This is a term paper I wrote at the end of this year on why I believe the Contemporary Christian Music today is unBiblical. It is Copywrited. Enjoy!

In the spacious-but-crowded concert hall one can feel the steady drums thumping in one’s chest. The colored lights shine from above, moving across the audience, reflecting faces with heavy make-up and piercings. People young and old have both hands in the air, bodies swaying to the lyrics and feet stomping to the beat. The guitar screeches, slicing countless eardrums with its squeal, as the loud bass bumps along on the off-beat. The scruffy-faced teenaged boy, clad proudly in ripped Levis and an Aeropostale T-shirt, steps up to the microphone stand and croons breathily into the receiver.

Where does the scene described above take place? It is not, as one might have guessed, at a rock concert. It is, in fact, the description of a praise and worship service in many churches today. What God has described as a holy communion between Himself and man has become nearly synononymous with a rock concert. All that lacks is the shooting of drugs and downing of alcohol to make the image complete. What brings this rough bunch of people together? A dangerous movement called Contemporary Christian Music (CCM).

This relatively recent genre of music began as an innocent attempt of Christian musicians to woo younger generations to Christ. What began as an evangelizing tool has rapidly evolved into a revolution of sin in churches across America. What was once used as a hook and lure for fishers of men is now perverted to the benefit of Satan, who uses the same tackle to hook a fish of a different kind: Christians. CCM is not godly music; therefore it has no place in worship.

The Word of God clearly teaches against blending the worship of God and the practices of the world. In Exodus 32, the Bible describes the story of when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai to find that Israel was defiling herself by trying to blend the means of worship from Egypt (the world) with worship of the Lord.

Brother Aaron Mast accounts in Heartland Baptist Bible College’s Philosophy of Music course syllabus, “We understand from the text that the golden calf was not for worshipping another god, but rather a new way to worship Jehovah.” In verse 5 of the same chapter, Aaron the priest declares the idolatrous party to be a feast to the Lord. Clearly this reveals an act of worship-blending. How well the CCM crowd’s claims of “modern worship” fit into the golden calf mold!

Supporters of the movement commonly say something to the extent of, “It’s the same old worship: it’s just presented in a way that fits our culture today!” Religious music companies openly advertise “Christian” equivalents to all of the latest styles, which, due to the worldly origin, target (feed) the flesh. This “modern”, “up-to-date” mindset of believers today is absolutely against what the Word of God says. The Bible clearly teaches separation and non-conformity to the world’s mold. CCM quite obviously ignores these biblical principles and sets its own standard: carving its own philosophy simply because they are “reaching people” and because the music brings the younger generations in like herds of cattle being gathered to the slaughter. Viewing the origin, purpose and practices of CCM, one can truly say that the genre of music certainly blends habits of the world (musical style) with worship of Jehovah (Godly words).

Galatians 5:17 reveals the relationship between the flesh and the Spirit: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” The flesh and the Spirit are in continuous warfare: like a tug-of-war struggle, the things we submit ourselves to will add players to either the Spirit’s side or the flesh’s side. Which team do we want to have more pull over us: the flesh (our desires) or the Spirit (God’s desires)? From the facts and the verses viewed, we can clearly see that CCM can be a cause of spiritual paralysis.

Peter affirms our need to stifle carnality and exhorts us in I Peter 1:14-15; “[Be] …As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; …” (Emphasis mine) A lust is a desire of the heart: it is a craving or longing for something to the extent that one would disobey the Word of God to satisfy. Music certainly qualifies as a lust: should one attempt to rob a teen of his iPod or other music generator, one is sure to learn quickly just how strong a desire music can become in one’s heart.

One of the most skilled composers, J.S. Bach, once said, “All music should have no other end than the glory of God.” Oftentimes the Christian Rock groups are not primarily singing for the glory of God, but performing for the exaltation of their reputation by how excited they can make the crowd. This circus, put on behind many pulpits today, is often referred to as “praise and worship”, but I put forth that it is neither. “Praise” is defined as a lifting up, an exalting of God with our words and actions. This does not mean aping around the stage, riling audiences with charisthma or making a show of how “spiritual” one is. This is realizing God for who He is and telling the world about it! Likewise, “Worship” is getting low before God, acknowledging how unworthy we ourselves are, and lifting Him on high for how above He is! It is bowing before His presence and, as a result, praising Him. Worship of God is certainly not defined as strutting about or show-casing one’s voice in a sweeping solo that warrants the laud of others. When CCM is performed in churches, it contains few qualities of either “praise” or “worship”.

Jesus once said, after he had thrown the merchantmen out of His temple, “…Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.” How similar are the scenarios! CCM companies are mainly looking to sell CD’s and market their bands–not bring glory to God. If this were not the case, the companies would put out more sheet music for local church specials and congregational than iPod singles! By allowing CCM to infiltrate our worship, we are welcoming merchantmen into our houses of prayer.

One might put forth the idea that a powerful message in a CCM song overrules any musical deterrency, but the Word of God says differently. In Haggai 2:12-13, the Bible describes: “If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch [something unclean], shall it be holy? and the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean… touch [something holy], shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.” As we can see from the text, if something clean mixes with something unclean the clean is the party affected. It is like taking a clean hand and touching a pat of mud: does the hand become “dirt-y”, or does the dirt become “hand-y”? As it is with hands and mud, so it is with lyrics and music: no matter how holy and clean the message is, it becomes unclean when they mix with a worldly sound or style. Not even powerful lyrics are an excuse to submit the Spirit to flesh-stroking music!

All of these principles return again and again to I Peter, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” The Word of God tells us that we are to be different from the world in every way: including what kind of music we sit under. When the songs we listen to pull the flesh one way and the Spirit another, it causes spiritual paralysis, and our walk goes nowhere, and this brings absolutely no glory or praise to God. We are to be separate from the world and its ideas and influences: therefore, Contemporary Christian Music is not godly music and it has no place in worship.