I ran across someone today who said I should give up my music talent in order that I don’t become vain gloried. They said they don’t want to be influenced or have anything to do with the world.
I will confess that such thinking is based on fear rather than freedom. In Galatians 5:1 Paul says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” The bondage Paul is referring to is anything that entangles us or seeks to take away our freedom we have in Christ. If a person will become proud and worldly by using his talent in music, for example, if he has a tendency to do this, he needs to watch and give up those parts which he is going to be weak at. However, it also speaks about ‘don’t give up the freedom or liberty God has given you in terms of a yoke of bondage put on you wherewith you feel obligated by a group of religious groups to give it up in the first place. If a group of people or religion are taking freedom away from you by saying you must give up your talent in order to completely die to self, they’re missing a few points:
Not everybody has the problem of self-pride when they play music or perform music... it’s a great way of witnessing. You’d find you WANT to mix in with the world for a time for the sake of saving a few souls. You said you want nothing to have to do with them – why? They are our commission and goal, to spread the Gospel (not to spread a religion) of Christ to them. Jesus reclined at the seat of many sinners. The Pharisees couldn’t stand it.
But anyway, those who have been born again and play music with to sing a song to the Lord in their hearts with the talent given them. You might as well take singing hymns out of practice if you take instruments out, because I’ve seen pride in people singing hymns at her religious affiliation as well as others.
Second, dying to self isn’t about putting your good works, like talents as unto the Lord away. You die to self by putting away the passions, like pride, immorality, anger,… these deeds of the flesh, away. Someone who has been born again from above, and places their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ and in the resurrection of Jesus have been given a new spirit within them. Jesus abides in them as they continue to abide in Him. At this point, a saved person’s desires are of the Lord, and they will not fulfill the desires of the flesh, since they walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
Did God ever warn David of old to put his instruments away, because He wanted to police the talent He gave David? No. David was rooted and grounded in Christ, and so is someone who has truly been born again. We as churches and religions do not have the right to police the grace given to others. We may say, “Yes, but if we don’t control thru rules and suggestions that turn into rules the talents, grace, and liberty, we will worry about Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
Everybody always reads that verse and focuses on the problem of “an occasion to the flesh.” The answer is embedded in the verse itself: “But by love serve one another”, not “But by controlling behavior, give up that liberty Christ died for.”
All I know is what I see out of this person’s church, that they have a few things I question very much. One thing is that Jesus gave us the parable of talents to show that fear mixed with unfaithfulness (not having faith in your own worship) is the root of not using your talents. Reread that passage in the Bible how the first person who was given one talent went and hid his talent because he was afraid. The others were faithful because they didn’t let fear keep them from doing what is right in God’s eyes.
I see a lot of rigid fear in this church,
It’s a combination of fear and works-salvation that keeps a religion in bondage. I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to open eyes and hearts to the Truth. You can spread this message wherever you go.
Have a good day in the Lord,
I will confess that such thinking is based on fear rather than freedom. In Galatians 5:1 Paul says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” The bondage Paul is referring to is anything that entangles us or seeks to take away our freedom we have in Christ. If a person will become proud and worldly by using his talent in music, for example, if he has a tendency to do this, he needs to watch and give up those parts which he is going to be weak at. However, it also speaks about ‘don’t give up the freedom or liberty God has given you in terms of a yoke of bondage put on you wherewith you feel obligated by a group of religious groups to give it up in the first place. If a group of people or religion are taking freedom away from you by saying you must give up your talent in order to completely die to self, they’re missing a few points:
Not everybody has the problem of self-pride when they play music or perform music... it’s a great way of witnessing. You’d find you WANT to mix in with the world for a time for the sake of saving a few souls. You said you want nothing to have to do with them – why? They are our commission and goal, to spread the Gospel (not to spread a religion) of Christ to them. Jesus reclined at the seat of many sinners. The Pharisees couldn’t stand it.
But anyway, those who have been born again and play music with to sing a song to the Lord in their hearts with the talent given them. You might as well take singing hymns out of practice if you take instruments out, because I’ve seen pride in people singing hymns at her religious affiliation as well as others.
Second, dying to self isn’t about putting your good works, like talents as unto the Lord away. You die to self by putting away the passions, like pride, immorality, anger,… these deeds of the flesh, away. Someone who has been born again from above, and places their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ and in the resurrection of Jesus have been given a new spirit within them. Jesus abides in them as they continue to abide in Him. At this point, a saved person’s desires are of the Lord, and they will not fulfill the desires of the flesh, since they walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
Did God ever warn David of old to put his instruments away, because He wanted to police the talent He gave David? No. David was rooted and grounded in Christ, and so is someone who has truly been born again. We as churches and religions do not have the right to police the grace given to others. We may say, “Yes, but if we don’t control thru rules and suggestions that turn into rules the talents, grace, and liberty, we will worry about Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
Everybody always reads that verse and focuses on the problem of “an occasion to the flesh.” The answer is embedded in the verse itself: “But by love serve one another”, not “But by controlling behavior, give up that liberty Christ died for.”
All I know is what I see out of this person’s church, that they have a few things I question very much. One thing is that Jesus gave us the parable of talents to show that fear mixed with unfaithfulness (not having faith in your own worship) is the root of not using your talents. Reread that passage in the Bible how the first person who was given one talent went and hid his talent because he was afraid. The others were faithful because they didn’t let fear keep them from doing what is right in God’s eyes.
I see a lot of rigid fear in this church,
It’s a combination of fear and works-salvation that keeps a religion in bondage. I pray the Holy Spirit will continue to open eyes and hearts to the Truth. You can spread this message wherever you go.
Have a good day in the Lord,
