The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture-the hymnbook of Heaven

PART TWO
The authority and sufficiency of scripture-the hymnbook of Heaven

14. The highest worship of God is the preaching of His Word. (Luther) We cannot honor God more than listening to his Word with an obedient life. Music that is saturated accurately with the truth of God's Word is worthy of worship to the Lord. (Romans 10:14-17)

15. There is only one inspired, infallible rule and authority for all matters of life and godliness and it is the sufficient, pure, perfect, inerrant Word of God. (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16)

16. For God has even "exalted His Word above His name." (Psalm 138:2)

17. God's Word is His ultimate revelation and is thoroughly accurate, comprehensive and exhaustive in all its parts, even as it speaks to theology proper (the doctrine of God), doctrine, ethics, religious practice, science, geography, history (redemptive and actual), or any other topic. (Psalm 12:6; 119:160; John 17:17)

18. All Scripture must harmonize (agree) with itself and thus interpret itself. Therefore, the greatest commentary and interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself. ( 2 Peter 3:15-16)

19. Theology (the Word of God) and doxology ( a word of glory, a note of praise, or a saying ascribing worth) are inseparable. As David says, "Thy statutes are my songs, in the house of my pilgrimage." His Word is our music, His lawbook is our songbook, and His statutes are our songs. (Psalm 119: 54, 172)

20. Scripture speaks to all of life-therefore, our music may speak to every aspect of living. However, it must be based upon and not contrary to God's Word in principle, ethic, content and conduct. ( 2 Timothy 3: 16-17; 2 Peter 1:3-4)

21. For instance, Esther and Song Of Solomon are the only books in the Bible that never mention the name of God. Yet, they speak with absolute clarity about the sovereignty of God in the political arena and of the beautiful expression of physical intimacy between a man and a woman in the context of a faithful, committed marriage.

22. In this Biblical world-view where are those like St. Paul, engaging the unsaved on Mars Hill, explaining "The Unknown God" in the midst of worldly philosophy and beliefs? That requires wisdom, integrity, cognitive reasoning, and a profound understanding of God's Word and unwavering courage to communicate the truth in love. (Acts 17: 16-34)

23. As artists we have a tremendous responsibility to exegete the times. We are teachers of God's truth, through the arts, that are deserving of a more strict judgement. (Colossians 3:16; James 3:1)

24. Paul soberly proclaims, "we are not like, as so many, peddling the Word of God for profit…." ( 2 Corinthians 2:17a) To peddle means to make retail of, to huckster or to pawn something off as merchandise.

25. Isaiah 1:22 uses the same Greek word in the LXX as Paul uses for "peddling" when saying, "Your silver has become dross and your wine mixed with water." Those who mix wine and water did so to cheat the buyer. It resembled real wine and had the aroma of real wine, but in actuality was nothing more than a watered-down substitute- a cheap imitation.

26. Paul sternly warns that there are many con men who by slick eloquence and deceptive speech huckster or corrupt the true Word of God as retail merchandise; they dilute its truth to suit itching ears, while representing it as genuine, to purposely deceive and cheat the recipient for the sake of financial gain.( 2 Corinthians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:3-5)

27. As Paul admonishes he also affirms, "but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:17b)

28. We have been given a sacred trust and holy privilege to be a steward of the mysteries of God in music ministry. If our music does not square with the truth of God's Word, it must be rejected and cannot be embraced as profitable for godliness, beneficial exhortation to the church or as an effectual proclamation of the gospel. Dare we take it flippantly? ( 1 Corinthians 4:1f; 2 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)

29. Artistic license may be enjoyed when describing personal testimonies or life experiences, but our music must conform precisely to Biblical truth when addressing the person of God and His character, the gospel of Jesus Christ or the working of the Holy Spirit. (Psalm 50:16-23; 1 Timothy 6:3-5)

30. We need artists who will balance their zeal with knowledge to invest their lives in the daily discipline of Bible study, and then, to write with the fire, passion and enthusiasm which that study has illumined to communicate the glorious language of the church-the holy Word of God. (Psalm 1, 119)

31. For if in our worship we pervert His Word, we pervert the truth about God. If in our music we distort His doctrine, we distort a right view of Him. If in our song we misrepresent the Scriptures, we misrepresent the Savior. And if in our ministries we twist His truth, we dishonor His character. (2 Timothy 2:15)

32. Failure here is costly-for it is tantamount to breaking the third commandment: "do not take the name of the Lord God in vain." (Exodus 20:7)

33. We are to crave the Word (1 Peter 2:2); have a delight in, a longing for and love of it (Ibid.); preach, admonish, exhort, and teach its truth (2 Timothy 4:2); take it as our song (Psalm 119:54); hide it deep in our hearts (Ibid. 119:11); meditate upon it (Ibid. 1:2); obey it (John 14:15); proclaim it (Matthew 4:23); guard it (1 Timothy 6:20); hope it (Romans 15:4); be sanctified by it (John 17:17); desire it more than all the world's delicacies and treasure it more than all the world's riches (Psalm 19:10); to be hearers and doers of it (James 1:22); contend for it (Jude 3); rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15); never add to it or take away from it (Revelation 22:18-19); for it is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true (Psalm 19:7-9).