Why Do Christians Sing?

Singing is common to all humanity. Even those who might not be musically-inclined, such as myself, love to hear a good song and sing along. There are many different types of genres, rhythms, and lyrics that can be sung. People sing, and they sing what they enjoy.

So, what makes the Christian’s singing different? Christian singing, especially congregational singing which occurs in the regular gatherings of the local church, serves to internalize God’s word in the singer, inform the singer in wisdom, and impress upon the singer a grateful heart bent towards God’s glory.

Colossians 3:16 demonstrates God’s threefold purpose for the singing of His people: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” What does this verse tell us about why Christians sing?

1. Singing directs our minds to God’s Word.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...” When the Church sings, they are to be singing the word of Christ. The phrase “the word of Christ” refers to the whole counsel of God’s word, both Old and New Testament. This is not to say that the Church must only sing Scripture, as some traditions have proposed. While singing Scripture certainly is permissible and can be greatly beneficial, the Church is not bound to this. Rather, the emphasis is that the songs being sung are to be biblically-rooted and faithful. They are to be informed by God’s word, which is the final and ultimate authority for all of life.

As the Church sings biblically-rooted, Scripture-saturated songs, they internalize, or memorize, God’s Word and the truths of Scripture. Think about this: there are often weeks where by Monday, you might not remember what was preached. Sure, you might remember the main points, but not so much the specifics. However, there are rarely weeks where you forget the

songs you sung. The songs stay with you through the week. You may even hum the songs at work and sing them around the house. Given the “sticky” nature of songs, the Church must be committed to singing those which faithfully direct our minds to God’s eternal, unchanging word.

2. Singing directs our hearts to God’s wisdom.

“Teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom...” If the songs of the Church direct our minds to God’s Word, they then direct our hearts to God’s wisdom. As the Church sings the “word of Christ,” that word then works from the head to the heart. The living and active word of God, applied by the power of the Holy Spirit, changes the hearts of its hearers (Hebrews 4:12).

The songs we sing inform and instruct about all of life, helping us to live a life marked by wisdom. God has designed the singing of the Church to be sanctifying, as the people of God sing Christ’s word and are progressively made to be more like their Savior. The songs the Church sings are ultimately to direct the Church’s minds and hearts to God, the Giver of wisdom (James 1:5).

3. Singing directs our praise to God’s glory.

“With thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Singing has multiple ends, or purposes. Yet the chief end of the Church’s singing, along everything else in all creation, is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question and Answer #1). As we sing to the all-satisfying God, our joy in Him increases, and He is glorified in our joy. Our singing, informed by the word of Christ, transforms us in regard to gratitude. As we sing of the faithfulness of God who has worked to redeem us through Jesus’ death and resurrection, our hearts are moved to joy.

Singing instills within the hearts of believers a deep, abounding gratitude to the God who alone is worthy of our songs. When we sing, we sing to the Almighty God, and as we sing to Him, we become fixated upon His surpassing, all-encompassing glory. Singing, for the Christian, directs our minds to God’s Word, directs our hearts to God’s wisdom, and directs our praise to God Himself who is glorified in our singing.

You’re invited to join us as we gather to sing to Jesus this Sunday. Learn more about our worship services here.