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Here is a beginning excerpt from Calvin Jones' The Biblical View of Music, published in The Chalcedon Report in August of 1999.
The full article can be read here: The Biblical View of Music.
The Biblical View of Music
By Calvin Jones – bio
August 1999
The State of the Arts
Today, we live in an age where the art of music abounds. Musicians by the thousands jam the airwaves; their recordings fill the floors and walls of music stores in America and around the world. It is hard to think of another time in history when the sheer number of musical works available on a daily basis has been equaled or even approached. The sales of recordings nationally amount to at least $12 billion annually.
An entire industry has developed just to produce music for Christians. In more and more churches worship bands lead their congregations in the latest worship music produced by those in the gospel music industry.
It is time we stop and reflect on the vast amount of music our culture has produced and ask ourselves how much of it is really good. To do this we must first take a look at the Biblical basis for music and at the standards by which we should judge a musical work. (Since music is a form of art, we’ll be discussing the Biblical view of art in general and music specifically, and then delve into some standards for good art and music.)
The Biblical Basis for Art and Music
God is the ultimate creative genius. He creates by the power of His Word alone. He spoke and things came into existence from nothing. In Genesis 1 we read, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness....’” God made man in His image. Man is analogous to God. This means that though man is similar to God in many respects, being made in His image and likeness, he is not God. He is the creature; God is the Creator. The lie of the Devil and of humanism today is that man would like to think he is God. Being the image bearer of God in creation, man is to use his mind to order this world and have dominion over it. Like God, he is inventive and able to arrange the world God has made in an orderly way. Unlike God, his works are not ex nihilo(from nothing), but rather man’s works are made out of something, specifically out of the already existent creation.
Further, we read in verse 26, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” All of God’s creation including man and his abilities as the image-bearer of God were declared to be good, even very good. The Biblical basis for the production and enjoyment of art is simply that God declared it to be very good when He created man. Music as a form of art is good in and of itself precisely because God declared it to be so. No other justification for the art of music is needed. Indeed, no other justification for art can be given that will stand up to the objective declaration of God that all of His creation is very good, including man’s creativity, which is a part of the image of God. All other justifications for art are finally reduced to nothing but the subjective claims of man.
The best works of art and music were created by Adam and Eve in sinless perfection before their fall. When man sinned and fell by wanting to be God, his works of art and music were no longer perfect, but were marred by sin. The image of God in man and specifically man’s creative ability is now imperfect. Man’s works of art and music no longer accurately reflect the order, beauty, and purity of God and His creation. Since sin entered the world through Adam, we now have good art and bad art, just as we have regenerate men who produce good fruit and unregenerate men who produce bad fruit (Mt. 7:17). Sin has blinded man so that he must now work and struggle to produce good art and music. He must use special revelation to interpret and understand the general revelation of the world in which he lives. Only by thinking God’s thoughts after him, can man judge good art from bad.
What standards has God given us to judge good art from bad art?
I will define good art as the work of man by which he uses his creativity to produce things or ideas for the enjoyment of man which meet God’s standards for human reflection. The art of music exists, as do all the arts, for the enjoyment of man. Art by its very nature is enjoyed by being reflected upon. It occupies our thoughts through the stimulation of our senses. It must be experienced to be enjoyed and to bring pleasure to man. God has given us specific qualifications for the objects of our thoughts and reflections. Paul in Philippians 4:8 gives us by divine revelation this brief but comprehensive list for God-honoring art: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think or meditate on such things.”
Good Music Must be True
Good music must be true. Truth is the first standard by which to judge a musical work. This is the main problem in pop music and generally in pop culture today. Music crooning about the pleasures of one-night stands and adulterous relationships are at best half-truths and almost never include the other half of the truth of these sins. The after-effects include the guilt of lost virginity, the conception of children out of wedlock, the murder of illegitimate babies by abortion, the slavery to the state through welfare programs, etc. Humanists like to tout realism as justification for the pollution that is shoveled at us. “Everybody is doing it,” they say. Those who are not fortunate enough to live in the ghettos can now have them brought to them in the convenience of their own living rooms through the joy of rap music which describes in vivid detail all the rottenness of man’s depravity. This is the “real world,” they declare. One problem with this is that the sins that are portrayed for you are not the real world that is eternal but the temporal one which will be judged by God and burned with fire on the last day. This element of judgment is completely missing from pop music. Secondly, the reality that should be our main focus in art and music is that which is eternal, the ideal which we are to strive for on this earth and which will really and truly be attained in heaven, not the temporal and passing moment of gratified sins whose effects soon belie the pleasures promised by them. Later we will discuss further the place of sin and its effects in music.
Sadly, those who hate God are not the only ones spreading lies in music. The Christian music industry preaches the false gospel of self-salvation. The heretical Arminian idea of self-salvation dominates the churches across this country and, not surprisingly, the lyrics of the music from the gospel music industry. The typical lyrics view man not as totally depraved, dead in sins (Rom. 3:10-18; Eph. 2:1), and wholly incapable of choosing Jesus, but rather as his own ultimate savior as he opens the door to a weak and powerless Jesus who is knocking patiently, having done all that He can to save man. In this Arminian view, man is more powerful than God as he resists the Creator of the universe Who wants to regenerate his dead soul. In the Arminian view, man ultimately gets the glory for saving himself and choosing God. The true picture of salvation given in Scripture is that the sinner is instead bound in a chair guarded by Satan when Christ smashes down the door and crushes Satan, freeing the sinner who delighted in Satan’s bondage and who hated Jesus Christ with all his heart. It is Jesus who regenerates our hearts and changes our wills so that we repent and believe. The marvel of the truth of salvation is that while we were still sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8, 10). If He didn’t set His love upon us first and change our wills by regeneration, no one would be saved. Dead men don’t open doors (Eph. 2:1).
Let me give you an example of this false view of salvation typical of Christian artists. From the evangelistic song “Somebody Loves You” (from the album Special Love) by Deneice Williams, who sings:
He’s waiting for you.
Oh, he understands the pain you’re going through.
There is no problem that my Jesus just can’t help you solve.
For He can do wonders.
Won’t you open up and let him touch you?
In these lines, man is mightier than God. God just isn’t able to save us unless we open up and let Him touch us. He is just patiently waiting for us. The message is that God helps those who help themselves. In this entire song there is not one mention of the true gospel. The true gospel is repentance of that politically incorrect little “s” word, sin. Instead of repentance from sin, which produces life’s problems, this song seems to be about salvation from the pain and trouble of life.
Another common falsehood in Christian music is the “easy love” deception. Love towards God and man is described in about every possible way except as obedience to God’s law-word. The emotions of love and sentimentalism abound in Christian music while the actions of love defined by God’s laws are conspicuously absent. Our Lord said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15). Love is keeping God’s commandments with respect to God and to our neighbor. With love being the dominant subject of both pop and Christian music, why is it that I have never heard the true definition of love from either of them? I expect this from the world but not from Christians. It is no wonder when the modern church teaches that the Old Testament and all of its laws do not apply today. They’ve replaced obedience to His law with a fickle feeling that we fall in and out of. Of course, this view of love fits hand-in-hand with the Arminian view of choosing God. If, after all, the ultimate choice rests with fickle, unstable man, he can fall in and out of loving God (thus the need for regular resaving or rededication via Billy Graham). But if the ultimate choice in salvation belongs to the unchangeable God of the universe, who keeps us in the palm of His hand where nothing can snatch us away, then our salvation is permanent because His love for us is true and it never fails. It is guaranteed.
Unfortunately, the easy love deception has had severe consequences for many in the gospel music business. Many have been unfaithful in their marriages. We could talk more about this but this should suffice to recognize the importance of the standard of truth in music.
The full article can be read here: The Biblical View of Music.
The Biblical View of Music
By Calvin Jones – bio
August 1999
The State of the Arts
Today, we live in an age where the art of music abounds. Musicians by the thousands jam the airwaves; their recordings fill the floors and walls of music stores in America and around the world. It is hard to think of another time in history when the sheer number of musical works available on a daily basis has been equaled or even approached. The sales of recordings nationally amount to at least $12 billion annually.
An entire industry has developed just to produce music for Christians. In more and more churches worship bands lead their congregations in the latest worship music produced by those in the gospel music industry.
It is time we stop and reflect on the vast amount of music our culture has produced and ask ourselves how much of it is really good. To do this we must first take a look at the Biblical basis for music and at the standards by which we should judge a musical work. (Since music is a form of art, we’ll be discussing the Biblical view of art in general and music specifically, and then delve into some standards for good art and music.)
The Biblical Basis for Art and Music
God is the ultimate creative genius. He creates by the power of His Word alone. He spoke and things came into existence from nothing. In Genesis 1 we read, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness....’” God made man in His image. Man is analogous to God. This means that though man is similar to God in many respects, being made in His image and likeness, he is not God. He is the creature; God is the Creator. The lie of the Devil and of humanism today is that man would like to think he is God. Being the image bearer of God in creation, man is to use his mind to order this world and have dominion over it. Like God, he is inventive and able to arrange the world God has made in an orderly way. Unlike God, his works are not ex nihilo(from nothing), but rather man’s works are made out of something, specifically out of the already existent creation.
Further, we read in verse 26, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” All of God’s creation including man and his abilities as the image-bearer of God were declared to be good, even very good. The Biblical basis for the production and enjoyment of art is simply that God declared it to be very good when He created man. Music as a form of art is good in and of itself precisely because God declared it to be so. No other justification for the art of music is needed. Indeed, no other justification for art can be given that will stand up to the objective declaration of God that all of His creation is very good, including man’s creativity, which is a part of the image of God. All other justifications for art are finally reduced to nothing but the subjective claims of man.
The best works of art and music were created by Adam and Eve in sinless perfection before their fall. When man sinned and fell by wanting to be God, his works of art and music were no longer perfect, but were marred by sin. The image of God in man and specifically man’s creative ability is now imperfect. Man’s works of art and music no longer accurately reflect the order, beauty, and purity of God and His creation. Since sin entered the world through Adam, we now have good art and bad art, just as we have regenerate men who produce good fruit and unregenerate men who produce bad fruit (Mt. 7:17). Sin has blinded man so that he must now work and struggle to produce good art and music. He must use special revelation to interpret and understand the general revelation of the world in which he lives. Only by thinking God’s thoughts after him, can man judge good art from bad.
What standards has God given us to judge good art from bad art?
I will define good art as the work of man by which he uses his creativity to produce things or ideas for the enjoyment of man which meet God’s standards for human reflection. The art of music exists, as do all the arts, for the enjoyment of man. Art by its very nature is enjoyed by being reflected upon. It occupies our thoughts through the stimulation of our senses. It must be experienced to be enjoyed and to bring pleasure to man. God has given us specific qualifications for the objects of our thoughts and reflections. Paul in Philippians 4:8 gives us by divine revelation this brief but comprehensive list for God-honoring art: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think or meditate on such things.”
Good Music Must be True
Good music must be true. Truth is the first standard by which to judge a musical work. This is the main problem in pop music and generally in pop culture today. Music crooning about the pleasures of one-night stands and adulterous relationships are at best half-truths and almost never include the other half of the truth of these sins. The after-effects include the guilt of lost virginity, the conception of children out of wedlock, the murder of illegitimate babies by abortion, the slavery to the state through welfare programs, etc. Humanists like to tout realism as justification for the pollution that is shoveled at us. “Everybody is doing it,” they say. Those who are not fortunate enough to live in the ghettos can now have them brought to them in the convenience of their own living rooms through the joy of rap music which describes in vivid detail all the rottenness of man’s depravity. This is the “real world,” they declare. One problem with this is that the sins that are portrayed for you are not the real world that is eternal but the temporal one which will be judged by God and burned with fire on the last day. This element of judgment is completely missing from pop music. Secondly, the reality that should be our main focus in art and music is that which is eternal, the ideal which we are to strive for on this earth and which will really and truly be attained in heaven, not the temporal and passing moment of gratified sins whose effects soon belie the pleasures promised by them. Later we will discuss further the place of sin and its effects in music.
Sadly, those who hate God are not the only ones spreading lies in music. The Christian music industry preaches the false gospel of self-salvation. The heretical Arminian idea of self-salvation dominates the churches across this country and, not surprisingly, the lyrics of the music from the gospel music industry. The typical lyrics view man not as totally depraved, dead in sins (Rom. 3:10-18; Eph. 2:1), and wholly incapable of choosing Jesus, but rather as his own ultimate savior as he opens the door to a weak and powerless Jesus who is knocking patiently, having done all that He can to save man. In this Arminian view, man is more powerful than God as he resists the Creator of the universe Who wants to regenerate his dead soul. In the Arminian view, man ultimately gets the glory for saving himself and choosing God. The true picture of salvation given in Scripture is that the sinner is instead bound in a chair guarded by Satan when Christ smashes down the door and crushes Satan, freeing the sinner who delighted in Satan’s bondage and who hated Jesus Christ with all his heart. It is Jesus who regenerates our hearts and changes our wills so that we repent and believe. The marvel of the truth of salvation is that while we were still sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8, 10). If He didn’t set His love upon us first and change our wills by regeneration, no one would be saved. Dead men don’t open doors (Eph. 2:1).
Let me give you an example of this false view of salvation typical of Christian artists. From the evangelistic song “Somebody Loves You” (from the album Special Love) by Deneice Williams, who sings:
He’s waiting for you.
Oh, he understands the pain you’re going through.
There is no problem that my Jesus just can’t help you solve.
For He can do wonders.
Won’t you open up and let him touch you?
In these lines, man is mightier than God. God just isn’t able to save us unless we open up and let Him touch us. He is just patiently waiting for us. The message is that God helps those who help themselves. In this entire song there is not one mention of the true gospel. The true gospel is repentance of that politically incorrect little “s” word, sin. Instead of repentance from sin, which produces life’s problems, this song seems to be about salvation from the pain and trouble of life.
Another common falsehood in Christian music is the “easy love” deception. Love towards God and man is described in about every possible way except as obedience to God’s law-word. The emotions of love and sentimentalism abound in Christian music while the actions of love defined by God’s laws are conspicuously absent. Our Lord said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15). Love is keeping God’s commandments with respect to God and to our neighbor. With love being the dominant subject of both pop and Christian music, why is it that I have never heard the true definition of love from either of them? I expect this from the world but not from Christians. It is no wonder when the modern church teaches that the Old Testament and all of its laws do not apply today. They’ve replaced obedience to His law with a fickle feeling that we fall in and out of. Of course, this view of love fits hand-in-hand with the Arminian view of choosing God. If, after all, the ultimate choice rests with fickle, unstable man, he can fall in and out of loving God (thus the need for regular resaving or rededication via Billy Graham). But if the ultimate choice in salvation belongs to the unchangeable God of the universe, who keeps us in the palm of His hand where nothing can snatch us away, then our salvation is permanent because His love for us is true and it never fails. It is guaranteed.
Unfortunately, the easy love deception has had severe consequences for many in the gospel music business. Many have been unfaithful in their marriages. We could talk more about this but this should suffice to recognize the importance of the standard of truth in music.
