Friday February 5

“In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb.’”  Rev 5:12 NIV

Free to worship God

When it comes to salvation, there’s only one way. Jesus said, “I am the way” (Jn 14:6 NIV). But when it comes to worship, there are many ways. Each generation discovers the same thing: The music that turns grandchildren on, turns grandparents off. So let’s stop arguing over personal preferences when it comes to the worship style we enjoy. “They all sang a new song to the Lamb…‘every tribe, language, people and nation’” (Rev 5:9 NCV). We all worship the same Lord, and the only thing He asks is a sincere heart. That’s the case whether it’s country, rap, calypso, or high-church organ music. God doesn’t require us to express our love for Him in identical ways, but He does require us not to pass judgment on how others do it. When the Bible says, “They all sang a new song to the Lamb,” do you seriously think they all had the same music style? The great spiritual awakening that took place under the Wesley brothers and gave birth to the Methodist Church featured soul-stirring hymns like “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” Yet many sincere Christians of the day condemned the melody because it was similar to barroom music. One of the dangers in growing older lies in wanting to keep things the way they are, insisting others agree with us, and judging them as “unspiritual” when they don’t. Paul wrote, “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1Co 9:22). Note the words “all means.” As long as someone’s song is “to the Lamb,” God accepts it—and we must too!


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