COLOSSIANS: STABILITY BY CHRIST'S ALL-SUFFICIENCY AND SUPREMACY

Part XIII: Stability In Spiritually Edifying Music

(Colossians 3:16-17)

I. Introduction

A. Today's unsettling, insecure world has led many believers to become unsettled and insecure, so in contrast to today's world, we believers need to focus on the stability and security we have in our Lord.

B. The Colossians epistle presents Christ's all-sufficiency and supremacy in ways that settle and provide security, and one way it does so is by teaching the believer's stability by involvement in spiritually edifying music.

C. The applicability of this truth becomes intense when viewing what believers face even in the Church: Dave Hunt of The Berean Call newsletter in April 2004 reported he was getting feedback from increasing numbers of believers who were troubled by "shallow and repetitive" music in their churches that lacked "doctrinal content," and we have heard the same concerns both locally and from friends in the Midwest and Far West.

D. Colossians 3:16-17 teaches the stabilizing truth on spiritually edifying music, so we view it for our insight:

II. Stability In Spiritually Edifying Music, Colossians 3:16-17.

A. Spiritually edifying music in God's view highlights the Word of Christ, the Word of God, Colossians 3:16a.

B. Specifically, spiritually edifying music ministers to the heart through the mind as follows, Colossians 3:16b:

1. Spiritually edifying music is performed in all sophia, that is, applying Biblical knowledge to practical living. (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 700; Theol. Dict. of the N. T., vol. VII, p. 467)

2. Spiritually edifying music teaches (didasko) Biblical truths (Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 191)

3. Spiritually edifying music admonishes, warns, instructs (noutheteo) believers in Scripture truth. (Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 546)

4. Spiritually edifying music ministers reciprocally, that is, it ministers "to one another" in the Church. (heautou, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 211)

C. Spiritually edifying music utilizes specific genres of music, specific kinds of musical presentations, 3:16c:

1. Spiritually edifying music utilizes the genre of Old Testament psalms (psalmos, Ibid., p. 899) [An example of this genre would be "The Lord's My Shepherd."]

2. Spiritually edifying music utilizes the genre of hymns of praise to God (humnos, Ibid., p. 844; Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, 1973, p. 297), formal anthems that praise God for His glory. [An example of this genre would be "How Great Thou Art."]

3. Spiritually edifying music utilizes the genre of spiritual odes (ode, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 903; Ibid., Trench, p. 300-301), that is, any song that less formally testifies of the Biblical truth in the spiritual realm. [An example of this genre would be "Fill My Cup, Lord."]

D. Spiritually edifying music is performed with an attitude of "grace," that is, attractive graciousness, goodwill, thanksgiving (charis, Ibid., p. 885-887) from one's inner man, his heart, Colossians 3:16d.

E. Spiritually edifying music is performed toward pleasing God, Colossians 3:16e.

F. Spiritually edifying music is performed in the name of the Lord Jesus with the spirit of thanksgiving to God the Father by our Lord Jesus Christ, Colossians 3:17.

Lesson: Spiritually edifying music that produces stability in the believer highlights the Word of God to minister in applying Biblical knowledge to practical living, teaching Biblical truths and admonishing, warning and instructing believers in Scripture truth. It utilizes the genres of Old Testament psalms, formal anthems of praise to God and spiritual odes that testify of Biblical truth, and it is performed in an attitude of attractive graciousness, goodwill and thanksgiving to God that aims to please God and honor Christ in the spirit of thanksgiving to the Lord.

Application: (1) Obviously, then, much of what passes for Christian music in many churches today is NOT good music because it is short on communicating a rich abundance of Biblical truth and aims to please the sin nature in man that feeds on lusty tempo and loud noise. We must thus avoid such errant forms and expressions of music! (2) Our music must then reflect the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and our FOCUS should be to COMMUNICATE Biblical TRUTH to the heart through the MIND in a GRACIOUS way. (3) May we utilize Old Testament psalms, anthems of praise to God and spiritual odes as directed in Scripture with the rich attractiveness in attitude and presentation that honors the Lord rather than feeding human lust as occurs in so much of so-called "Christian music" today!