In reply to:
[color:"blue"]but is it wrong to desire to have your emotions stirred?

No, there is nothing wrong with one's emotions being stirred. However, certain kinds of music, because of the way they are designed, will stir the emotions which are not godly. ALL music moves the emotions. This is what we have been trying to get across to you. EVERYONE knows that some musical forms go directly to the emotive part of man and bypass the intellect entirely. And those emotions which are stirred are contrary to what the Scriptures teach are good, wholesome, pure, etc. It is also a truism, that good hymns, those songs which are designed for worship, first and foremost are those which penetrate the intellect with their biblical themes. These themes are to be doctrinally accurate etc... And, the music part of the hymn should be simply an accompaniment; i.e., it is complimentary in that it emphasizes the words and does not call attention to itself. Thus a good hymn is first taken in by the mind and the truths which it speaks of through the lyrics stimulates the emotions so that the entire person is given over to worship; mind, emotions and body.

All these contemporary forms of music are DESIGNED to go directly to the emotive element of man. They do not and cannot move a person to worship the true living God as He has declared Himself to be and in the manner which He has revealed. They become like a drug; addictive and like drugs, they cloud the mind. Consequently, inhibitions are broken down and the beat of the music captures the soul and what results is hardly Christlike. Today, this phenomena is called "freedom of expression"! It screams "autonomy" and is contrary to that which the Scriptures teach concerning one being a slave to righteousness as opposed to being a slave to sin and one's depravity. Again, I ask you..... can you honestly say that the emotions which are stirred up and expressed by those who attend these "Heavy Metal", "Punk Rock", "ska" concerts are expressive of what the Bible calls "holy"? "pure"?, "chaste"? etc.

"As a man thinketh, so is he . . ." (Prov 23:7) What picture of God is being portrayed at these types of concerts?

"In the beginning, God created man is His own image. And ever since that day, man has been trying to return the favor."

"All men become like the objects of their worship. Our inward character is being silently moulded by our view of God and our conception of him. Christian character is the fruit of Christian worship; pagan character the fruit of pagan religion; semi-Christian character the fruit of a half-true understanding of God. The principle holds good for us all: we become like what we worship ­ for worse or for better. 'They that make them are like unto them' (Psa. 115:8)." — Maurice Roberts
In His Grace,


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simul iustus et peccator

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