You Can’t Judge Someone’s Spirituality

You Can’t Judge Someone’s Spirituality

Jim Van Gelderen



Recently, I was at a meeting where some preachers were discussing a coming ministry project. When the conversation turned to music, the comment was made, “You can’t judge someone’s spirituality by their music.” Although the statement didn’t seem quite right, it wasn’t until a bit later that I was struck with how wanting the statement was when matched up against the Scripture.

All of us are familiar with the command God has given each one of us to “be filled with the Spirit.” What we may not readily remember is that this mandate is followed by five participles. Each of these participles hinges off the verb “be filled.” There is a language like here. I believe they are participles of result. Perhaps a Greek scholar would argue for another usage, but that is not the point. The action of “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” is related to being “filled with the Spirit.” In other words, Spirit-filled believers are involved with “spiritual songs.”

One of the earmarks of a Spirit-filled believer is that his music is spiritual and not carnal. Often in the New Testament the word “spiritual” is contrasted with the word “carnal.” Obviously when God by inspiration put the adjective “spiritual” on the noun “songs,” it was for a reason. Spirit-filled people are not involved with carnal, fleshly or sensual songs especially in a worship context. They are involved in singing “spiritual songs.” Someone might well ask, “What is spiritual music and what is fleshly music?” Simply put, spiritual music appeals to the spirit and fleshly music appeals to the flesh. Why does a barroom use the music it does? It is because that music is consistent with its appeal to the flesh. Why does a nightclub use the music it does? It is for the same reason. Think how humorous it is to imagine John Phillips Souza playing in a barroom. The music is obviously inconsistent with the atmosphere. In 1975 Time magazine did a poll of 1,000 unmarried girls in North Florida. The poll “revealed 984 of the 1,000 unmarried girls sampled had become pregnant listening to pop songs -during fornication, of course.” That is astounding! The tragedy is the pop style of the 70’s is what is being played in our churches. And as a result the flesh is being fed right in our churches. Of course this is not new. In Exodus 32 you find the golden calf incident. The New Testament calls it idolatry. Why was it called idolatry? I Corinthians 10:7 answers that question. “Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Note what God called idolatry. It was not the making of the golden calf. It was their sensuality in the context of worship. “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Remember, this was “a feast to the Lord.” Folks, when we bring the flesh and sensuality into so-called worship, it is idolatry!

That means if one is involved in listening to or performing or singing sensual, carnal music, he is not Spirit filled. That is God’s Word. People “filled with the Spirit” use “spiritual songs.” One might say, “Well, I went to this Christian concert and 100 teens were saved. How can that be wrong?” Or, “I feel so close to God after listening to this music. How can it be wrong?” And the answer is obvious. It does not matter how we feel or what are the visible results. Objective truth of God’s Word supersedes the vacillating subjective experiences of man.

One may be sincere. He may be genuine. But if he is involved with carnal songs, he is not filled with the Spirit, and therefore he is not spiritual. You see, you can judge a person’s spirituality by their music. Ephesians 5:18-19 tells us so.


from www.ptwm.org