It is no secret that music—particularly religious music—is one of the most debated topics in Christianity. Faced with such a complex and difficult-to-resolve issue, it is essential to study Scripture and Ellen G. White’s writings to look for guiding principles to determine how our worship music should be.

The topic is increasingly relevant as we approach the final crisis of this world’s history. According to Revelation 13 and 14, worship will be the focal point that will define every human being’s destiny.¹ We will have to choose between worshipping the beast and its image or worshipping God. In addition, worshipping the true God is as important as worshipping Him the right way.² Could it be that even with the best intentions, by using inappropriate music many Christians are worshipping the true God but in the wrong way?

The Bible does not provide a definition of worship, but rather gives abundant examples of people who worshipped God and reports the reasons why they did so. Based on this information, we may define worship as “the attitude of humility, reverence, honor, devotion, and adoration”³ of created beings toward their Creator, in recognition of His attributes (Ps 99:9; Rev 15:4) and His works of creation (Rev 4:10; 14:7), redemption (2 Kgs 17:36; Rev 5:9), and providence (Pss 59:16; 118:21). This inner disposition is specifically manifested through actions such as bowing and kneeling before God (Exod 4:31; Ps 95:6) and singing praises to the Lord (Pss 28:7; 146:2). True worship leads believers to a life of joyful and grateful obedience to God (Deut 10:12; 1 Sam 15:22) and loving service to others (Isa 58:6–10). Worship is a personal experience, but it is also a family and community activity.

Our understanding of God determines how we approach and worship Him.⁴ Our adoration is affected by who God is to us and what we believe about His attributes. “The quality of worship in every religion is determined by the worshippers’ conception of the nature of their deity.”⁵ Therefore, it is essential to know who God is according to the Bible. Of all the divine attributes recorded in Scripture, God’s holiness stands out as essential to the divine nature. Hence, without denying the importance of other divine attributes for this topic, we will focus on God’s holiness and its implications for worship and religious music, both in a private dimension as well as in family and church settings, whether instrumental, vocal, or a combination of both.

God’s Holiness

The Bible describes different instances in which God was worshipped by both humans and angels. After the fall of Adam and Eve, adoration rendered by human beings was tainted because sin had affected us all. Not so the angels, who have not fallen into sin. They constantly praise God in heaven with a pure and holy heart. Therefore, let us examine the inspired account of the worship angels offer God in order to understand pure worship to God and find guiding principles for worship and religious music.

One of the most instructive passages about celestial adoration is Isaiah 6,⁶ “the biblical key text on worship.”⁷ Early in his ministry, the prophet went to the temple to pray, and there he had a vision of the worship that angels render to God in heaven. He saw the Lord sitting on His throne, surrounded by seraphim chanting, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa 6:3).⁸

Holiness is a “very basic and important dimension of God’s nature. God’s holiness is emphasized throughout the whole Bible, but especially in the Old Testament depictions. Its importance is seen in both the number of times it is referred to and the emphasis with which it is taught.”⁹ The fact that God is holy means that He is morally pure, completely free from any selfishness and pride, the opposite of any wickedness or evil. “There is no attribute so essential to God as this. It is for his holiness, more than for anything else, that his creatures worship Him.”¹⁰ In Isaiah’s vision, the seraphim repeat the holiness of God three times. While there are a few other Old Testament passages in which a word is repeated three times for emphasis,¹¹ “none of all the divine attributes is so celebrated in Scripture as this is. God’s power was spoken twice (Ps. 62:11), but His holiness thrice.”¹² In this Sanctus, the seraphim proclaim God’s “essential being. God is by definition ‘holy’. . . . ‘Holy’ denotes God’s innermost nature.”¹³

This scene influenced Isaiah so deeply that he never forgot it. “Throughout his long and arduous mission he carried with him the memory of this vision.”¹⁴ The entire book of Isaiah shows evidences of the impression made by this vision. “The favourite name of God in the mouth of the prophet viz., ‘the Holy One of Israel’ (kedosh Yisrael), is the echo of this seraphic Sanctus.”¹⁵ This name (including minor variants) occurs thirty times in the book of Isaiah.¹⁶

The triple repetition of the holiness of God at the beginning of the seraphim’s song is the foundation for theworshiptheyofferto God. Thesamereiterationisseen in the book of Revelation, which presents a very similar vision of heavenly adoration. John saw four living creatures around the throne of God, each having six wings, “saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” (Rev 4:8). As in the book of Isaiah, by a threefold repetition, “God’s holiness is stressed as a foundational divine quality.”¹⁷ “This hymn is the first not only of the five sung by the heavenly choirs in chapters 4–5 but also of a number of others in Revelation,”¹⁸ which are built upon the underlying principle of God’s holiness.

God’s Holiness and His People

The fact that God is holy requires that His children be holy too. The problem is that instead of being holy, we are sinners by nature—unable to cleanse ourselves of our defilement and inclined to evil. As soon as we realize that God is holy, we feel utterly unworthy of being in His presence because of our own shameful sinfulness. This is what happened to Isaiah (Isa 6:5), Peter (Luke 5:8), and others in the Bible when they saw the Lord.

However, sincere and humble acknowledgement of our sinfulness allows God’s grace to intervene. One of the seraphim came to Isaiah with a live coal taken from the altar, touched his mouth with it, and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged” (Isa 6:7). By God’s grace, Isaiah was instantly forgiven and stood in the presence of the Lord as if he had never sinned. Now he was ready to obey and serve Him (Isa 6:8).

When we repent from our sins and confess them to God, He accepts us as His children, forgives our sins, and declares us holy—that is, He sets us apart for Him (see 1 Cor 1:2; 6:11; Heb 10:10). What God did for us at that moment is “a completed action in the past which has continuing results in the present.”¹⁹ This new status enables us, through faith in Him and by His grace, to grow in the process of sanctification, which is the work “of a lifetime”²⁰ (Rom 6:19, 22; 1 Thess 4:3).²¹

Israel’s experience is a good example of these two dimensions of sanctification: 1) being set apart as God’s holy people and 2) growth in holiness. After bringing them out of slavery, God set them apart from all the nations to be “a special treasure” to Him, “a holy nation” (Exod 19:5–6). In an instantaneous act, He graciously shared His holiness with them. After that, He gave them the Ten Commandments and patiently instructed them so that they could become like Him in character. Their new relationship with God enabled them to grow in the process of sanctification. “For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:45). In other words, now that you are My children, I want you to become like Me. Echoing this ideal, Paul exhorts us to “pursue . . . holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14; see also 1 Thess 3:13). “The whole of the Jewish and Christian understandings of God and his relationship to his people is summed up in the command, ‘You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy’ (Lev. 19:2; cf. 1 Pet. 1:15).”²²

A holy God, who graciously grants a holy status to His children and commands them to grow in moral holiness throughout their lives, also requires that everything related to worship be holy, be it in private life, at home, or in the church.

God’s Holiness and Worship

Wherever God reveals Himself to human beings, His presence sanctifies the place and demands reverence from them. When Moses approached the burning bush, the Lord said to him, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exod 3:5).

The need for holiness is particularly emphasized in the sanctuary and its service. The high priest was to bear a crown on his forehead with the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” (Exod 28:36; 39:30). “Everything connected with the apparel and deportment of the priests was to be such as to impress the beholder with a sense of the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who came into His presence.”²³ The Lord declares, “By those who come near me I must be regarded as holy” (Lev 10:3).

Unfortunately, Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, disregarded God’s holiness. For “each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord” (Lev 10:1). This was “strange fire” that they had kindled, not fire taken from the altar. This autonomous and rebellious action was so serious that “fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord” (Lev 10:2). After this incident, God gave further instructions to Aaron and the priests so that they “may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Lev 10:10). Israel failed to maintain this distinction and in the end was taken into Babylonian exile, which came upon them because the priests “have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean” (Ezek 22:26). It was God’s plan that the priests would teach the people “the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean” (Ezek 44:23).

“To Jewish piety the ultimate human dichotomy is not that of mind and matter but that of the sacred and the profane.”²⁴ In the Bible, “sharp lines divide the sacred and profane.”²⁵ The apostle Paul exhorts believers to keep the same distinction between the sacred and the profane that we find in the Old Testament.

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? . . . Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” . . . Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor 6:14–7:1)

Holiness should characterize our lives, our worship, and our music. In fact, “music is acceptable to God only when the heart is sanctified and made soft and holy.”²⁶

Every Christianknowsthatwehaveaninnerconflict between our old self and our new life in Christ, and Scripture exhorts us to die to sin every day and follow the Lord (Luke 9:23; Col 3:1–3). This includes the need to be very careful in selecting the music we listen to, sing, or perform, knowing that “music is not morally and spiritually neutral.”²⁷ Sadly, it has been observed that Christians “frequently dishonor God and their faith by their frivolous conversation and their choice of music. Sacred music is not congenial to their taste.”²⁸ Instead, “frivolous songs and the popular sheet music of the day seem congenial to their taste.”²⁹ This worldly kind of music “excites, but does not impart that strength and courage which the Christian can find only at the throneofgrace.”³⁰ “Itpreparestheparticipantsforunholy thought and action.”³¹

God’s Holiness and the Music of Angels

The biblical reports of the worship rendered by angels to God in heaven “are the best resource to study as to what pleases God in music. They praise God continually and glorify Him through song.”³² In particular, the song offered by the seraphim choir (Isa 6:3; see also Rev 4:8) is a model we should follow when making music in the Lord’s presence. “Music forms a part of God’s worship in the courts above, and we should endeavor, in our songs of praise, to approach as nearly as possible to the harmony of the heavenly choirs.”³³

The song of the seraphim teaches us that worship music must be God-centered. The lyrics of the songs, the music of the songs, the musicians’ attitude, their appearance and performance, and the way the music is conducted should all focus on God. It is true that believers worship God with all the “baggage” of their personal experience, needs and problems, worries and accomplishments, joys and sorrows. Nevertheless, even in presenting them to the Lord through music, they do so by fixing their attention on Him, not on their own experiences.

In addition, the angels’ canticle of adoration reveals that the acknowledgement of God’s holiness is at the foundation of true worship and religious music. A conscious sense of the holiness of the Lord should permeate all worship music. “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Ps 30:4, KJV).

The music produced by the seraphim reveals their intense devotion and reverence to God. “Their songs of praise resounded in deep, earnest notes of adoration.”³⁴ Isaiah reports that one seraphim “cried” or “called out” to another (Isa 6:3), implying that they sing “with zeal and fervency; . . . alternately, but in concert, and without the least jarring voice to interrupt the harmony.”³⁵ Their “triumphant song of praise” is, at the same time, a “melodious chant.”³⁶ Heaven is full of “joyful, happy songs of praise to God and His dear Son.”³⁷ Yet, the angels’ singing “is soft and melodious. . . . It is not forced and strained.”³⁸

The seraphim’s attitude as they sing praises to God is highly instructive. “The seraphs are bright creatures, for the word means ‘burning ones’,”³⁹ and they hold a unique position around God’s throne. However, they do not see those privileges as a reason to be proud. On the contrary, they cover their faces with two wings because they feel unworthy to look at the holy God, and they cover their feet with an additional set of wings showing great humility and solemn reverence before God. “Their own perfection and beauty are not displayed in the presence and glory of their Lord.”⁴⁰ “In spite of their remarkable beauty, gorgeous voices, and many other gifts, the angels appear amazingly humble.”⁴¹ Their faces are “filled with the joy of a perfect performance—yet no one seems to want praise!”⁴² We can imagine them bowing after singing, “not toward any intended audience, but to the great God of the universe”⁴³—not as if they expect to receive a round of applause because of their brilliant performance, but as humbly praising the extraordinary God they love. They

are so filled with reverential awe in beholding the glory of God that they do not for an instant look upon themselves with self-complacency, or in admiration of themselves or one another. Their praise and glory are for the Lord of Hosts. . . . They are fully satisfied to glorify God; and in His presence, beneath His smile of approbation, they wish for nothing more.⁴⁴

They enjoy singing with deep reverence, great humility, and steadfast love to God.

God’s Holiness and Religious Music

From our understanding of the biblical concept of God’s holiness and from the writings of Ellen G. White, specific principles emerge for religious music, at a personal and corporate level.

The need to “distinguish between holy and unholy” (Lev 10:10) in music today is more relevant than ever before, because “today’s society is characterized by a great rift between the secular and the sacred. Daily life is no more permeated by the sacred.”⁴⁵ Hence, it is even more necessary to avoid the use of profane styles in religious music. In fact, as Christ’s followers in any place and circumstance, we should always avoid music that conveys emotions and values contrary to God’s will. However, this is more crucial when it comes to worship music. All music inherently produces in listeners an association of ideas and experiences. “Musical styles come with a cultural package. They are often associated with places, people, and actions.”⁴⁶ We associate certain types of music with specific environments, attitudes, and ways of life. Therefore, “sacred music should not evoke secular associations or invite conformity to worldly behavioral patterns of thinking or acting.”⁴⁷

In the case of vocal music, biblically sound lyrics are not enough for a song to be appropriate to worship the Lord. The character of the music itself has “to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God.”⁴⁸ However, not all music styles fulfill this purpose. Musical styles were created to achieve definite purposes in specific environments. Therefore, contrary to a prevalent idea, music style is not a neutral carrier for the Christian message. “A vast body of musicological scholarship has shown that, rather than being a blank slate for injecting propositional content through sung lyrics, musical style itself communicates a specific set of ideas and values to enculturated listeners.”⁴⁹ In fact, “music styles are religious-value laden—they are veritable embodiments of beliefs about reality.”⁵⁰

Nevertheless, the combination of religious words with profane music styles is increasingly heard. “Unfortunately, much of today’s contemporary Christian music relies on the same flavor of background beat, instrumentation, arranging and sound as the music of the world. Yet somehow the religious lyrics are expected to turn this worldly music into a sacred song.”⁵¹ It does not happen this way. Scripture teaches that holy things do not sanctify unholy objects; on the contrary, when these two categories come into contact, the profane contaminates the holy (Hag 2:12–13). When religious lyrics are used with worldly music, “more often than not, the message of the music (carnal) and the message of the words (spiritual) are in conflict, which is tantamount to a husband saying ‘I love you, darling,’ while physically abusing his wife.”⁵² The result of this combination is that the effect of the music itself, which is contrary to Christian values, completely overrides and undermines the message of the words.

God’s holiness required “that everything offered in tabernacle worship was to be the best available.”⁵³ Animals sacrificed to the Lord were to be without blemish (Lev 1:3, 10). Musicians had to play skillfully before God (1 Chr 15:22; Ps 33:3). “When we present our talents to God as a living sacrifice, He requires no less of us now than He did the Israelites.”⁵⁴ “Music for God is music that is done at its best according to the abilities of the musician.”⁵⁵ This does not mean that we can sing to God only if we are professional singers or have a trained and beautiful voice. In congregational singing, all are encouraged to participate (Pss 21:13; 95:1). But we should always strive to give Him our best, with an attitude of humility and moral integrity.

In order to offer God the best music, we should “sing praises with understanding” (Ps 47:7).

I saw that all should sing with the spirit and with the understanding also. God is not pleased with jargon and discord. Right is always more pleasing to Him than wrong. And the nearer the people of God can approach to correct, harmonious singing, the more is He glorified, the church benefited, and unbelievers favorably affected.⁵⁶

The most appropriate music is that in which there is a perfect matching of words and music,⁵⁷ so that the lyrics and the music portray the same message. However, music of the best quality does not need to be complicated and intricate. Rather, the angels “delight to hear the simple songs of praise sung in a natural tone.”⁵⁸ In addition, we should

sing in a way that all can understand. It is not loud singing that is needed, but clear intonation, correct pronunciation, and distinct utterance. Let all take time to cultivate the voice, so that God’s praise can be sung in clear, soft tones, not with harshness and shrillness that offend the ear.⁵⁹

The song of the seraphim and other instances of adoration recorded in the Bible reveal that worship should include our emotions and feelings. Since “music should have beauty, pathos, and power,”⁶⁰ believers are encouraged to “sing for joy of heart” (Isa 65:14), “with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16, NAS). At the same time, we are expected to “worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Heb 12:28, NIV). For the unbeliever it may seem difficult to combine joy and reverence together. However, there is no dichotomy between Christian joy and Christian reverence, which should go together in worship. “Let us with reverent joy come before our Creator, with ‘thanksgiving, and the voice of melody’ (Isa. 51:3).”⁶¹ When we come before the Lord with “reverential awe and joyful wonder,”⁶² we will “select hymns with music appropriate to the occasion, not funeral notes, but cheerful, yet solemn melodies.”⁶³

Every song, through its lyrics but also through its music, conveys a specific feeling. “The heart must feel the spirit of the song to give it right expression.”⁶⁴ There is the risk, however, of pushing emotions to the extreme of falling into sentimentalism. When this happens,

it blows up a feeling of bliss that is disproportionate to the material at hand. It is just pretending an emotion, often in a theatrical way, and at the expense of reason. . . . Since the public loves to see emotions, . . . performers are in constant danger of getting stuck in the bottomless swamps of sentimentality, assuming emotions that are out of balance with the musical substance.⁶⁵

Conclusion

There are no easy solutions to the complex issue of religious or “Christian” music and worshipful music. Limiting all religious music to traditional hymns isnotthe answer, because the issue is not about choosing between traditional and contemporary music. Themost important thing is not the date in which a song was written, but the message it conveys in both words and music.

God redeemed us to be “a holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9). “The religion of Christ will refine the taste, sanctify the judgment, elevate, purify, and ennoble the soul.”⁶⁶ It will raise us above the values that characterize most popular contemporary music so that instead of incorporating inappropriate musical styles into our religious music, we will offer holy and uplifting music to God and those around us. The same applies to our evangelistic efforts to reach unbelievers. We will not use worldly musical styles, because “we have better, nobler, and more enduring things to offer those who come to our meetings.”⁶⁷ The instruction of the Lord is clear: “You must influence them; do not let them influence you!” (Jer 15:19, NLT).

“Let us learn the song of the angels now, that we may sing it when we join their shining ranks.”⁶⁸ By God’s grace, may we “be prepared to join with the worshipers in the heavenly courts above, where all is purity and perfection, where every being has perfect reverence for God and His holiness.”⁶⁹