Concerning Secular and Sacred Music part 1

 

Concerning Secular and Sacred Music part 1

I believe in the sacredness of life.  Furthermore, I believe that all of a Christian musician’s musicing must come under the Lordship of Christ.  No part of the musical efforts of a Christian is done in a vacuum that escapes the simple fact that Christ must be Lord of all music and musicing whether it  is a sacred or secular experience. The Bible states very clearly in 1Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”. Paul’s discussion was addressed to eating meat that was sacrificed to idols.  However, I have no philosophical objection to the belief that in the process of living out a life of “living sacrifice” unto God, all of what a Christian musician does, in the large picture, must bring glory and honor to God or at least it must be amenable to the cause of Christ.

 By categorizing music and musicing into sacred and secular music, I am in no way saying that a Christian’s secular musicing should ever dishonor or bring a reproach upon the Lord Jesus Christ.  However, there is absolutely no Bible support for the notion that a Christian musician is required to perform only sacred music.  That being said, a  Christian  is obligated to make wise choices of all the music he or she performs—be it either sacred or secular. Failure to distinguish between sacred and secular, sacred and profane, appropriate and inappropriate,  sets the Christian musician up philosophically to not be able to support the belief that there is at times a great difference in the essential character of sacred and secular music.