Ephesians 5:19: Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Colossians 3:16: Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
These two verses teach the truth about how we must worship God through song.
Notice toward the beginning of both verses that the phrases “speaking to yourselves” and “teaching and admonishing one another” are used. An important purpose of “congregational” singing is to edify one another.
This does not mean though that the purpose of such singing is to please ourselves. Notice the ending of both verses says “to the Lord.”
It is God who we must please. It is God who has the right to determine what is and is not acceptable in our worship. We must therefore follow His commands.
The commands He has given in the New Testament concerning worship in song all reference singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; James 5:13). The examples He has given concerning New Testament worship in song likewise all reference singing (cf. Matt. 26:30; Acts 16:25; 1 Cor. 14:15).
In the Old Testament, worshipping God with instrumental music was acceptable to God (cf. Psalm 33:2), as was offering animal sacrifices. The fact that animal sacrifices were willed by God under the Old Law does not make it so under the Law of Christ. Likewise, the presence of instrumental music in the Old Testament does not make it God’s will for worship today (cf. Col. 2:14).
Some question how worshipping with instrumental music can be a problem if God has not come out directly and said it is sin.
Consider an illustration. If we are asked to paint someone’s kitchen white, we would recognize that it needs to be painted white. The individual asking does not have to say NOT to paint it green, blue, yellow, red, or any other color. The understanding is that white means white alone.
This principle is illustrated in the biblical example of Noah. When God asked him to make an ark of gopher wood, God did not have to list hundreds of woods that could not be used (Gen. 6:14). The command necessarily inferred that gopher wood was all that was acceptable.
The problem with mechanical instruments in worship today is that God commands us to make melody in our heart by singing. Making melody with a piano, organ, or other mechanical instrument is not making melody in our heart by singing. It is worshipping God differently than He commands, which He forbids (Lev. 10:1-2).
Making melody by listening to others sing is likewise not obeying the command. Everyone has a responsibility to sing…not just a select few in a “church choir.” Those who are afraid their singing is “not up to par” should remember that God is their judge and He is listening to their hearts (those tempted to criticize such individuals should remember this too).
Having said all of this, it is important to note that the need for obeying God’s command to sing is not fulfilled only by ensuring our outward actions follow His pattern of “singing.” Consider additional instruction He gives concerning this.
Our singing must be sincere, as indicated by the phrase “making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Our hearts should be moved as we sing words that we mean.
We must also sing with thanksgiving, as pointed out in Colossians 3:16. A thankful, joyful heart that means the words being sung is pleasing to God.
This should be the goal of our worship to God. Mankind can devise numerous ways to worship that seem like a good idea to our fallible minds. Yet, only those who follow God’s commands are showing the love for Him He desires (1 John 5:3).
May we sing with grace and melody in our hearts, and thereby make a sound that is beautiful to God and edifies others.
– Michael Hickox