First of all, it is impossible for anyone to give an absolute “yes” to this question. To say that all rock music (or hip hop, or pop, or country) is absolutely against God would require that one has scrutinized every song in any of these categories.
Second of all, for a thing to be “against God” means that it is contrary to His will as revealed in Scripture. The Bible is our only source that reveals what is right and what is wrong.
Martin Luther once said, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through music.” That this is true is evident from Psalm 119:54: “Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.”
Third of all, for anything to be called “Christian,” it must follow these principles as set forth in God’s Word.
Second of all, for a thing to be “against God” means that it is contrary to His will as revealed in Scripture. The Bible is our only source that reveals what is right and what is wrong.
Martin Luther once said, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through music.” That this is true is evident from Psalm 119:54: “Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.”
Third of all, for anything to be called “Christian,” it must follow these principles as set forth in God’s Word.
- Music must bring praise, honour and glory to God’s name (Ps. 9:2; 61:8; Heb. 2:12).
- Music must direct the listener toward God (Col. 1:18).
- Music must be edifying to the listener and build one up (1 Cor. 14:26; Eph. 5:19-20; Col. 3:16).
- Music requires understanding (1 Cor. 14:15; Ps. 47:7) and must not be confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).
One is wrong in assuming that the three terms mentioned in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 define the style or mood of Christian music. In truth, they speak of the purpose and content of Christian music. Our songs, no matter what style of music they are put to, should help us focus our thoughts on God and God’s truth (Scripture and scriptural principles). One should ask: What does the song say? Is the message clear? Can I understand it? Can I tell the group is singing about God or God’s truth?
If you take the genre heavy metal and compare it to these three principles, you will find that it falls drastically short of the mark. Sure, they may have beautifully written lyrics, but when the guy “sings,” he screams inaudibly into the microphone and sounds like he is angry. Is this how music that edifies and builds up the believer should sound? No. God is not the author of confusion.
We do know what much of rock and/or hip hop music stands for. Much of it glorifies fornication and adultery, the use of drugs and alcohol, and violence. Some of it encourages Satanism, witchcraft, and dabbling with the occult. Some of it even encourages suicide. Some has as its theme homosexuality and other sexual perversions. It even encourages rebellion against parents and all authority. All these things are against God because they violate passages and principles revealed in His Word. But before you think that this is only true of these two styles, try turning on your radio to your local country station. These same themes crop up in this style of music also. Especially the glorification of fornication and adultery, as well as the use of drugs and alcohol.
But… are the above themes true of Christian music? Not at all! God, Jesus Christ, salvation, the Bible, Christian doctrine, our testimonies, and Christianity in general are the themes of Christian rock and hip hop. They use the Word and put it to music—in whatever style they choose. Can this be said to be against God? No! The mind of the artist is on God; he/she is playing their instrument for God; and the lyrics are about God. Therefore, it is bringing glory and honour to His name.
Last of all, some poor arguments have been raised against Christian music. Let us take a look at some of them.
If you take the genre heavy metal and compare it to these three principles, you will find that it falls drastically short of the mark. Sure, they may have beautifully written lyrics, but when the guy “sings,” he screams inaudibly into the microphone and sounds like he is angry. Is this how music that edifies and builds up the believer should sound? No. God is not the author of confusion.
We do know what much of rock and/or hip hop music stands for. Much of it glorifies fornication and adultery, the use of drugs and alcohol, and violence. Some of it encourages Satanism, witchcraft, and dabbling with the occult. Some of it even encourages suicide. Some has as its theme homosexuality and other sexual perversions. It even encourages rebellion against parents and all authority. All these things are against God because they violate passages and principles revealed in His Word. But before you think that this is only true of these two styles, try turning on your radio to your local country station. These same themes crop up in this style of music also. Especially the glorification of fornication and adultery, as well as the use of drugs and alcohol.
But… are the above themes true of Christian music? Not at all! God, Jesus Christ, salvation, the Bible, Christian doctrine, our testimonies, and Christianity in general are the themes of Christian rock and hip hop. They use the Word and put it to music—in whatever style they choose. Can this be said to be against God? No! The mind of the artist is on God; he/she is playing their instrument for God; and the lyrics are about God. Therefore, it is bringing glory and honour to His name.
Last of all, some poor arguments have been raised against Christian music. Let us take a look at some of them.
- Secular bands use these instruments, therefore we are not supposed to use them in worship.
Says who? Not God. Every instrument mentioned in the Bible has been used for secular worship in one way or another over the centuries. Should we abandon these instruments to the world? If the world starts perverting something God meant for good, do we abandon it and never touch it again? Eventually everything would belong to the world, and nothing to the Christian. No, we should fight back and take it back, using these things to glorify God. God gave them to us, not the world. Nowhere in the Bible will you find God against any style of music or any instrument of music—including the drums. People that have made such claims are reading their own musical dislikes into Scripture rather than seeing what God has to say on the subject. They dislike a certain style of music and so try to attach verses to support their dislike. This is misrepresenting the Word of God and is dangerous ground to be standing on. - Isn’t that becoming like the world in order to win the world?
Not at all. Who created music? God. Why did He create it? To glorify Himself. Did He say “You can only worship me with this style of music and no other”? No, He did not. Music, no matter what style it is in, as long as it brings glory to the name of God, edifies and builds up the believer, and is not confusion, was created by God according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise and glory of His grace. God created music—no matter what style we choose to use—to sing about Him, the Bible, our salvation, doctrine, etc. in order to glorify Him. God has given many gifts to us to use to glorify Him, but we use them to glorify things of the world instead.
Even the simplest gift we have for music—our voice—can be used to glorify the wrong things. Like ourselves. If one is singing, whether at the front of the church or in the pews, and they are hoping others notice how good they can sing, they are doing it for the wrong reasons. Sing to and for God, not those around you. Christ must be at the center of all our music; leading us to salvation, revealing the Father, teaching us doctrinal truth, and just praising our Wonderful Creator. Music belongs to God and to God only. Not Satan. Satan does not create a thing. He perverts it and corrupts it.
A knife can be used by a skilled surgeon to save a life, or by an angry person to take a life. A typewriter can be used to write a prayer or devotional, or it can be used to write a violent or pornographic novel. Are either of these instruments evil or “from the devil”? No. That statement is pure absurdity. It is how an instrument is used that determines whether it is being used for good or for evil. - Drums keep a beat and get your heartbeat moving.
Your hands keep a beat. Cymbals and tambourines keep a beat. Drums are a percussion instrument just as the cymbal and tambourine (mentioned in the Bible) and your hands. A beat should make you feel good. Don’t you feel good clapping your hands for Christ? David sang, danced, and clapped his hands for the Lord. Do you think that his heartbeat wasn’t moving? Think again. All this he did to the praise, honour and glory of his Lord and Saviour—as we should do also. Drums should not drive the music, but they should complement the music. - Drums are used to get people ready for battle.
The trumpet was used to get people ready for battle. Horns were used to get people ready for battle. These last two arguments are stupid and reveal that absolutely no thought has been placed behind them. People are looking for any reason to back themselves up and so they grab these and run with them…to their own folly. You do not need any instruments to get people ready for battle. All you need is a shout or a war cry, which have both been used over the centuries. Instruments are used because they are loud.
In Amos 5:23 it says “Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.” If we are not right before God, the music we offer up before Him as “praise” is nothing but noise to His ears. As such, if we continue to live in disobedience to Him thinking we are offering praise when we really are not, He will cause it to cease: “And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard” (Is. 26:13).
All throughout Scripture God says “sing to Me a new song” (Ps. 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; 2 Chr. 30:21). Why does He say this? Because He hates vain repetition (Matt. 6:7). If all you use is the hymnal and never touch any of the other God-glorifying Christian music that has been written for worship, then you are guilty of vain repetition. There are a lot of contemporary Christian songs that are guilty of vain repetition as well, singing the same thing over and over and over again. I wonder if these people ever learned how to write actual verses. Sing the old, faithful songs, but sing new songs as well. Mix it up.
While you may not like a specific style of music, do not judge others according to their like of it. You may find that that person is far more godly and Christ-like than yourself—and wouldn’t that be embarrassing. In choosing artists to listen to, ask: Do they have a “look at me” or a “look at God” attitude? Do they appear to be seeking fame, money and self-glorification or do they glorify God and His Kingdom? Do they portray pride and arrogance or meekness and humbleness? Do they claim to know God but never sing about Him, His Kingdom and values? Is the artist pointing their life, ministry and performance to Christ? Anyone can say they are a Christian, know God and sing Christian songs, but does their life reflect Christ (1 John 2:6)? Hell will be full of people who honoured God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Matt. 7:15-23; 15:8). Just because a style or a band is labeled “Christian” does not mean that it is.
May God richly bless you as you learn to love the saints as the Ephesians did. Most of the Lord’s people find it easy to love some of the saints, but it is not so easy to love all of the saints. How do we love the saints who disagree with us—saints who hold doctrinal positions radically different from our own? What about the saints whose dispositions and temperaments are the opposite of ours? And how do we love the saints whose culture clashes with ours? Paul loved God’s people, and his love was infectious. The believers at Ephesus had caught it, and so had their converts. We need to learn to love like this. We need to learn to love like Christ. Not to judge and form rash conclusions based upon our own preferences rather than the truths of Scripture. Let us not put words into God’s mouth that He has not uttered.
All throughout Scripture God says “sing to Me a new song” (Ps. 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; 2 Chr. 30:21). Why does He say this? Because He hates vain repetition (Matt. 6:7). If all you use is the hymnal and never touch any of the other God-glorifying Christian music that has been written for worship, then you are guilty of vain repetition. There are a lot of contemporary Christian songs that are guilty of vain repetition as well, singing the same thing over and over and over again. I wonder if these people ever learned how to write actual verses. Sing the old, faithful songs, but sing new songs as well. Mix it up.
While you may not like a specific style of music, do not judge others according to their like of it. You may find that that person is far more godly and Christ-like than yourself—and wouldn’t that be embarrassing. In choosing artists to listen to, ask: Do they have a “look at me” or a “look at God” attitude? Do they appear to be seeking fame, money and self-glorification or do they glorify God and His Kingdom? Do they portray pride and arrogance or meekness and humbleness? Do they claim to know God but never sing about Him, His Kingdom and values? Is the artist pointing their life, ministry and performance to Christ? Anyone can say they are a Christian, know God and sing Christian songs, but does their life reflect Christ (1 John 2:6)? Hell will be full of people who honoured God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Matt. 7:15-23; 15:8). Just because a style or a band is labeled “Christian” does not mean that it is.
May God richly bless you as you learn to love the saints as the Ephesians did. Most of the Lord’s people find it easy to love some of the saints, but it is not so easy to love all of the saints. How do we love the saints who disagree with us—saints who hold doctrinal positions radically different from our own? What about the saints whose dispositions and temperaments are the opposite of ours? And how do we love the saints whose culture clashes with ours? Paul loved God’s people, and his love was infectious. The believers at Ephesus had caught it, and so had their converts. We need to learn to love like this. We need to learn to love like Christ. Not to judge and form rash conclusions based upon our own preferences rather than the truths of Scripture. Let us not put words into God’s mouth that He has not uttered.