A Heart Like Jesus: Instrumental Music

How Would Jesus Handle Instrumental Music

Today, let’s look deeper into the topic of instruments in worship. There are two thoughts. Some take Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 to make their case. Let’s review these:

Ephesians 5:19 Speak to one another with spams, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 

It is interesting that people use these two verses to say, “See, we should not use instruments. We should only sing from our heart.” Both use a word that means instrument. The Greek origin of psalm is psalmos and literally means twanging of a harp, to pluck, to play a stringed instrument. I chuckle to think the two verses some ‘hang their hat on’ is really a verse that allows those who have a heart to worship God with the talent God gave them can use their gift of music to use it to worship God. 

Another reason given to not use instruments in worship is that music is not mentioned in the New Testament. I have heard people say, “Where the Bible is silent, I am silent. Where the Bible speaks, I speak.” (look at previous paragraph) This sounds like reasonable logic if you use it consistently in your life; however, I tend to see people pick and choose what they are comfortable doing. For example, I never saw one of those people who said that wash feet. Washing feet is in the New Testament and John 13:14 says, “…you also should wash one another’s feet.” I’d love to do a study of things in the New Testament that we all don’t do because we don’t like confrontation or because fear takes over or because we think it is an outdated cultural thing. My point is: just be consistent. I would much rather hear someone say, “I prefer not to use instruments,” and leave it at that.

Romans 14 has another thought process to consider. It is a beautiful concept about what people’s faith with allow them to do and not do. Paul does not teach condemnation for one way or the other. Paul cautions people to not have contempt for others who do things differently than you. Paul says do not judge one who does something differently. If we look deeper into this concept, Paul is saying that we cannot judge someone’s heart. Paul says be convinced in your own mind and whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Only God knows the heart. Some may worship with instruments and some may not. Each can be justified in God’s sight. They both live for the Lord. They both serve Christ with their gifts. We will all stand before God’s judgement seat and give an account to God. 

How will Jesus handle instrumental music? If you kept in mind all the character of Jesus, would He say, “You may not come into heaven because you had a piano, a guitar and some drums in your worship.” Do you think He would say, “I will not represent you to my Father because you worshiped me with instruments.” Does Jesus/God look at the instruments or do They look at the heart and how we used the gifts we were given to praise, worship and honor Him?

I just presented a concept that taught to only compare spiritual to spiritual. Considering anything worldly to get you approved by God is in vain because all worldly things will pass away. Instruments will pass away but the heart is growing in spiritual maturity. Instruments have no bearing on if your heart is right with God or not. 

Have a blessed weekend.