"Instrumental Music"

I knew the time would come. I was asked about the "instrumental music" issue in worship and where I stand on it. I am not real certain what I write will make much difference because this debate has gone on so long in the church and continues to be a 'hot' topic. I have heard the pros and cons for years and I have heard about every angle from they "used instruments in the Old Testament" to "God doesn't say it is wrong." Some that will read this will wonder why we even bother with such a question. I bother with this question simply because someone trusted me enough to ask and I need to respond to sincere questions with the openness that is asked.

Honorable people seek to honor God. Let me share with you a couple of quick things so we won't belabor this issue and you roll your eyes as "another lesson on instrumental music." First, by being honorable in wanting to honor God, we look closely at the Old Testament temple worship. They had temple singers and trumpeters. There were harps and flutes and all sorts of instruments. However, in looking closely, none of these were used in the Holy Place or Holy of Holies in the presence of God. I just wanted us to note that. In turning to the New Testament, there is no mention of an instrument used in worship at any time. Does this give credence to the issue? Today, we want to fight and argue over every denomination that uses instrumental music, condemning them. But we miss the point. If every denomination dropped their usage of instrumental music, then they would be saved? If one is not baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, they are still outside of Christ. Being outside of Christ, they are not bound by God to any righteousness (Rom. 6:20). How they worship changes nothing! We need to be careful and sober minded.

Secondly, we find that the first usage of an instrument after the resurrected Christ was somewhere in the neighborhood of 670 AD. That's the first recorded history we have. That means it was 640 later that man introduced the instrument in worship. That tells us that instrumental music under the new covenant was a man-made tradition. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." (Col. 2:8) What does this say to us? Once instrumental music is introduced into the worship assembly, it cannot be taken out because people are taken captive by it! I am not trying to be argumentative and those who know me well know that about me. I am trying to help us see how easily we can be taken captive and stay captive to something that was never in existence under the new covenant of Christ. The arguments arise because "captivity" is the issue "rather than according to Christ."

There is too much division. Our society has placed on us so many different ideas of individualism that it has affected the church. Something doesn't go our way or agree with our understanding (and I am speaking of opinions, not revealed truth), we just divide. There is little acceptance and love. The devil is having a great time watching us kill each other with ideas and words, and we never seem to understand what it means to love and accept one another as Christ accepted us (Rom. 15:7). It is heart breaking. I ask us to center our minds and hearts around the heart and mind of Jesus and let's stop all the nonsense that divides us. Honor God! Honor Jesus! Division is not honorable but creates self-righteousness!