. Usually, no written music is provided and no hymn books are used. This song service may last for a considerable period of time. It may include clapping, waving of the arms, and swaying body movements. The music is often accompanied by a “praise band” consisting of drums, electric guitars, tambourines, and other such instruments. Special music is often accompanied by pre-recorded music on cassette tape and consists of songs from the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) repertoire. Interpretive movement (dancing) is becoming a common element of this worship model. (As spirited music naturally generates body movements, this is a logical outcome.) Drama may at times replace preaching, and the preaching that does take place is often abbreviated. The content of sermons generally consists of social issues and relationships matters rather than Bible content and doctrine.

The characteristic atmosphere of this worship model is one of entertainment. The pulpit is either made portable or removed altogether and the focus is on a great deal of activity on the platform which the congregation comes to watch. Every performance is applauded. Many attend these services in casual clothes. The stated objective is to be “seeker friendly.” This means the “worship service” is constructed in such a way as to be non-offensive and inviting to those who are not yet Christians. It is considered spiritually incorrect to call them “lost,” so they are called “seekers.” It is considered a bad thing to offend seekers with direct gospel preaching, so they are lured into Christianity by nice entertainment.

This worship model has several sources. The so called “praise and worship” music came out of the charismatic movement. The use of contemporary music and drama grew out of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, a large church founded on the desire to appeal to the interests of young people and the unchurched rather than biblical principles. This worship model has also been fostered by new-evangelical pragmatism that rejected separation and adopted assimilation as a preferred approach to Christianity.

Basic Values In Music

These differing worship models are based on extremely different values.

Traditional Values

  1. Music comes directly from the heart of God. God Himself delights in singing and He encourages His people to sing.

    Zephaniah 3:17 – The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

    Ephesians 5:18-19 – …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.

  2. Thus music is an important subject to God. He has definite thoughts about the subject which He has communicated in His Word. References to music can be found in at least 393 verses of Scripture in 43 different books of the Bible

  3. Music contains moral elements. It is therefore necessary for us to understand what those moral elements are so that we can include in the music of our worship services and our Christian lives only those forms of music that are acceptable unto God.

    God gave us a principle of primary importance in Ephesians 5:10 – Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

    David played music that drove away an evil spirit from King Saul. The moral elements of David’s new song could not be tolerated by the evil spirit. This illustrates the existence of moral elements in instrumental music apart from the words of a song.

    And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. (1 Samuel 16:23)

    The Bible Speaks of:
    • The song of drunkards (Psalm 69:12)
    • The song of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:5)
    • The song of derision (Lamentations 3:14)
    • The song to a heavy heart (Proverbs 25:20)
    • The song of vanity (Job 35:13)
    • The song of an harlot (Isaiah 23:15-16)
    The Bible then speaks of:

    • The New Song. The new song stands in contrast to the old songs of the flesh listed above. It is a song that has the capacity to praise God.

      And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. (Psalms 40:3)

      Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. (Psalms 149:1)

  4. The words of a Christian song should be biblically accurate, doctrinally sound and edifying for believers.

    First of all we are to maintain soundness in our doctrine.

    Titus 2:1 – But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

    Secondly, every element of a church service, including the music, is to provide edification to those who attend.

    Psalms 47:7 – For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

    1 Corinthians 14:15 – What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

  5. The musical message of a Christian song should agree morally and spiritually with the message of the words.

    2 Corinthians 6:14-17 – Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

    Psalms 144:9 – I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. Note: The new song would lose its effect if the old music was the vehicle used to convey the words.

  6. Music is an important part of worship. While the purpose of worship is to honor God and glorify Him, all music used in worship services should contribute to that goal.

    Isaiah 12:4-5 – And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

  7. It is the Spirit of God that directs us to sing God honoring music. Being filled with the Spirit and with the word of Christ comes first, then comes the musical response.

    Ephesians 5:18-19 – 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.

    Colossians 3:16 – 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.

Contemporary Music Values

  1. God made music and everything God made is good. Man is, therefore, free to enjoy all forms of music as a gift from God.

    Note: When God created the earth, he saw that it was good. But when sin entered the world, a curse was placed upon creation that will be eliminated only by the making of a new heaven and new earth. Man has perverted many of the good things God made and music is one of them.

  2. Music is morally neutral. There are no moral elements in music.

    Note: This is often illustrated by playing one note on the piano and asking, what can possibly be immoral about that note? The rationalization then is that all music is merely the compilation of individual notes that are morally neutral. However, consider a contrasting illustration. If you point to one letter in the alphabet, you can say that one letter is morally neutral by itself. Following the above logic, it would then be impossible to have any immoral literature, because all writing would be merely the compilation of individual letters that are morally neutral. It is possible, though, to take the same group of letters and arrange them
    into entirely different messages. For example, the letters e, i, l, and v can be arranged to say “live” which is good, or “evil” which is bad. The same is true about the arranging of individual musical notes. Depending upon how they are arranged they can convey a moral or an immoral message.

  3. All forms of music are acceptable unto God in our worshiping Him. Because I am His child, whatever I do glorifies God.

    Note: The Israelites learned that God did not accept everything they did in worshiping Him (Isaiah 58). It was the lesson of Cain all over again. Cain brought his offering to God in a very sincere manner, but God rejected it. Just because we say we are worshiping God does not mean that God accepts our worship. Whatever we do is not acceptable unto Him simply because we are doing it.

  4. Music is a means by which we can be drawn into the spirit.

    Note: When music is used as a means to draw people into the “spirit,” all it does is create an emotionalism that is called spiritual, but in reality is not. True worship can be very emotional, but emotions are to be the result of and not the cause of true worship. The proper approach to worship will produce godly emotions. The improper approach will produce fleshly emotions.

  5. Contemporary Christian music is a good thing because it draws young people to church and some even get saved.

    Note: This is classic pragmatism in which the ends justify the means. But in God’s eyes it is never right to do wrong, even if the goal is a noble one.

  6. The purpose of worship is to bring people into fellowship with one another.

    Note: This makes worship man centered. However, the Bible never suggests that worship is about man. Worship is about God and ascribing to Him the worth of which He is worthy.

Making Choices

In light of these values, what are some of the choices we must make in order to preserve the traditional worship model in our local church? Some churches do still use the traditional worship model exclusively, but they are becoming fewer all the time. The pressure is on to change and change is occurring everywhere. Some churches use the contemporary worship model exclusively. Some churches have two different services, one traditional and one contemporary. And some churches seek to blend the two worship models together using some elements of each in the same service. What is the right thing for us to do?

We must desire first and foremost to please God and not men. Contemporary thoughts on music and worship make worship to be man centered. Worship services, they say, must appeal to those who participate. However, worship is not about us as humans; it is about God. If we can keep our focus on pleasing God and not men, our choices in worship will become much clearer.

We must choose values in music and worship that are biblical and acceptable unto God. These will serve as our foundation in making good choices regarding how we worship God. This requires a constant reminder of what God says about music, to keep our senses exercised in discerning both bad and good.

We must maintain separation from the world. Since the basis of contemporary Christian music is the assimilation of worldly music, if we can keep our commitment to remain separate from the world, a lot of musical choices will automatically be eliminated. This principle includes separation from music companies which make a great deal of profit from the production and sale of worldly music on “Christian” labels. If we do not purchase music from those who produce contemporary Christian music, we will also protect ourselves from the influences of that industry.

Those who participate in the music of the church should be those who are walking in the Lord and growing in His Word. Their testimony outside the church should be in harmony with the testimony of their participation in the worship of our Holy God and Precious Savior who bled and died and rose again to rescue them from sin and the world. The desire of the heart of every participant must be to please God and not men.

We must determine the limits beyond which we will not go in specific musical selections. Sometimes this may be difficult to maintain. Sometimes questions are raised which seem to suggest gray areas where compromise is reasonable. For example, is a particular song by a particular song writer which is produced by a particular recording company and sung by a particular musical artist okay as long as this particular song seems to meet our music policy even if other songs from the same source are not okay? Do we throw a “good” song out just because of its associations? Is a particular song not okay just because a few notes are a little over the line? How many notes does it take to make a song bad? Besides, aren’t there some songs in our hymn book that go a little over the line? Do the words of every song have to be absolutely from the Bible? Granted the details of musical elements can become very involved and complicated and tedious at times to consider.

But our rationalization should never be — how far can we go and still be okay. Rather it should be – what are the choices we must make to insure that we are never guilty of compromising the glory of God.

Some simple choices like these will preserve a traditional worship style that honors God and shows Him true reverence. It will encourage a worship style that will edify believers and bring true conviction to those who have ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to understand. As time goes by, making these choices will be increasingly difficult. But as the contemporary Christian music and worship movements gain momentum, we must be ever more conscious of the care we must take in preserving that which is acceptable unto God.