Much debate has occurred on the topic of Christian music. These debates have ended friendships and split churches. On the one side are those who believe music is "amoral" and, therefore, beyond criticism, regardless of its form. On the other side are those who believe music is a tool of God or the devil, and the Christian must submit his musical preference to the Scripture.
Whenever there is debate regarding Christian music, certain arguments inevitably find their way into the conversation. There are accusations of songs being too repetitive, too vague, too shallow, and so on. These may well be valid points, but they aren't the main issues concerning this ongoing debate. I believe there are four main issues surrounding the debate over Contemporary Christian Music and whether a Christian or church should participate in and listen to this type of music. If we can get a firm grasp on all four of these issues, we will be better prepared to judge what music is truly Christ-honouring and what music must be avoided. The Issue of Origin One of the biggest issues that surround the CCM debate is its origin. CCM came from a rebellion against "traditional" worship. It was produced as an appropriate alternative for those who have an appetite for the world's music. One "Gospel" group was promoting their latest recording. As part of that promotion, they pointed out that a guitarist from a major secular pop-rock band was involved in performing the music for their recording. They felt extremely honoured that someone "of that calibre" would play on their recording. In other words, this "Gospel" group was actively looking to the lost world for the music they would perform. This is not an isolated incident. The vocal playground (swings and slides), breathy style, and even how words are pronounced in CCM are nothing less than the imitation of worldly artists. This imitation contradicts what John told us in 1 John 2:15: "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." The problem is that secular music promotes ungodliness (drunkenness, adultery, rebellion against authority, etc.) and that music should never be imitated to glorify a holy God. Secular music worships self, and this cannot be adapted to worship God. It is a trap to think that changing the words to ungodly music somehow sanctifies the music. When godly words are placed into ungodly music, the godly words are made null and void, for it is the music that drives the song rather than the words. "Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise (Deu 12:30)." The Issue of Direction There is a problem with CCM in the direction of the music. Godly music directs the attention to God, while most CCM directs the attention to man. CCM artists shamelessly promote themselves and their recordings. Their album art is generally all about them. The way that they sing their songs is designed to bring greater attention to themselves, taking away from the God for Whom they claim to sing. This is the opposite of the attitude displayed by John the Baptist. In John 3:30, he said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." We could do with more of this attitude in every aspect of the Christian walk, but it is impossible to possess this attitude while promoting self. The popular songs in CCM bring God in as a way of self-help. They do not promote selflessness or dedicated service to God. This is no surprise when we recognize charismatics are the majority of CCM artists. Their doctrine and philosophy are that believers are "little gods," who can selfishly declare and decree things into existence on their whim. That self-centred outlook naturally develops into music that sees self at the centre of everything. This type of music leads to self-worship rather than worship of the Lord of all. The Psalms are a tremendous resource for how God-honouring music should look. The psalmist often speaks of self and issues he faces but always turns his attention to God. Other psalms focus on God without any reference to self. I am thankful that there are godly songwriters today, writing songs that focus the attention on God rather than man. The Issue of Ideology Contemporary Christian Music, especially as it applies to a church gathering, teaches that music is used to draw the presence of the Holy Spirit into the service. This reminds me of a snake charmer, who plays his pipe to raise the cobra from his basket. This is man thinking that he can manipulate the Spirit of God through music. He cannot believe that worship can occur in the absence of music. The only instance in Scripture of "believers" seeking to attract the attention of their "god" is when the prophets of Baal competed with Elijah on Mount Carmel. They yelled and scream, in a vain attempt to gain the attention of Baal. I am sure that music was somehow involved in their efforts, although this is not stated in Scripture. The philosophy of these Baal-worshippers is exactly what is promoted and practiced among those who use CCM. On the other hand, the Scripture tells us something completely different. We are not to use music to conjure up the Spirit. We are to use music because of the presence of the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18-19 tells us, "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;" Notice that verse 18 does not end with a period. The thought of being filled with the Spirit is carried forward into the next verse, where we find psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. That teaches us that songs of praise will come when the Spirit of God is in control. The Issue of Theology Doctrine matters! The New Testament is full of the importance of knowing right doctrine, teaching right doctrine, and standing for right doctrine. This cannot be emphasized enough! One problem with CCM is it promotes the denial of doctrine. They tell us that doctrine must be set aside so that we can "get a blessing" from the music. At any given concert you will find Baptists, Pentecostals, Catholics and other groups represented. How can these groups get together when their doctrine is not remotely similar? The only option is to deny or set aside doctrine for the sake of entertainment or "edification." Another problem with CCM is it promotes false doctrine. Time and space would not allow an exhaustive study of this issue but consider the following. CCM, as a whole, isn't looking for the Rapture; it is looking for the kingdom (Titus 2:13). This is an a-millennial point of view, and it is not supported by the Scripture. CCM tells us that a revival is sweeping the land, when the Bible clearly states that the Rapture will not occur without a falling away first (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Timothy was encouraged to preach the Word of God because the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine. That is not a prophecy of an end-time revival, as is claimed by CCM artists and their music. CCM tells us that Christians can live any way they choose because of God's grace, but the Scripture teaches differently (1 Peter 2:16). Many CCM artists have mocked Bible-believing Christians for abstaining from smoking and drinking and for choosing to live a holy life for the Lord. More recently, many are coming out in support of "alternative lifestyles," which the Word of God declares to be sin. This is not in line with clear Bible doctrine. This is not a complete list of the doctrinal errors that are found among CCM songwriters, artists, and the churches that produce it. They are listed to open your eyes to the real issues of CCM. The issues with Contemporary Christian Music run much deeper than the repetition of the lyrics or the beat of the music. These are major issues that we must honestly consider. When we have completed our consideration of CCM based on these four issues, we will find it lacking any reason to be used in a Bible-believing, Bible-practicing church. We will also find it lacking any reason to be listened to by the individual believer.
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About Jerry JacksonJerry has been writing for many years now. He has written tracts for several churches, as well as his ministries in Papua New Guinea and in Canada. He has had the opportunity to have many of his articles published in several Independent Baptist periodicals over the years. His main goals are to teach truth and lift up the Saviour. Archives
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