That this is a new development can easily be identified by looking back even 50 years ago, where we find the majority of churches still singing out of hymnals to the accompaniment of piano and organ. Today, however, they have traded in their instruments for a base guitar and drums, and now sing and sway to so-called praise songs somehow projected on the wall behind performers they call worship leaders.
This is part of what is now called contemporary Christian music, and is called such because it is a break from the past. Traditional Christian music is no longer in style — it’s too old and stale, like a moldy piece of bread, to suit their tastes. Instead of what stirs the soul, this music clamors for what gratifies the flesh. Instead of heartfelt conviction, these churches demand that which will soothe their guilty consciences.
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Although I could offer several biblical reasons against contemporary Christian music (CCM), only two issues need be honestly considered by Christianity at large today: dishonesty and compromise. Forget about the issue of rebellion, the secret motivations of those who want to do their own thing and break from the past. And we can forget about those who serve as their predecessors, who also broke free of their own pasts, such as Lucifer, Adam and Eve, as well as Cain, the first murderer. We will not even consider their contempt for Bible doctrine and their assertion that there is only one that is important, all the rest being optional.
No, there are really only two issues that need to be addressed, and once done all the others will neatly fall into place.
The first issue for us, then, is the issue of dishonesty. The Bible plainly declares that it is impossible for God to lie. It also says that Jesus is the truth. CCM, however, is patently dishonest because it is a renaming of an old product: Christian rock. Somewhere along the line someone became aware that the old name was drawing too much heat, so a new name had to be invented to disguise its true nature.
I don’t know about you, but I get a little leery when someone tries redefining what is formerly well established. The truth is that the CCM of today is still the Christian rock of yesterday, a vain attempt to mix Christian words with this world’s sensuous and rebellious music.
This in turn leads us to our second issue, that of compromise. I wish to reference here the scriptural authority for why we must call this into question: II Corinthians 6:14-18 and Revelation 3:14-22. You would do yourself well to read these passages carefully.
To begin with, it is not surprising to find so many churches infatuated with this so late in the church age, for the Laodicean Church of Revelation is earmarked by compromise. Christ wanted them either hot or cold, but they instead chose to be lukewarm — a compromise between the two.
Go ahead and study it for yourself, but the average person, when backed into a corner, will utter the magical incantation, “That’s a gray area.” This is the language of compromise, and this is also why most modern believers are afraid of doctrine, because literal Bible doctrine is black and white, not gray.
Furthermore, if there is any doctrine those who dwell in the gray area hate, it is especially that of separation, as found in II Corinthians 6. They are not willing to give the passage more latitude than the application of marriage, but the passage is drawn from Old Testament law in that Israel was not to plow their fields with an ox yoked to an ass. The reason for this is that it is at least unfair to the ox that he must bear most of the burden and is likely to plow a crooked furrow.
The application, therefore, is that Christianity has never been authorized to partner up with the world to accomplish the work of Jesus Christ. And what’s more, not only is he not obligated to bless such nonsense, his words to them will someday be those of Matthew 7:23.
Ron Hamman is pastor for Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla. Contact him at
357-4229.
Comments
34 comment(s)pastorken wrote on Aug 6, 2009 12:27 PM:
Don't forget to add Martin Luther in this list along with John and Charles Wesley who (by the way) wrote MANY hymns! "
NewconfusedChristian wrote on Jul 12, 2009 11:52 PM:
LOAP wrote on Feb 12, 2009 8:02 AM:
Holly wrote on Sep 29, 2008 2:13 PM:
theres your first problem.. you skip the biblical reasons and give your own opinion. The same thing you accuse others of you do yourself; you do what you think is right instead of what God SAYS is right. And if it says anywhere that ccm is wrong, id like to see it. "
Vincent Eagan wrote on Sep 29, 2008 6:18 AM:
I am a Christian, and I don't hold Christmas and Easter to be important at all. Not from a religious perspective anyway. Seems to me the Christians from the first century did just fine without them, so why should we need them in order to worship correctly and live the Christian life?
As to the subject at hand - Ron - you are aware of course that the Pharisees charged Jesus with rebellion and he was very against the established traditionalism? "
aaron wrote on Sep 25, 2008 6:32 PM:
I know this may seem to come out of the blue but think about it. Christians who get upset at renaming things need to realize that many of the things that we hold as important are things that were renamed so that the hethen peoples would be more accepting of christianity, Christmas, and Easter to name a few.
just a thought "
David A Dein wrote on Sep 25, 2008 7:08 AM:
Old-Time Religion has merit, so do hymns, so does the Gloria Patri, and the apostles creed. But just because you don't like it or you don't understand it doesn't make it a sin. "
Vincent Eagan wrote on Sep 24, 2008 12:06 PM:
I am sure when those songs came out, there were many old and outdated "traditional" preachers who felt they were shameful. They are gone now. "
David wrote on Sep 23, 2008 4:19 PM:
Do you speak modern English or old? If your answer is the former then you've just gone against one of your own convictions and that is, from my understanding of your distaste for CCM, that being culturally contextualized is a sin. If you use an English Bible, whether it be a 1611 KJV or whatever, you are being culturally relevant, contextualizing the Scriptures themselves to better reach the current culture with something they can understand. Do you realize that the organ/piano that are so spiritual to be accompaniment in our singing, were redeemed from the bars and pubs? "
Lois D wrote on Sep 21, 2008 1:31 PM:
Another MN wrote on Sep 17, 2008 6:30 AM:
glenda dudley wrote on Sep 14, 2008 10:04 AM:
I dislike it immensely--not because it's modern but because it's no good. It takes up too much time with the repetitive, tuneless "Amway rally" mentality. Musicians, get over yourselves--when there is a songleader in a church, he/she wants it to be all about the music (loose term). "
Richard Warner wrote on Sep 12, 2008 7:17 PM:
St. Paul girl wrote on Sep 11, 2008 1:26 PM:
Kelly McGregory wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:33 PM:
just because my songs of sincere thanks and honest praise are played on a guitar, are you going to condemn me? "
Woodstock wrote on Sep 9, 2008 9:48 AM:
"Well I'm going down to Yasgurs Farm I'm going to join in a rock and roll band, I gotta get back to the land and set my soul free"
We are stardust, we are golden, and we we've got to get ourselves back to the garden. "
Eric wrote on Sep 8, 2008 9:07 PM:
God created the infinite universe in all its wondrous glory but is petty enough to worry about the state of modern Christian music? Give me break! "
David A Dein wrote on Sep 8, 2008 1:41 AM:
Just because you don't like it doesn't make it sinful. "
Entertaining Angels wrote on Sep 6, 2008 9:07 PM:
Oh, by the way...sorry, but the Great White Throne job is already taken, dude. "
ak_damned wrote on Sep 6, 2008 2:52 PM:
ust Silly... wrote on Sep 3, 2008 9:24 AM:
" Isn't religion about faith? " "
JustLovingGod wrote on Sep 5, 2008 9:30 AM:
Tyler T wrote on Sep 4, 2008 9:25 AM:
1 Samuel 18:1-6
Joyful songs, tambourines and lutes used for praise after battle.
1 Samuel 10:5-6
A whole host of instruments being used in prophecy. The frame drum is one of them "
dc matthews wrote on Sep 4, 2008 8:05 AM:
songs like mccain sings bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb iran..
now there is a tune.!!!!!!!
and ltes not forget kill for the sport
Oil profits for God? "
Marsh wrote on Sep 3, 2008 10:58 PM:
Contemporary Christians. "
wow wrote on Sep 3, 2008 11:54 AM:
Just Silly... wrote on Sep 3, 2008 9:24 AM:
Nostalgic wrote on Sep 3, 2008 12:21 AM:
Eric Wolford wrote on Sep 2, 2008 7:20 PM:
JustCurious wrote on Sep 2, 2008 4:01 PM:
Wasilla visitor wrote on Sep 2, 2008 12:07 PM:
Bob Hamilton wrote on Sep 2, 2008 9:38 AM:
Lucifer, mentioned once in the KJV, is not a word that was in the Hebrew writings of Isaiah. Lucifer is a Latin word and there was no Latin when the writings of Isaiah took place.
How can someone be saved if they can't change.
Rom 14:22
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. "
Mike Stone wrote on Sep 2, 2008 8:41 AM:
Brian Cade wrote on Sep 2, 2008 7:36 AM:
Mike Stone wrote on Sep 2, 2008 6:56 AM: