Congregational singing about Gospel truth is the lifeblood of Sunday's worship–an act to glorify God by making much of Him. It unifies the weary, work-week-filled worshipers on the focal point of Glory. It reminds us of the beautiful truth that Christ brought to our attention over 2,000 years ago. It brings us to our knees in the face of our Creator. It causes us to the raise our hands in surrender, as our hearts reminisce on what we know of the Trinity, taught to us through the Bible. After all, salvation is knowing who God is. Worship is what mankind naturally does in the light of such knowing.
Oftentimes, tears flood the eyes of those in the congregation who have experienced the overwhelming grace and mercy that Jesus presented to the world on the cross–that anyone who believes in him would not die in their sins, but have eternal life with him. Oh, that sweet truth that we have locked in our souls, shown on our faces in Sunday worship. Beautiful surrender.
This is the pinnacle of eternity. The cross. Worshiping God the Son, giving His life for us. A ransom for our sins.
And how often we easily forget that truth.
In the face of the hustle of the week, all believers need to be encouraged because we have inevitably separated our minds from the joy of the gospel. We live in a body that battles the temptation to sin, and it is tiresome. Particularly when we give in. How heavy the world can be. Weary, weak, forgiven sinners must find a resting place. Where do we go for mental solace?
One way can be found in Ephesians 5:18-19, "...be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." We can find solace in remembering who Jesus is. We draw strength from Him, and we must congregate with others who believe the same. We can remember this strength by singing songs alongside each other about the Lord, to the Lord.
That is why it is absolutely crucial to be reminded of the gospel, the truth of scripture, and the attributes of God in congregational singing. Worship preaches that God is worthy of praise. It's a testimony to the truth of the gospel.
So, why is it so hard to find the clarity of the gospel in modern Christian music?
It won't take long for anyone with the ability to google the top Christian tracks this past year to find music that can easily be mistaken for a pop love song, due to the lack of depth and clarity of the lyrics. Sorry y'all, but "Oceans (Where My Feet May Fall)" by Hillsong United may be a beautiful song about the struggles of life in general, but it does not tell anyone of the gospel.
I want to be clear that I'm not doubting that we should be thankful for the very personal and beautiful way that God has provided us a unique testimony in this life, and speak about it eagerly and even sing about it.
But what I am saying is that when we come together for worship, let us fall down in the face of the truth of the gospel and not our testimonies in feel-good songs focusing in on that feeling alone. Worship cannot be true if it falls back on you. It will show the watching world that Christians worship the works produced in us because of the gospel, thus ourselves, and not Jesus. Our works (and raising of hands, and dancing, and weeping during worship) are a result of our recognizing Jesus as first in our lives. We do not appeal for Him to "take the wheel." He is already there, and we must come to understand this or else we fight the truth of the gospel for the entirety of our lives and die and spend all of eternity wishing we had the capacity to know and worship Jesus while we were still alive.
It is undeniably crucial that these two types of Christian songs do not become mixed in our own hearts, lest we begin to worship something altogether not Jesus and allow sin to enter into us.
This year, I challenge you (and myself) to be humble in our worship. Let us be like the One we love, who was so obsessed with God and His will, that He ran to the terror of the cross in an act of worship.
May we be so bold as to gaze at the truth of Glory, and burst into true and lasting worship.
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