What is God Pleasing Music?

By: Craig Glickman

Saved Today Ministries

The following will use verses from God’s word (The Bible) to compare many forms of music today to the traditional hymns of the faith that we sing. What kind of music should we listen to as believers in Christ? Should we listen to Rock & Roll, Country, Rap, Hip-Hop, Contemporary Christian Music, Southern Gospel, etc., or any combination of today’s music? What does God want us to listen to? Take out a King James Bible and look up the passages listed. The following comparisons should help you plainly see the music we should listen to and sing.

K E Y

WORLD – Rock & Roll (all forms), Rap, Hip-Hop, Techno, New Age, Country, Reggae, Blues, Jazz, etc.

CCM – Contemporary Christian Music (i.e. all of the world’s music styles that CCM uses)

SG – Southern Gospel in sacred and worldly style

HYMN – The old hymns of the faith; Good sacred music done in the right order according to the Bible (i.e. the songs that make melody, harmony, and then rhythm and come from the heart. The music is sung or listened to simply to honor and glorify God alone, not for the praise or honor and glory of men), The devil likes to reverse this order and make it Bass/Beat/Rhythm, then harmony, and melody last, if any!

1. Psalm 28:7; 69:30; 27:6; 47:6; 61:8; 63:4 – Your music you sing and listen to must praise God!

WORLD – The world’s music can not in any way praise God for it is totally contrary to his word, The Bible!

CCM – When you mix the world’s music and its styles into any sacred music it no longer can praise God in any way! They use Rap, Rock & Roll, etc. in all forms and even go as far as saying that Jesus loves the world’s music and would “groove” and “get-down” to it. They think that doing this praises God! Be aware of Satan’s evil counterfeits to the truth! (Proverbs 16:25)

SG – Much Southern Gospel music does praise God but many of the world’s and CCM’s influences are now being mixed in. People are listening to the music to appeal to the flesh and not the Spirit. They like the jazzy and rhythmic songs and not the slow and melodious songs. The singers just as the world’s and CCM’s are bowing, etc. and giving the praise of the song to themselves and not to God alone!

HYMN – These are done according to God’s word and thus when they are sung with melody, harmony, and then rhythm and from the heart they do praise God!

2. Psalm 33:2; 71:22 – Instruments of praise to God (harp, piano, dulcimer)

WORLD – This music is not done for the praise of the Lord and rarely uses instruments of praise. They use loud drums, booming bass (i.e. Rap music), beats, guitars, etc., which can not praise God in any way. Many are brought into a frenzy and have committed terrible acts by the sound of the instruments and/or the music of the world.

CCM – Though instruments of praise are used they often use the world’s music and styles. When you mix the world’s style of instruments in with ones that can be used to praise God, it no longer praises God!

SG – Most of this music’s instruments are ones that can be used to praise God, but it often uses drums and guitars, etc. in many of there songs today and taking out the melody and putting rhythm, bass, etc. before the melody and harmony.

HYMN – These are done according to God’s word and thus when they are played with instruments that 1^st show melody, harmony, and then rhythm and from the heart they can be instruments of praise.

3. Psalm 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9 – We need to sing unto him a new song. We have a new life in Christ and should not be listening to or singing the sounds and music of the unsaved.

WORLD –Most that listen to the world’s music are probably not even saved. The devil loves to lure Christians from sacred music to the world’s style of music, CCM, etc.. If we are saved from sin and this world which we are if we’ve put our faith and trust in Christ alone as our personal Savior from sin, we should have a new song in our heart, a new life in Christ. We should not want or desire the world’s music (the music of the lost) in any form.

CCM – Just because it has the name of Jesus in it does not mean it pleases God! CCM loves to mix the world’s style into their music. If we are saved from sin and this world, we should not desire music that even resembles the world’s style, even if it has the name of Jesus in it and appears good. Many CCM groups have admitted that they like and base their music on worldly groups and musicians and even sing some of their songs just to compromise and try to “win people to Christ”.

SG – (See CCM) Any mix of the world’s style(s) is not godly. Most SG groups today compromise and mix the world’s style of music in. Is all the music being sung and listened to from the heart, and for the honor and glory of the Lord?

HYMN – Singing and playing these from our heart with melody, harmony, etc. show our new life in Christ, our new song in our hearts. We don’t desire the music of the world anymore.

4. Psalm 66:2; 1 Cor. 10:31 – Sing songs that honor and glorify God.

WORLD – There is no way the world’s music can honor God! It goes contrary to God and his word in many ways

CCM – So much of the world’s style is mixed in that it is rare to find a CCM performer that is doing all his/their music for the honor and glory of God.

SG – Many performers today are not singing for the honor and glory of God, although most of their songs are done in the right order, they mix the world’s styles into it.

HYMN – These songs can be sung for the honor and glory of God for they do not go contrary to the Bible.

5. Psalm 71:23 – Rejoice when singing. No screaming, shouting, dancing, gyrations, or shaking praises God, just rejoicing with joy at the song’s words. The music should bless your soul Spiritually.

WORLD – This music can not cause you to rejoice in the Lord, but in the flesh or in the performer. It can not in any way bless your soul spiritually or praise God. The Bible shows no place where screaming, shouting, dancing, gyrations, or shaking to music praises God. This all appeals to the flesh and not the Spirit. Many people have committed terrible acts such as rape, murder, crime, suicide, etc. due to the music of the world.

CCM – Again, this music contains most of the world’s styles and the devil will make it appear that you are rejoicing in the Lord and your soul is being spiritually blessed, when really you are pleasing him by your participation in this dangerous, cunning, and deceptive music.

SG – This is similar to CCM in many ways. It does contain shouting, dancing, shaking, clapping, etc. It appeals to the flesh and not the Spirit in many of its songs. Are you doing these things because you love the Lord or because the song is appealing to your flesh? It does not help you rejoice in the Lord alone and can not bless your soul spiritually. Sadly, the devil has really worked hard in attempting to put in the world’s and CCM’s style of music into SG music. We must be aware of what SG we listen to as Christians. Is it according to the Bible and for the honor and glory of God alone?

HYMN – This music contains nothing that can appeal to the flesh. It helps us rejoice in the Lord and blesses our soul Spiritually.

6. Psalm 89:1 – Sing of God’s mercy. The song must be about him.

WORLD – These songs are not about God in any way and usually blaspheme his name and contain foul language, suggestive themes, and much more. The world’s music tells nothing about God’s greatness, holiness, love, compassion, and mercy.

CCM – This music in rare occasions can be about God and his mercies in a Biblical way, but it is very rare!

SG – Most of this music is about God and his mercies, but again is not always performed in a Biblical way.

HYMN – All sacred music is about God and honors and glorifies him alone. They tell of his mercies, love, and much more.

SO FAR, WHICH MUSIC DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO AND SINGING?

7. 1 Cor. 14:15, John 16:13 – The Holy Spirit will guide you to an understanding of good music and all truth. The music must be Holy Spirit led.

WORLD – The Holy Spirit does not come into a person until they trust Christ as their personal Savior from sin. Therefore, he can’t even show you what good sacred music is until you are saved. He is not able to lead you to the right music to listen to if you are unsaved. This is why all the unsaved enjoy the world’s music.

CCM – The Holy Spirit would guide you into all truth, show you what is right and wrong, and help you understand good music. Many have left the CCM scene due to its worldly and compromising style. It goes contrary to the Bible in many ways. The Holy Spirit will not lead you to listen to CCM. If you feel that the Spirit led you to it, it was not the Spirit of God that led you to it. CCM plainly and simply is not good godly music.

SG – This style is 50/50. Some of it is good godly music and some of it is not. The Holy Spirit will guide you to what SG is good and what is not. We must make sure that the singing is Holy Spirit led and not fleshly.

HYMN – The Bible plainly teaches that good sacred music that puts melody, harmony, and then rhythm is good music and Spirit led.

8. Coll. 3:16 – We grow and learn from spiritual (God praising) songs.

WORLD –You can not learn anything God wants you to know from the Bible through this style of music. They are not spiritual and they do not praise God in any form.

CCM – This music is contrary to the Bible and the majority of its songs are not spiritual but fleshly. You can not teach or admonish someone in a spiritual and Biblical manner with this style of music.

SG –We can grow and learn from many SG songs, but we must be careful that it does not appeal to the flesh, or go contrary to the Bible and its teaching.

HYMN – The sacred songs help us know God better, grow in Him, and serve Him better. They are spiritual in every way and are faithful to the Bible and its teaching.

9. Eph. 5:19, Isaiah 23:16 – make melody unto the Lord. The melody must be first and most important in a song, then harmony and then if any, rhythm or bass.

WORLD – Though there are a few of the world’s music styles that do have melody 1^st, harmony 2^nd, and rhythm/bass last, it does not make it godly music. Listen to the words to a song that appears to be like this. They usually have nothing to do with God, are not for His honor and glory, and often blaspheme Him.

CCM – A few of these songs are in a godly order, but again, are they being performed for the honor and glory of God alone or for themselves? Does it appeal to the flesh, or to the Spirit?

SG – Many of these songs are in a good godly order, but you must be sure that the music is for the honor and glory of God alone and not for the performer. Make sure the music appeals to the Spirit and not the flesh?

HYMN – This style always uses melody 1^st, harmony 2^nd, and rhythm last. It does not appeal to the flesh in any form.

10. Ecc. 7:5 – We should not listen to the song of “fools”.

WORLD – God says this type of music is considered the “song of fools”! If God says that, should we be listening to this?

CCM – This style is so similar to the world’s style, it could easily be considered “the song of fools”. Should we be listening to this?

SG – See WORLD and CCM. You must pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to what music is good godly music to listen to.

HYMN – To the unsaved, this type of music is the “song of fools” but to the saved it helps us rejoice in the Lord, praise, honor and glorify Him alone. We worship God faithfully and truthfully with this style of music.

Therefore, we conclude, Which music should we be listening to as a believer in Christ?:

WORLD – Jesus would certainly not listen to this music and it definitely won’t honor and glorify God. We should avoid this type of music completely and not give the devil a chance to tempt us with it. Even though it is everywhere we go, we must not let it tempt us and reprove and rebuke it as the Spirit leads.

CCM – Our Savior would want nothing to do with a music style that is so contrary and blasphemous to God and the Bible. Therefore we should avoid it at all costs. It causes Christians to be carnal (fleshly) and not spiritual. What we win them with is what we win them to! Sacred CCM songs are so few and far between. We can only pray for CCM performers who do sacred songs to get out of this music style used by Satan to give many a false assurance of salvation, of who Jesus is, and little or know understanding of Biblical teachings.

SG –I believe it is OK to listen to SG music as long as the music is in a godly order (melody 1^st, harmony 2^nd, rhythm last), does not appeal to the flesh, and is being performed for the honor and glory of God alone. Sadly, the devil has caused much of the world’s style of music to creep into SG music over the past 10-20 years.

HYMN – There is absolutely no reason a Christian should not listen to and sing sacred music. There is nothing wrong with it. It is so contrary to the world and its style of music and it seems to be fading away in this day and age. It truly is the music a true Bible-believing Christian should listen to. It helps us rejoice in the Lord, praise Him, and honor and glorify him alone. Again, we can worship God faithfully and truthfully with this style of music. This is the music that without a doubt will ALWAYS please God!

Many examples, articles, etc. are available on this issue. Please e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns.

SAVED TODAY MINISTRIES

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II Corinthians 6:2