Music in the Fuzzy Gray
First, I want to say I'm sorry to those of you who were expecting a daily blog. I don't want to get too far ahead, too fast in the material that I'm publishing, and I really don't think I could put anything of any value on the blog if I wrote every single day. So, you'll just have to keep regularly checking my irregular blog entries. Keeps up the suspense, eh?
To continue the discussion on the three categories of music, I don't mean to say that all music will fall into only one of those categories. The three areas are, you remember;
1) Music that is spiritually harmful
2) Music that is spiritually neutral
3) Music that is spiritually helpful, or uplifting.
Of course, nothing is that cut and dried. There are a lot of gray areas between those three divisions.
First, there is music that blurs the line between music that is harmful and music that is neutral. This could be a secular band performing a love song that may be slightly questionable in its lyrics. While it may seem to be a harmless love song, its lyrics may be spiritually harmful by stiring up the flesh and its desires. This is only one example. And while this type of music may not be overtly "bad", i.e. promoting the works of the flesh, such as drunkedness, perversion, etc., a steady diet of this will do more harm than good. Just keep Phillipians 4:8 in mind when listening to this music.
Also, there is music that is somewhere in between being spiritually neutral and uplifting. Sad to say, I believe most Christian pop music falls into this category. It may mention God, or occasionally Jesus, but it often portrays ideas that are not scriptural. You must realize that merely saying the name of Jesus, or believing in God does not make something Christian. Actions have to follow words, and those actions have to line up with the Word of God. So, songs that refer to a person as a sinner, even after he has been born again, are not scriptural. The Bible refers to us as new creations, whose old sinful self has died (II Corinthians 5:17). If a Christian artist sings perpetually about how he/she stumbles or falls all the time, or how they are always struggling, there is something amiss.
Naturally, there are plenty of excuses that can be made for music in the fuzzy gray. I have heard people make comments such as "Oh, but he's/she's singing about his/her husband/wife" when speaking of a questionable song. Or "Oh, he/she is singing about Jesus" even when Jesus or God is not mentioned at all in the song. Remember, if you have to defend it, it probably isn't something you should be listening to.
Tim Heider
Did I step on anyone's toes?? Write me a comment! Just click where it says "comments" at the bottom of this or any entry.
To continue the discussion on the three categories of music, I don't mean to say that all music will fall into only one of those categories. The three areas are, you remember;
1) Music that is spiritually harmful
2) Music that is spiritually neutral
3) Music that is spiritually helpful, or uplifting.
Of course, nothing is that cut and dried. There are a lot of gray areas between those three divisions.
First, there is music that blurs the line between music that is harmful and music that is neutral. This could be a secular band performing a love song that may be slightly questionable in its lyrics. While it may seem to be a harmless love song, its lyrics may be spiritually harmful by stiring up the flesh and its desires. This is only one example. And while this type of music may not be overtly "bad", i.e. promoting the works of the flesh, such as drunkedness, perversion, etc., a steady diet of this will do more harm than good. Just keep Phillipians 4:8 in mind when listening to this music.
Also, there is music that is somewhere in between being spiritually neutral and uplifting. Sad to say, I believe most Christian pop music falls into this category. It may mention God, or occasionally Jesus, but it often portrays ideas that are not scriptural. You must realize that merely saying the name of Jesus, or believing in God does not make something Christian. Actions have to follow words, and those actions have to line up with the Word of God. So, songs that refer to a person as a sinner, even after he has been born again, are not scriptural. The Bible refers to us as new creations, whose old sinful self has died (II Corinthians 5:17). If a Christian artist sings perpetually about how he/she stumbles or falls all the time, or how they are always struggling, there is something amiss.
Naturally, there are plenty of excuses that can be made for music in the fuzzy gray. I have heard people make comments such as "Oh, but he's/she's singing about his/her husband/wife" when speaking of a questionable song. Or "Oh, he/she is singing about Jesus" even when Jesus or God is not mentioned at all in the song. Remember, if you have to defend it, it probably isn't something you should be listening to.
Tim Heider
Did I step on anyone's toes?? Write me a comment! Just click where it says "comments" at the bottom of this or any entry.
posted by Tim Heider at 8:22 PM
1 Comments:
you sir, did not step on my toes. my toes are quite flat! however, your blog is making good headway and i'm going to have to try to keep up with you. but hey, competition is good! (competition??)
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