Musicing about God, for God with God’s Grace-part 4

Musicing about God, for God with God’s Grace-part 4

             A musician who performs or leads others in sacred music must have the grace (charis 5485) God in his or her heart.  This Scripture is not referring to man’s charisma but rather God’s grace.  Although it appears that in the late 20^th century and now in the 21^st century many Bible translators have taken the view that charis should be translated in this verse as gratitude or in a graceful manner.  I see no logical reason t not follow the majority opinion of the earlier Bible exegetes that this Greek word should connote the grace of God that has been shed abroad in the hearts of men and women who have been truly “born again”.  Tis word should here represent God’s saving grace that changed the whole-life of the “new man”.

          With the aforementioned exegetical understanding, this verse strongly teaches that church musicians must be “born again” before they sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in God’s house.  No amount of artistic, graceful, respectful, or thankful musicing can take the place of the church musician being a born-again Christian who has the Grace of God operating in his or her life.

Thought for the Day

Even in the Old Testament, the Levite musicians were commanded to live a holy life.  Mal 3:3 states, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”