The Ohio Independent Baptist, January 1968

• ts and rongs • out USIC by James Efaw t)\\ here ir1 tl1c \\ L)ttl t)f ,od tit1c , • it .. 1,. ·· T~ht)lt 'ih,1lt 11()t 11 te11 to . lh~,111, r11l1"1 :· fhc rea n being. of . ('1.. ltr"~· that 111lt ic '"~1 not nearly th~ ~1rohlcn1 f r the believer then. th,ll 1t i, lL)licl\ For e~an1ple. eating 111c.. 1t <.1ffered lt) 1d L ,va a much t11L)re pre . i ng 1)rohle111 t Patil than that "f ,, rldl) 111t1 1c. Yet. thi illlt, - t r~lt lL)n pt)i nt to one r the out tand- 1 ng 111erit. f 1od' Word: It ability ..... lJ deal \v ith man' problem regard- le , r age. time or itt1ati n. The ...... eternal qualit1e of the Book naturally pring fr n1 the eternal nature of its author. Je u Chri t in the per on o.f the Hol) pirit who is the " ... same ):e terda 1·. today and forever." While it i true that time have changed and problem are different, God's pri11ciples 11ever change. His principles are eternal and immutable. What wa wrong in Paul day i wrong today, what was right for the Apo tles is right for the 20th century. One must continue to apply Gods principles of determining right and wrong to bis activities TODAY. More specifically in thi article, one must continue to apply God· principles to answer the que tion: ''To 1-vhat kind of m11sic s/1011/cl a Cl1ristian listen?" Glorifying to God? he C<)nfe. scc.J to G d ancl thrown 011t of )' 11r life. Te t thi principle again t yot1 r n111 . ic or any other area of ! :ur life. Does it glorify God? Pleasing to Christ? Pr i nc i p I e nt1 n1 ber t w : Co 11 ld Jes 1, s tl<J it lrit/1 t/1e /Je/iever? Although , re t i . hri t i no t wi th you in bod y, He i here o n the earth in the per– . on of the H oly piri t. I Co r. 6: 19 declare : "What know ye not that your body i the temple of the Holy Gho t..." Every believer is indwelt hy the H o ly Spirit, every believer i a hou e in which the Holy Spirit I ive . WhiJe son1e Christians would he very en1barra ed to be in the ac– tual pre ence of Chri t while the radio or T.V. blared forth unedifyi,ng ' n1u ic, they think nothing of exposing the Hol y pirit to the same k1ind of · treatment. The Bible commands the believer "to walk in the Spirit," and "to be fil led with Spirit." It also ex– hort to "grieve not the Spirit" and to "quench not the Spirit." The mu sic to which you attune your life can do great harm to your mind and body. the temple of the H oly Ghost. Do not indulge in music, or any ac– tivity in which you would not l)e proud to have the Saviour p artake. For in reality, He is present in the person of the Holy Spirit. Remember, · this is not only the H oly Spirit of your aviour· He is also the H ol)' piri t of your LORD. There are three principles in God's Word that one should apply to the above que tion. Bear in mind now 1 that these principles can apply to every area of the Christian's life that i not pecifically called by name in lniurious to Others? the cripture . Principle number one Principle number three: Will it is: Does It Glori/)' God? Does the · l1urt rt1}' testi111ony or 1vill it hurt a ' music to which you listen glorify weaker Christian? I Corinthians God? Does your listening to it glorify chapter 8 is the classic example of God through you? If it does not, it this principle. In the passage, some i wrong. Col. 3: 17 says, "And what- people were eati ng meat that had <;oever ye do in word or deed, do all been offered to idols. Paul said that in the name of the Lord Jesus. . ." the stronger Christians knew that I Cor. 10: 31. ' ' ... What oever ye do, these idols were not real, they knew do all to the glory of God." From that there was only one true and God' point of view this is the only living God, they knew that eating reason He saved you, That You the meat was not necessarily profit- Mi~/1t Glori/)' His Name! From God's able or unprofitable. According to angle. if you are not glorifying Him, '_ ,Paul the matter was a ' ' thing in– )' O~ are not fulfil1ing the purpose for« · ;different. ' Why then was it wrong ,vh1ch ) ou were ' 'called out" and ,·(, I for them to continue buyin,g and saved. If your music does not glorify if~) 1 1,eating thi meat old in the temple God, it is ~I . It is wrong. It shou1dU~,<~ftmeat market that had once been of- JANUARY, 1968 PAGE 10 l'crcll to iclol~? Sin1r>ly thi s: Alt1hot1 gl cnti ng the 111cnl in il~clf was har n1 le""· it cot ll (I lca(f a weaker hr<)thcr a, trfty. 1Jy the cxa1nplc o( the n1 att1r< ( ' hric;tian\, the weaker and Jess ma tt1re hris ti an may be tempted tc cal of the meat and by so doing thin~ that the meat had son1e divine qt1a1 ities in itself ancl eventually be Jee. to bet ieve that the id ols really existec as god<;. The weaker brethren's con· <;ciences wot1ld be smitten and the) wot1ld be led away from the suffici ency of Chri t and the existence ol one true and liv,ing God. ThE in h ere is noit in the act itself but i fi the exa111ple which leads another Chris tian into actual sin. Althougt eating ,the meat itself ,is not wron,g P at1l say in verse 13, "Wherefore if ·meat make my brother to of.fend 1 will eat no flesh while the worla s ta ndeth . . ." Examine Yourself! Yott may say ,that you are a strong Ohri tian and the music will not hur t your Christian life. You may be 2 trong Christian and possess the con· trol over the kind of music in whicr you indulge. It may not hurt you1 Christian life, but ,by your 1estimon) l and example you may unknowing]) lead a weaker Christian into sin, a Chri stian who will let that music I control his life and his thoughts and eventu ally lead him to the movie and the dance and other fleshly activities that u sually go hand in hand with worldly music. Many young Chris· tians are striving hard to forget aibou,1 their lives before they were saved. lives that were of.tentimes filled with in such as drinking, wild ,parties and rough living. Yet, every ,time they hear you play that rock-and-roll 01 ensuous pop music that you claim does not hurt you, it brings back itO them memories of sin that they are trying to forget, sin with which the music is so closely connected. Music itself has been known to lead these ones back into the lives of sin from whence they had come. The blame must fall on the one who oaused his brother to stumble. You cannot be too careful about your te~timony i·n all a reas of your lives. Does the music yoit enjoy reflect Jesits Christ iri your life? Examine your music and your en– tire life by these three Bible prin– ciples. Pray over them and ask God to show you w·hat to do. If you or your music is out of line, ,then straighten your testimony and throw the world's music out the window and • let the Lord put ''a new song in yoz,r heart." THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST