Sing Like You’re Saved

Recently, a member of my church told me what affected him most the first time he visited our Sunday service ten years ago. Was it the faithful Bible teaching? Or maybe the friendliness of the people? The way the gospel informs all we do? Nope.

“As I looked around, everyone was actually singing. Loud. Like they really believed it,” he told me. He grew up in a church context where singing seemed optional. When he visited with us, he was amazed to see so many people in one place at one time all singing wholeheartedly to God. I felt both encouraged and saddened by his comment. Encouraged because that’s what I have experienced in my church. Saddened because I know that’s not the norm.

But shouldn’t it be? Everywhere, the Bible commands, invites, and models singing in response to God’s word, works, and worthiness. Singing shows up when God creates the world (Job 38:6–7), when God delivers the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 15:1), when David and others proclaim God’s wondrous works (1 Chronicles 16:9), when God’s people assemble to praise him (Psalm 149:1), when we sojourn among the nations (Psalm 108:3), and when we reach the new heavens and earth (Revelation 15:3). From beginning to end, the Bible assumes the gospel turns sinners into saints and saints into singers.

So, if songs are a primary way God has designed to give him glory, encourage our hearts, and proclaim the glad news of deliverance, how can we keep from singing on Sunday morning? Of course, poor leadership, loud bands, and bad song choices can hinder a congregation’s voice. But members have a role to play as well, and we’re pretty adept at finding reasons not to sing. So, we’re going to take a look at seven hindrances in hopes that God might “tune our hearts to sing his grace,” regardless of what else is going on.

1. Ignorance

Many Christians simply don’t understand the significance God places on singing. Scripture contains over fifty commands to sing. Why? Singing expresses and evokes our affections, enables us to remember God’s word, and deepens the unity we enjoy through the gospel. Singing is more than a good idea. It’s a gift for our good. As Paul Tripp says, “Songs give wings to the emotions of our hearts.” But if we don’t realize that, we’ll be less motivated to sing.

2. Fear of Man

Some people are self-conscious about their voice. Maybe you’ve been told you can’t sing, that you’re out of tune, or even worse, tone deaf. You wonder what others think of your singing and don’t want to be a distraction. But if Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for wanting to muffle the praise of children (Matthew 21:15–16), it’s doubtful he has a problem with your voice. The Father is seeking worshipers, not trained vocalists. He’s listening for your heart, not your pitch.

The real issue is whose glory occupies our attention. Are we really seeking God’s glory when our thoughts are consumed with the sound of our own voice? One of the beauties of congregational singing is that every voice — strong and weak, good and bad — is swallowed up by the sound of the whole church. Make the most of that opportunity!

3. Condemnation

It’s not uncommon to walk in on Sunday morning more conscious of our guilt than of God’s forgiveness. We don’t feel worthy to sing with the saints. And if people knew what we’ve done, or what we’re struggling with, they would probably label us a hypocrite. At least, that’s what we tell ourselves. But for all who are in Christ, the gospel tells us we have been wholeheartedly, fully, and finally forgiven through our Savior’s substitutionary death on the cross (Hebrews 10:12; 12:2; Colossians 2:13).

“The gospel turns sinners into saints and saints into singers.”

We sing not because we “feel” forgiven, but because we are forgiven. And singing with God’s people reminds us of that glorious, life-transforming reality. As Charles Spurgeon said, “We must sing of the finished work of a precious Saviour; and he who knows most of forgiving love will sing the loudest.”

4. Worldliness

Psalm 147:1 tells us,

It is good to sing praises to our God;
     for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

Why is singing praises to God pleasant? Not only because music is enjoyable, but because God himself is. Melody, harmony, and rhythm are humble servants that enable us to enjoy more fully the lavish banquet of grace we’ve received in Christ. Singing grows our affections for God and satisfies our deepest yearnings as we reflect on his goodness, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness. So, if we find ourselves apathetic or unmoved as we sing, it could be that we’ve been filling ourselves with the pleasures of the world. As a result, our appetite for God is weak when we sing. But as we persevere and allow the Spirit to both convict and encourage our hearts, we will find that “the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

5. Unpreparedness

Whenever I lead music on Sundays, I love seeing countenances brighten, bodies engage, and the volume increase as we sing. But I also wonder why we aren’t more eager to participate when we walk through the doors. David says in Psalm 108:2,

Awake, O harp and lyre!
     I will awake the dawn!

He’s not waiting for the instruments to “move him to worship.” He’s telling them to join him in exuberant praise because his heart is already overflowing. What difference might it make if we woke up a little earlier Sunday morning, familiarized ourselves with the songs we were going to sing, sang as we drove to the service, or prayed in advance that God’s Spirit would fill us as we sing to one another (Ephesians 5:18–19)?

6. Self-Centeredness

Paul writes, “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). “Building up” isn’t always the first thing on our minds as we walk through the doors on Sundays, especially when it comes to singing. Singing well takes work. We have to pay attention. It involves our lungs, our larynxes, our lips, our mouths, our minds, our hands, and for some, our feet. But God didn’t design singing just for us. It’s also meant to serve others, just as it did when my friend first visited our church.

7. Suffering and Grief

It can be difficult to sing when we’re going through trials. The apostle James seems to imply as much when he asks, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise” (James 5:13). Sometimes our grief is so deep, so painful, that the best we can do is let the sound of believers around us wash over our weary, burdened soul — and that too brings God glory. But Christians are never without hope. Singing helps us remember that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Out of that assurance and conviction, a song arises to express trust, even when the dawn has yet to appear.

Yes, singing on Sundays can be difficult. But God gives more grace. We find that in choosing to raise our voice with other redeemed sinners, we end up being on the receiving end of his goodness. That’s because singing with the church is itself a means of grace. It comforts us in our suffering, calls us back from the world, and quiets our self-conscious fears. It overcomes our distractions, misconceptions, and even resistance. God uses singing to remind us that he has pursued us with a relentless love, sent his precious Son to die in our place, and given us his Spirit to pour that love into our hearts.

And doesn’t that make you want to sing?