To What Ought We to Listen? A Discussion of a Christian and His Music

The Problem with Discussing Music

Can music be good or bad?

Is music neutral?

Can music be beautiful or ugly?

Is beauty and ugliness objective or subjective?

Does God have an opinion?

Genesis 1

Genesis 1:1-4 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was GOOD, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1

Genesis 1:9-12 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was GOOD. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was GOOD.

Genesis 1

Genesis 1:16-19 16 God made two great lights-- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was GOOD. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the fourth day.

Genesis 1:20-21 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was GOOD.

Genesis 1

Genesis 1:24-25 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was GOOD.

Conclusion of Genesis 1

God saw all that he had made, and it was VERY GOODVERY GOOD. And there was evening, and there was morning--

the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

God planned what He was going to create before He created it.

Genesis 2

Genesis 2:18-20

18 The LORD God said, "It is NOT GOOD for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

Defining Goodness

Before God spoke light, God intended what light would be. When light was created, that which was created looked exactly as God intended.

It was not God’s intention to leave Adam alone without creating Eve.

Thus, goodness is what God intends.

Defining Beauty

When God created all things good, He created all things beautiful.

Genesis 2:8-14 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-- trees that were pleasing to the eyepleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.

Defining Beauty

God created beauty and has the highest (and only important) opinion concerning what is beautiful.

Thus, beauty is that which most closely corresponds to God’s created order.

Therefore, beauty is in the eye of the Beholder—The Beholder is God

Himself!

Beauty is, then, objectiveobjective (a fact) and not subjectivesubjective (an opinion).

Beauty is objective in the mind of God.

Therefore, the person who best understands what is good and bad, beautiful and ugly is the person who best understands the character and nature of God (Rom 12:1-2).

The person who best understand the character and nature of God is the person who is a mature believer, one that is faithfully growing in the Scriptures discerning right from wrong. Hebrews 5:11-14 “have trained themselves to distinguish good

from evil” 2 Peter 1:3-4 “all things pertaining to life and godliness…[in]

his great and precious promises”

As a believer examines the Scriptures, that believer’s life (which includes his music) ought to be a reflection of his or her view of God.

What does a holy, majestic, transcendent God like? Order Peace Justice Majesty Beauty Perfect Holiness

What is the problem with man?

Man’s mind is so warped because of Adam’s sin, that he often thinks that the beautiful is ugly and that the

ugly, common, profane, and banal is actually beautiful.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

Examples:

Modern Art

Modern Architecture

Modern Music? Punk Shock Rock Heavy Metal Death Metal Etc.

Biblical Support: The Fall of Man

Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Ephesians 4:18-19 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Biblical Support: The Problem of the Heart

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9

Biblical Support: Every Part of Man is Sinful

The Body Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal

bodies, to make you obey their passions.

The Mind Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not

honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Ephesians 4:17-18 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Biblical Support: Every Part of Man is Sinful

The Will 2 Timothy 2:24-26

24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 Correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 And they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Can we trust the way we feel (about music)?

Emotions and Affections, Tastes and Desires Galatians 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus

have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 2 Timothy 3:1-4 But understand this, that in the last

days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heart-less, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

Sanctification

The problem: Man is naturally sinful—and needs Christ. Sanctification is the process in which God accomplishes

His desire to make the believer more like Christ. You, as a believer, cannot change yourself; you are transformed by the Holy Spirit as you willingly submit to his will. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect

the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Pragmatically, it is necessary to have right thinking and right actions. Then, right feelings will follow.

You will be held responsible by God for everything that you do. This includes every song to which you listen or promote. 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment

seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Example # 1 Rebecca St. James, God

Example # 1

Example # 1

Example # 1

Example #2 Soundforth Singers, You Are God

Example #2

Example #3 Toby Mac, Made to Love

Example #3

Example #3

Example #3

Example #4 George Fredrick Handel, The Messiah: Worthy is the Lamb

Revelation 5:12 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Revelation 5:13 Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

You have heard examples of beautiful and ugly. Remember: God has the opinion. Our responsibility is

to submit to His opinion in joy and thankfulness.

Ultimately, you will be held responsible before God for your obedience to Him and your choice in music. God’s holiness must be vindicated. He has set His holy

standard in the Scriptures.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.