Country Music: A Safe Alternative?

Speakin' Of The Devil

He's got a way of walkin'
He's got a way of talkin'
A way to fascinate me all the time
And he's got a way with women
A way to keep my head a swimmin'
He's got away too many times

Ooh, speakin' of the devil
He is drivin' me wild
With that wicked little grin
And that fire in his eyes
He's got me dreamin'
Got me steamin'
Ooh, speakin' of the devil
It feels mighty close to heaven
And I'd go through hell to make him mine

This is very typical of Country music. Country takes a flippant, whimsical view when it comes to the Bible, Jesus Christ and the Devil. The Bible makes it clear that the devil is our adversary and sin is horrible that it nailed God’s Son to the cross.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

Dolly Parton in her album, “Halos and Horns,” covers the heavy metal band Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Here’s what Dolly had to say about the song:

“I was scared to death to send it to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. They sent word back that it was fine and they loved it. In fact, Robert Plant said he’d always thought of it as a spiritual song, and he was thrilled we’d used a choir on it, because he thought about that, too. If they like it, that’s most important to me. But I do hope the public will accept it too. I even hope they love it. (http://www.dolly.net/cutbycut.htm).

Dolly also performed the John Lennon song “Imagine” on her 2005 album called “Those Were The Days.” Here are the lyrics:

Imagine there's no heavenIt's easy if you tryNo hell below usAbove us only skyImagine all the peopleLiving for todayImagine there's no countriesIt isn't hard to doNothing to kill or die forAnd no religion tooImagine all the peopleLiving life in peaceYou may say I'm a dreamerBut I'm not the only oneI hope some day you'll join usAnd the world will be oneImagine no possessionsI wonder if you canNo need for greed or hungerA brotherhood of manImagine all the peopleSharing all the worldYou may say I'm a dreamerBut I'm not the only oneI hope some day you'll join usAnd the world will live as one

Hank Williams Jr

Hank Williams Jr., the son of legendary Hank William,s tells his philosophy of life in many of his songs. Here are just a few:

Good friends, good whiskey, and good lovin', I want to thank you Lord. - Hank Williams Jr., “Good friends, good whiskey, and good lovin’”

Somewhere between raising hell and amazing grace, Lord I know just how they feel. - Hank Williams Jr., “Country State of Mind”

We say grace and we say M’am. If you ain't into that, we don't give a EXPl. - Hank Williams, Jr., “Country Boy Can Survive”

We make our own whiskey and our own smoke, too. Ain't too many things these ole boys can't do. - Hank Williams Jr., “Country Boy Can Survive”

I get whiskey bent and hell bound. - Hank Williams, Jr., “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound”

Artist: Williams Hank JrSong: If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like DixieAlbum: That's How They Do It In Dixie - The Essential Collection

If heaven ain't a lot like DixieI don't wanna goIf heaven ain't a lot like DixieI'd just as soon stay home I was one of the chosen fewTo be born in AlabamI'm just alike my daddy's sonI'm proud of who I amI went through a lot of good womenAnd shook old Jim Beam's handIf I never see the pearly gatesI've walked through the promised land If heaven ain't a lot like DixieI don't wanna goIf heaven ain't a lot like DixieI'd just as soon stay homeIf they don't have a Grand Ole OpryLike they do in TennesseeJust send me to hell or New York CityIt would be about the same to me I've got wild honey trees and crazy little weedsGrowin around my shackThese dusty roads ain't streets of goldBut I'm a happy right where I'm atAll these pretty little southern belles Are a country boy's dreamThey ain't got wings or halosBut they sure look good to me
Country music is no doubt a much sought after commodity, but at what expense to the listener. The Bible clearly points out the fallacies of following such things.

Psalms 5:5 “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”

Proverbs 9:6 “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”

Proverbs 18:2 “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.”

Tanya Tucker

Tanya Tucker has a song called “Texas When I Die” that basically talks about loving Texas more than heaven. In I John, God gives us a much different story.

1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Texas When I Die LyricsArtist(Band):Tanya Tucker
Ed Bruce/Bobby Borchers?Patsy Bruce
When I die I may not go to heavenI don't know if they let cowboys inIf they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy!Texas is as close as I've been.

New York couldn't hold my attentionDetroit City couldn't sing my songIf tomorrow finds me busted flat in DallasI won't care, 'cause at least I'll know I'm home.

When I die I may not go to heavenI don't know if they let cowboys inIf they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy!Texas is as close as I've been.

I'd ride through all of Hell and half of TexasJust to hear Willie Nelson sing a country songBeer just ain't as cold in old MilwaukeeMy body's here, but my soul's in San Antone.

When I die I may not go to heavenI don't know if they let cowboys inIf they don't just let me go to Texas, Boy!Texas is as close as I've been.
Charley Pride

Kiss an Angel Good Morning, 1971

Whenever I chance to meetsome old friends on the streetThey wonder how does a man get to be this wayI've always got a smiling faceAnytime and any placeAnd every time they ask me why I just smile and sayYou've got to Kiss an angel good morningand let you know you think about her when you're goneKiss an angel good morningand love her like the devil when you get back homeWell people may try to guessThe secret of a happinessbut some of them never learn it's a simple thingThe secret i'm speaking ofIs a woman and a man in loveand the answer is in this song that i always singYou've got to Kiss an angel good morningand let you know you think about her when you're goneKiss an angel good morningand love her like the devil when you get back home
Your So Good When You're Bad, 1982

You're a lady, you're an angel, Bringin' sunshine to my life.You're closest thing Heaven that I've ever had.Oh, but sometimes, you're a devil,When you reach out and dim the lights,An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.You would never hurt anybody,You're too gentle sweet and kind,Still I keep on doin' things that make you sad.But you don't hold out on your feelin's,When there's lovin' on your mind.An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.I could say that you're the perfect woman,And if it's not, it's just because of me.'Cause I'm hung up on the perfect woman,An' I don't know how I deserve to be.I see other pretty women,An' Lord, they still, they look good to me.An' there are some ladies that can drive some men mad.But when an angel let's her hair down,Oh, that's something else to see.An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.An' I say, mmm mmm, you're so good when you're bad.
We should heed these strong warnings from God’s Word and not take them lightly. Groups like the Kendalls have been around for years. This song came out in 1977. Sin is such a serious thing with God. Many in Country music have an almost nonchalant, lackadaisical view of sin, but God Almighty sees it so seriously that He sent His only begotten Son to die for it.

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

The Kendalls

from the album Let the Music Play / Heaven's Just a Sin Away

Heaven's just a sin away, oh oh just a sin awayI can't wait another day, I think I'm giving inHow I long to hold you tight, oh oh be with you tonightBut that still don't make it right, cause I belong to himOh way down deep inside, I know that it's all wrongBut your eyes keep tempting me, and I never was that strongDevil's got me now, oh oh gone and got me nowI can't fight him anyhow, I think he's gonna winHeaven's just a sin away, oh oh just a sin awayHeaven help me when I say, I think I'm giving in

Oh way down deep inside...I think I'm giving in I think I'm giving inI think I'm giving in

It Don’t Feel Like Sinning To MeRecorded by the Kendalls
Written by Curly Putman and Michael Kosser
When we're holding each other in the dark hours of the night There are those who say it's wrong but it's right Cause the way that we feel how much sin can it beLord it don't feel like sinning to meNo it don't feel like sinning to meFeels like love feels like loveNo it don't feel like sinning to meFeels like love feels like loveSo let them talk about us let them gossip awayJealous tongues will find something evil to sayBut if they could remember first love they recallThat it don't feel like sinning at all
Hank Williams Jr. and others in Country music have been chummy with the likes of performers like Kid Rock.

Rock N Roll Jesus LyricsArtist (Band): Kid Rock
Been alotta cheap talk but I rock stillFrom the streets of Shanghai back to KnoxvilleSittin' high on a mountain top holdin' shop spreadin' the good newsBeen alotta false prophets and quick hitsAnd a lot of unAmerican bull#$%^But the time has come to settle and the devil's gonna make u chooseAnd just like a cold wind blowin' can u feel me comin' for uJust like a freight train rollin' packed tight full of rhythm and blues

It's a Rock revivalDon't need a suitYa don't need a bibleGet up and danceI'm gonna set you free yeahTestifyIt's all sex, drugs, rock n rollA soul sensation that you can't controlAnd you can see I practice what I preachI'm your rock n roll JesusYes I amBeen alotta bling bling but it ain't realAnd alotta new kings but I won't kneel
Sittin' high on a mountain top, holdin' shop singin' the raw dog bluesLike in old Mississippi's dirty cotton fieldsOr in Detroit City's unforgotten wheelsIt's the same song spinning but the same song's always been trueAnd I'm gonna take my roll cuz I ain't got nothin' to loseAnd I'm gonna save your soul if it's really what you want me to doGet on your kneesI'm your rock n roll Jesus

Big & Rich
Album Lyrics: Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace [2007]
Between Raising Hell And Amazing GraceI was raised by the good booklearned to work hard every dayThought that if you can't say something goodthere's nothing good to sayAnd I caught on pretty early it's no use to workno harder than you playSo I guess that's how I ended up this way[Chorus:]Somewhere between raising hell and amazing graceIs a place I keep finding myselfYeah I get a little crazy trying to have a little funThen I end up back where I started fromDown on my knees, I prayOh Lord let me see another daySomewhere between raising hell and amazing graceWell I give everything I got, try to give more than I takeFor Heaven's sake I keep on smilingno matter what comes my wayAnd I may be passin' out on Friday nightBut come Sunday I'll be passing the collection plateYeah I know I'm a sinner, but I've got faithOh my good side is what he's gonna seeWhen I'm standing at them Pearly GatesHe'll have nothing but mercy for me
George Jones

These are just a few examples of George Jones who many consider the father of Country music. Many performers today list George Jones as their greatest influence and the reason they are in Country music today.

George Jones as many in country has done several “gospel” albums. Here are some of them.

1) Country Church Time (1959)
2) Homecoming in Heaven (1962)
3) We Love to Sing About Jesus (1972)
4) In a Gospel Way (1974)
5) The Gospel Collection (2003)

Many country singers have no problem going from gospel to secular and back again. One more example from George Jones is his song “Honky Tonk Myself to Death”

Song: Honky Tonk Myself to DeathAlbum: Other Songs
 
Well I don't know why you left meBut I do know that you're goneColder nights, you've turned my life into a sad ol' songAnd one way or another, I gotta get me over youAnd I think there's only one thing left for me to doLord, I don't wanna die of a broken heartThat would be too sadOr drive my car off a cliffYou see, that would just hurt too badAnd if I tied a rope around my neckI couldn't get my breath
So I think I'll just honky tonk myself to deathWell, I might get a little bit crazyBut I don't wanna go insaneYoung Wendy and Dan's ol' whiskeyWell it might just kill the painI'm gonna find the highest barstool and I'mma climb up to the topYeah, I think I'll just drink and two-step till I dropOh, I don't wanna die of a broken heartThat would be too sadOr drive my car off a cliffYou see, that would just hurt too badAnd if I tied a rope around my neckI couldn't get my breathSo I think I'll just honky tonk myself to deathAnd if I tied a rope around my neckI couldn't get my breathSo I think I'll just honky tonk myself to death

16 Biggest Hits Tammy Wynette and George JonesGod's gonna get 'cha for that(1975)
God's gonna get 'cha for thatGod's gonna get 'cha for thatThere's no place to run and hideFor He knows where you're atGod's gonna get 'cha for thatGod's gonna get 'cha for thatEvery wrong thing that you doGod's gonna get 'cha for thatThis doggone world we're living inIt's giving me a fitIt seems like everywhere I turnI see a hypocriteWell, if ya wanna go to heavenWell, you can't live like thatSo let me tell you, brotherGod's a-gonna get 'cha for thatNow, the preacher in our churchHe's a mighty devoted manEverybody thinks, that he's a-goin' to the Promised LandBut the other night on a country roadWhile I was a-drivin' throughI caught the preacher makin' love
Now oh Sister Bessie, she like to testifyShe says, 'I'll always love the Lord, someday I'm a-gonna flyBut the other night while goin' by the local liquor storeI caught oh Sister Bessie, flyin' out the doorGod's gonna get 'cha for that, yeah (get 'cha for that)God's gonna get 'cha for that (get 'cha for that)There's no place to run and hideFor He knows where you're at

Garth Brooks

Song: Beer Run (B-double E-double Are You In?) (Garth Brooks with George Jones)Album: Scarecrow

Twenty-five minutes past quitting timeSeven of us crammed into that truck of minePaying no attention to them highway signsGoing 90 mile an hour toward that county lineQuick sack, 12 pack, back againIt's a B-double E-double are you in?My buddy and their babies letting down their hairAs long as were together it don't matter whereAin't got a lot of money but we just don't careKnowing that the fun is in the getting thereAztec, long necks, paychecks spentIt's a B, double E, double R, U, NOh I cant stop thinkingWhat the hell they were drinkingWhen they made this county dryI got a week long thirst and what makes it worselord it's my turn to driveLaughing and a bragging and a' carrying onWe loaded up the wagon and we headed homeI guess half a dozen cases doesn't last that longCome tomorrow morning it'll be all goneIt's turn around, leave town, sounds againLike a B, double E, double R, U, N
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/index.html

Here are a few of the more recent song lyrics from current Country music performers.

Eric Church

Song: Sinners Like MeAlbum: Sinners Like Me

I was fifteen when my daddy's old manCaught me half way through my first beerHe laughed so hard when my face turned greenHe said “You come from a long line of sinners like me”Now me and my brother go to see him some timesBut he don't have much to say anymoreSo we sit on his headstone with a fifth of Jack D.Here's to a long line of sinners like meLa de dah de dahLa de dah dah de deI come from a long line of sinners like meMy mama had a soft spot for a hell raisin' boySo she had two more just like himIt takes an angel to raise a familyThat comes from a long line of sinners like me Well now maybe who knows one day I'll settle downGive my dad a grandson of his ownAnd when the doctor smacks him, he'll probably take a swingCause he'll come from a long line of sinners like meLa de dah de dahLa de dah dah de deI come from a long line of sinners like meOn the day I dieI know where I'm gonna goMe and Jesus got that part worked outI'll wait at the gates til his face I seeAnd stand in a long line of sinners like meI'll stand in a long line of sinners like meHere’s to a long line of sinners like meI come from a long line of sinners like me

http://www.cowboylyrics.com/index.html

These songs pretty much sum up what Country music is today. Living a shallow and weak “Christian” life is good enough and there seems to be little desire if any to live a godly, faithful Christian life.

Jessica Andrews

Summer Girl

I drive an army jeep
My bumper sticker reads
"Drink till he's cute"
That's what I'm gonna do
Ain't got no serious thing
Don't wear a diamond ring
I got a new tattoo
I think you'll like the view

And in my mind the sun shines
All the time

CHORUS:
'Cause I'm just a summer girl
I wear my flip flops
When I let my hair down
That's when the party starts
Who needs a boyfriend
I got my girlfriends
When we get together
The summer never ends

Tank tops and cut-off jeans
Bikinis and belly rings
We'll make that scene
When the DJ plays "Dancing Queen"
Fellas lay your money down
We'll let you buy a round
Don't push your luck
Don't get more than your hopes up

In my world, day or night
Rain or shine

BRIDGE:
Everybody needs a little ray of sunshine
Everybody needs time to unwind
Everybody's gotta have a good time
I'm just a summer girl
Everybody get up on your feet
Everybody gotta shake your body
Everybody got a right to be free
I'm just a summer girl

Andy Griggs
Song: How Cool Is ThatAlbum: Freedom
How Cool Is That
 
She's the last girlI thought I'd ever see hereThere stands a preacher's daughterHoldin' a beerTattoo of angelOn the small of her backHow cool is that?She probably don't remember meIt's been a long, long timeAbout then she turned aroundAnd kinda stared at me and smiledShe said, "I had the hots for youIn Sunday School class"But tell me how cool is that?How cool is a hot summer nightWhen the stars line upAnd everything feels just rightHow cool is knowing insideThat I'm the one she's looking atWith that look in her eyes.About then I asked ifShe was still seeing old what's-his-nameShe said, "Has it really been that longOw, how things have changed"She brushed her hair back and said,"Lets not talk about the past"How cool is that?How cool is a hot summer nightWhen the stars line upAnd everyting feels just rightHow cool is knowing insideThat I'm the one she's looking atWith that look in her eyes.How cool is knowing insideThat I'm the one she's looking atWith that look in her eyes.She was the last girlI thought I'd ever see hereThere stands a preacher's daughterHolding a beer.

Ty Herndon
Lyrics for Song: SteamLyrics for Album: Steam

GoSteam from a summer raindropRising off the blacktopI wipe the sweat from my browSteam on my radiatorI'm late and getting laterShould be at your place by nowBank sign says 102But that ain't nothing when I'm next to youThere's fire in your fingertipsFlames in your touchDesire in your burning lipsCan't get enoughToday was a scorcherBut I'll go you one betterTonight when we get togetherWe're gonna make steamI dream of you there on my front stepsSunning in that short dressHotter than the Texas heatSeems I'm never gonna get thereTraffic's going nowhereBut when I feel you next to meGirl the things you know to doJust make my heat index go through the roofThere's fire in your fingertipsFlames in your touchDesire in your burning lipsCan't get enoughToday was a scorcherBut I'll go you one betterTonight when we get togetherWe're gonna make steamGirl the things you know to doJust make my heat index go through the roofFlames in your touchDesire in your burning lipsCan't get enoughToday was a scorcherBut I'll go you one betterTonight when we get togetherWe're gonna make steamSteamHa ha haWe're gonna make steamCome on

John Michael Montgomery

Lyrics for Song: Little DevilLyrics for Album: Letters From Home

C'mon sugar, take off your sneakersC'mon Baby, let down your hairI wanna see what's behind those glassesI gotta know what's under thereDon't worry about what your mama told yaDon't worry about what your friends might saySlide over here, lemme kiss and hold youTime for you to come out and play(Chorus)C'mon little angel wontcha be my little devil tonightC'mon little angel wontcha be my little devil tonightI got a batch of margaritas, a jacuzzi in the backClapton on the radio, how about thatWe could build a fire, yeah we could go nutsDancing all around 'til the sun comes upI know a place between here and heavenWe could cut loose and come undoneAin't nothin' wrong with a little livin'The day is gone but the night's still young(Repeat Chorus)This can be our little secret

FORNICATION AND ADULTERY

As we have seen, the sensual pleasure of sex outside of holy matrimony is a major theme of Country music. If it feels good and the two parties agree, it is O.K. “Nothin’ wrong with a little livin’.”

This is the devil’s lie. God’s Word issues powerful warnings against fornication and adultery. Not only does it have major consequences in this life, but it also has eternal consequences. Fornication will not be “our little secret,” because God sees all things, and His Word warns, “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

“So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts” (Proverbs 6:29-35).

“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7).

TOP 20 COUNTRY DRINKING SONGS

We have also seen that drinking is a major theme of Country music. Recently The Boot online magazine voted on the top 20 “Drinking” songs. This gives a crystal clear look at the character of Country music and how drinking is glorified. Some of the songs and musicians go back to the 50' and 60's. Only the Lord knows how many Country music fans have committed violent acts, estranged their children and friends, committed fornication and adultery, destroyed their marriages, crashed their vehicles, ruined their health, died before their time, and lost their souls -- all because of “drinking.”

Consider some examples:

“Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson (1973)

“Whiskey River take my mind / Don't let her mem'ry torture me. / Whiskey River, don't run dry / You're all I've got, take care of me."

“Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks (1990)
 
“I've got friends in low places / Where the whiskey drowns / And the beer chases my blues away / And I'll be OK.”

“Alcohol” by Brad Paisley (2005)

“Since the day I left Milwaukee / Lynchburg, Bordeaux, France / Been makin' the bars lots of big money / And helpin' white people dance.” [The song is sun from the perspective of a bottle of booze.]

“All My Rowdy Friends” by Hank Williams, Jr. (1984)

“Do you wanna drink? / Do ya wanna party? / ... I cooked a pig in the ground, we got some beer on ice / And all my rowdy friends are coming over tonight.”

“Pop a Top” by Alan Jackson (Under the Influence album, 1999)

“Pop a top again / I think I'll have another round / Sit 'em up, my friend / Then I'll be gone and you can let some other fool sit down.”

“I Gotta Get Drunk” by George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson (1970)

“A lot of doctors tell me / That I'd better start slowing it down / But there's more old drunks than there are old doctors / So I guess we'd better have another round.”

“Six Pack Summer” by Phil Vassar (2000)

“Got the ultra-ray wraparound sunglass vision / Got the sails up, iced down, a cool ambition / Just to relax and let the six-pack summer roll.”

“Get Drunk and Be Somebody” by Toby Keith (2003)

Keith also wrote “I Love This Bar,” “Whiskey Girl,” and “Beer for My Horses.”

“Chug-aLug” by Roger Miller (1964)

“Sumpin' like I ain't never seen / And I'm just going on 15 / But with the help of my finaglin' uncle I get snuck in / For my first taste of sin.”

“Beer in Mexico” by Kenny Chesney (2005)

"Sit right here and have another beer in Mexico / Do my best to waste another day / Sit right here and have another beer in Mexico / Let the warm air melt these blues away.”

“Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett (1977)

“There's booze in the blender / And soon it will render / That frozen concoction that helps me hang on.”

“Killin’ Time” by Clint Black (1989)

“If I did the things I oughta / You still would not be mine / So I'll keep a tight grip on the bottle / Gettin' loose and killin' time.”

“It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere,” by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett (2003)

“Pour me something' tall and strong / Make it a hurricane before I go insane / It's only half past twelve / But I don't care / It's five o'clock somewhere.”

“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again” (Proverbs 23:29-35).

CONCLUSION

I could have cited many more examples, but I think this is sufficient. I have no animosity towards anyone within Country music or anyone else for that matter. I think most people would agree that today’s Country music has changed drastically from the old country and western music. Today’s Country music has a thin veneer of wholesomeness about it, but in reality it’s laced with worldly themes, pushing the envelope whenever it can.

I know that it had a very powerful influence on my life and while was listening to country my relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ suffered. I’m convinced Country music played a part in distancing me from the Lord. I never want to go back to those days.

We’re all sinners who need a Savior. None of us merit God’s favor and forgiveness, but by His grace and regeneration through salvation, we are acceptable in His sight. True Christianity is not trying to “live the Christian life.” It is being born again and living a new life by the power of the indwelling Spirit. Jesus said that those who are not born again or converted will not see the kingdom of heaven. The reason so many country singers and listeners seem to hang between “amazing grace and hell” is that they have not been saved. They might have prayed a prayer and been baptized; they might have been raised in a Christian home; they might go to church; but they have not been converted and therefore they have no power to live for Christ. The Bible warns about those who have a “profession” without the “possession.”

Matthew 18:3 Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
 
Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

The “grace” preached through Country music is not the grace described in the Bible. A grace that allows Saturday night fornication and Sunday morning offering taking is not the true grace of Christ.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).

My concern is that many Christians are listening to Country music as an alternative to rock. While not all Country music is like the examples I citied, Country music does have the power to weaken a Christian’s testimony and render us unfit to serve the Lord as we are called to do.

My admonition to those that read this is to be on guard against ALL forms of worldly music. Ask the Lord for discernment.

For those that read this that aren’t saved, my plea is and my desire is for you to be saved today. Here are some verses that will help you to understand how to become a Christian.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 10:9-11 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Psalms 2:11 “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”