Proverbs 29:6. An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.
Do you sing your faith?
I can recall struggling to be able to sing in church. I would blame it on the music. The style was too conservative, the songs too old, the pace too slow. But the truth was that my heart was full of evil. OK, maybe evil is a strong word, but let’s just say I had a bad attitude. I was definitely ensnared in my transgression. I thought church was supposed to be about getting what I wanted, rather than about submission. I had myself convinced that we would never reach the next generation without Hillsong replacing hymns. But the truth is that I didn’t like it so I wanted it to change. Oh, and there were much deeper sin issues in my heart too, but I’ll leave that for another day.
In general, people that are ensnared in evil have a difficult time singing praise to God. Their guilt won’t allow it. Their plotting non-stop mind won’t rest in grace long enough to let a song form in their soul. Simply put, the heart bent on evil is never satisfied, therefore it is never singing.
The good news is that in Christ we are never ensnared by our transgression to the point of no escape. Jesus’ love and mercy for us opens the door to grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. A reconciliation that should produce true and lasting joy in our hearts, and submission in our souls.
How can you tell who the Christians are that are trusting in his grace? They sing. How can you tell the health of a church? It sings. I have come to understand that the church has no business putting on a concert on Sunday mornings. We don’t need to be sung to, we need to be led in singing. The church is the righteous ones, set free by the blood of Christ, his perfections imputed to us. Such righteous people should be happy. Not because their life is better or easier, it likely isn’t, but because they are forgiven and set free from their sin. No longer ensnared. No longer trapped. No longer condemned to a loveless eternity apart from God.
And that’s worth singing about. It’s worth shouting about with sounds of rejoicing!
But I don’t like the songs that my church sings, you say. Sing them anyway. Stop making it about yourself, and make it about your Savior. He is singing in your church. Jesus shows up every week and sings. Did you know that? Right now he is rejoicing over you in Heaven, and every Sunday, when the church gathers, he gathers with you to sing praise to the Father in the congregation.
Hebrews 2:12. I (Jesus) will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.
Christian, the Jesus in you wants to sing. He wants to shout. He wants to rejoice through you.
Will you let him?
You: Do you enjoy singing praise to God. Do you sing in church?
You in Christ: How does knowing that you are free from the snare of transgression allow you to sing and praise the Lord?
Christ in you: Spend some time singing to the Lord today. Jesus will be singing through you.
Pray: Father, you are worthy of all praise. Jesus you are worthy of all rejoicing. Keep my heart full of joy even in spite of my circumstance, for I am free in you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 