Can you be a Christian as a person and do not make Christian music? I don’t think so, so what are your thoughts on this question?
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Hi @richard4,
What a great question. I wanted to pause and listen more.
Can I ask what your reasons are for saying that Christians can only make Christian music?
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It can be any Christian music genre but it can’t be luk warm Christian music or you being a luk warm Christian
My reason is God gave a gift to make music but it has to be music that glorifys Him aka Christian music other music is the works of the Devil
Hi @richard4,
On a debatable issue like this, I always go back to Romans 14:1-23.
I think these verses capture the heart of Paul’s wisdom:
Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister.
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.
For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died.
Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval (Romans 14:13-18).
So for me, I support your conviction to only listen to Christian music, and to only produce Christian music. For my entire life, I’ve found Christian music to be an invaluable part of my walk with God. The challenging lyrics of the O.C. Supertones carried me through a lot of challenges.
As they sang on “Another Show”:
No wait, don’t turn away
There’s something I must say
If God’s not glorified
We shouldn’t be here today
'cause if we ain’t speaking Christ
We ain’t speaking nothing
Look into my eyes and
You tell me if I’m bluffing
Man, it fires me up!
But, at the same time, I’ve found encouragement from the common grace of music that’s not explicitly Christian.
Of course, a song can’t be Christian - only people can put their faith in Jesus. So perhaps we should say, Christians should only listen to music that helps them love God and love others? But that raises a question: what range of songs help us to do that?
It’s my belief that, just like a tree communicates the glory of God, so a song about friendship can honor him — even if the artist doesn’t have God in mind.
For instance, James Taylor’s song “You’ve Got a Friend.” As he sings, “Now, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend / When people can be so cold?” It’s a moving song about a faithful friend who will always be there for you.
For me, I find it healthy and life-giving to my soul to listen to all kinds of music without asking whether or not it is Christian. Sometimes it helps me understand another perspective, developing empathy, and creating a topic of conversation with a friend. Other times, it makes for a fun mood when I’m with my family. And so on.
Having said that, I would likely agree with you that some music is at least unwise, and possibly sinful, to listen to. Some songs conjure up depraved fantasies, use vulgar language, dehumanize people, and otherwise make me sick to the stomach. It’s hard for me to understand how listening to that kind of music can honor God.
But that said, let me give an example. Imagine I’m working out at the gym with a friend, and they play an inappropriate song. Do I need to leave the gym? Maybe. Or, perhaps I can ignore the music to finish my workout and enjoy being with my friend?
My point is that life is complex. There are millions of songs. We each have different life experiences, and our consciences are calibrated differently, too. For that reason, I would try not to offend you by what I listen to, even as I respect and honor your convictions.
Ultimately, I believe music, like any other aspect of life, can glorify God when we prayerfully evaluate our decisions with wisdom, discernment, and love for others.
What do you think? I look forward to hearing from you and others.
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Yes I do agree with you but only in Christian genres and this is what I believe in that the Bible says about only Christian should make and listen to Christian music. Philippians 4:8
Some say that secular music often promotes immorality and violence, and that Christians should not listen to songs that glorify what opposes God.
Colossians 3:16
Christians should teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:19
Addressing each other with hymns and songs is an indication of being Spirit-filled.
James 5:13
“Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise”.
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And Christian should not use cuss words in there Christian music or in general.
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@richard4, thank you for sharing your question and these verses!
Col 3:16; Eph 5:19; and James 5:13 are excellent examples of how Christians are called to praise, songs, hymns, and spiritual songs! And it’s been wonderful seeing you share how God has been calling you to write songs that celebrate him as you go through the 12 Steps to God course!
One thing I’ve noticed about these verses though is that, while they do call us to sing praise to God, they do not tell us that other singing is not allowed.
Yet when thinking about this, the other verse you shared, Phil 4:8, can be a very helpful guide!
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
So when you share that,
I agree that we do not want to promote immorality and violence!
The question is then if any secular music can be true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise. And I think this is where a lot of people might disagree with one another.
For me, I think there are several song secular songs that don’t promote immorality or violence and do seem to hold elements of just and commendable actions. For example, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” reminds me a lot of Jontahon’s steadfast friendship toward David throughout the book of Samuel. And instrumental music I have often found to be made with excellence and to help me focus and do my best as I serve God through both my work and school work. Sometimes too, this music can help me share Christ with others in a way that they find relatable, as Paul does in Acts 17:28.
Yet it is totally okay to disagree! As @Carson shared, I also support your conviction to only listen to and produce Christian music.
As the end of Rom 14:14 says, “Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean.” So it’s important for everyone who believes that Christians should only listen to and make Christian music to do so, and, as Rom 14:23 supports, even those who are unsure about it should be careful to only listen to or make Christian music.
It is what comes from our heart and whether we are working to glorify God that is important. @Carson talks more about this from a passage in Matthew in his video, Will Swearing Send me to Hell, that I think address your last question too! It’d recommend clicking the link to check it out if you’re interested!
Lastly, regardless of what anyone believes about whether it is ok to make or listen to secular music, it is important to not look down on or judge others for believing differently. As Romans 14:1-13 shares, each of us is living for the Lord and he is the one to whom each person gives an account, not to one another. So it is important to treat one another with gentleness and kindness, knowing that we each belong to the Lord.
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