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For accurate and detailed information on the issue, we recommend the following resources:
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![]() The subject of Christian standards is probably one of the most neglected doctrines in the modern church. Very little is in print today that can provide even elementary instruction in this vital area. Only a few small books or tracts have attempted to deal with the basic and practical principles which should distinguish the Christian life from that of the world. The reason for this reluctance to write on these specifics of Christian conduct probably rests upon two fears: First, the fear of offending the rather large majority of church members who are living far below the biblical standard. Second, the fear of being labeled as judgmental, legalistic, holier-than-thou, and lacking in the personal, love-relationship with Christ. We are forced to recognize that these fears have often been justified. There has been too much written in the spirit of pharisaism.One final observation should be made before you begin reading the pages which follow. The doctrine of Christian standards is for spiritual people only. This book is not written for the unconverted. Indeed, it will appear only as a lot of foolishness to the worldly class. |
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(Sample this dialog excerpt from "Accidental Voyage" pages 184-185) "The timeless hymns of the church are full of the reasons for our sung devotion to God. Praise choruses contain less and less doctrine so the praise springs not from clearly stated truths about God, His person and works, but from an ill-defined feeling of love and adoration. And the one doing the singing is much more the focus of consideration in most praise choruses than God, the stated object of the praise." "What do you mean?" asked Annie. "Well, typical first lines of postmodern praise singing illustrate my point best: " I bless You," "I only want to love You," and "I just want to praise You." What we are doing and hoping to get out of this kind of singing seems much more important than the more difficult work of extolling the attributes and works of our Lord in a more Psalm-like manner." "But lots of the praise choruses are straight from Scripture," said Annie, "even from the Psalms. How can there be anything wrong with those?" "One must look at the bigger picture of what is happening in the church. The Psalms have been sung for thousands of years, but there is an important and disturbing difference between the Psalm singing of historic Christianity and todays singing of portions of the Psalms." "How is it different?" asked Drew. "Christian musicians today edit out the more complex doctrinal portions of Psalms and merely leave the praising bit in—now with fewer, if any, reasons stated for that praise. The simplest parts of Psalms are sung today—usually sung over and over again creating a warm but often only vague feeling of adoration." "So is feeling ... bad worship?" asked Annie. "By no means," replied Mr. Pipes. "The Psalms and the hymns of the church are full of deep emotion and heart-felt praise. But that spiritual feeling always follows objective doctrinal truth adorned in the poetry. The church today has an insatiable appetite for the religious feelings hoped for in worship but virtually no appetite for the theological content that must come first and inform the experience of Gods presence in our worship." "It's sort of like you can't get there from here," said Drew. "You can't have real feeling without the reasons for the feelings, right?" "Precisely," said Mr. Pipes. "Mr. Palmers hymn, 'Lord, My Weak Thought in Vain Would Climb,' is a good example of what is not happening in worship today. Few want to lift weak thoughts to greater heights of understanding leading to true praise; why should they, when it is so much easier to have feelings created by popular mood music and simplistic words. It's hard work thinking about the high truths of which Scriptural praise is so richly filled." "But choruses are okay for kids, aren’t they?" asked Annie. "Ah, yes; an argument often insisted upon in their defense," said Mr. Pipes. "But let me ask you: at the Smiths' church, are these choruses sung only by the young? Or by adults as well?" "That’s a good point," said Annie. "They sing hardly any hymns—real hymns. It’s everybody, kids and adults, singing mostly choruses in church." "It is a striking thing, is it not, that with all the emphasis of Holy Scripture on children that God did not include a junior Psalter in the Bible from which generations of Jewish children might have sung simple tunes." "That would seem kind of silly," said Annie. "But alas," said Mr. Pipes, "that is what the church has done today—made a junior Psalter, in which the message is altered to be simplistic and easy. And I fear many sincere Christian adults will offer only this juvenile singing to God all their lives—'even down to old age.’ That is a great pity." 'They’re missing out on the best,' said Drew. "All the while thinking they've got it," added Mr. Pipes sadly.
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