Ryanne Molinari

When asked which fruit of the Spirit is most directly related to worship music, most people will answer, “Joy, of course!” If pressed, they might also mention love, peace, goodness, and faithfulness. Patience and kindness may make the list too, but what about self-control? We don’t often discuss self-control in relation to worship music except to point out its absence in organizations and individuals. And yet, you may be surprised to learn that self-control is directly tied to singing.

When you read the New Testament, singing is directly related to self-control. In Ephesians 5, Paul commands readers to “not be drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,” but “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Eph. 5:18-19).

The contrast in these verses between drunken debauchery and Spirit-filled singing is essential to our understanding of congregational singing. Being filled with wine is and leads to further debauchery; being filled with the Spirit apparently leads to singing, which includes addressing one another in community and making melody to the Lord in worship.

I married an expository preacher who was trained in a church with a penchant for alliteration. Accordingly, I outlined Ephesians 5:15-21 as follows:

• Verse 15: Seek fruitfulness
• Verse 16: Steward your days
• Verse 17: Study the word
• Verse 18: Stay sober
• Verse 19: Sing together
• Verse 20: Submit to God
• Verse 21: Submit to one another

As you look at these points, you won’t see self-control named directly, but isn’t it clearly present? This passage calls us to discerning, disciplined, diligent lives in the Holy Spirit. However, singing is not an afterthought, as if Paul added haphazardly, “Oh! And don’t forget to sing!” No. Singing is a solution, a means of exercising self-control! This passage presents the Spirit-filled life as one of singing and self-control, and self-control through singing.

When we gather together to sing, it is not only to express gratitude but to exercise self-control as a body of Spirit-filled people. Singing is a means of expressing godly affections, as well as rejecting and replacing ungodly behaviors. Corporate worship, as a communal, fruitful, and God-focused activity, is also a training ground for self-control.

So what does this mean for our discussion of Bethel and Hillsong? For the sake of clarity, let’s walk through each of the points I drew from Ephesians 5:15-21. As usual, I will offer very few conclusive thoughts, but hope my insights and questions will help you discern what is best for your personal praise and that of your congregation:

Seek Fruitfulness

Paul, writing in the Spirit, tells us to “look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise” (Eph. 5:15). How we worship influences and images how we walk. If you don’t believe me, open the Old Testament. Every time the people of Israel are tempted to worship like their pagan neighbors, their lives and beliefs fall to pieces. To walk wisely, we must worship wisely.

Moses is not coming down the mountain to convict us and hurl down our golden calves, but Jesus is coming back, and that is a far more fearful fact. Shouldn’t this make us run to our song lists and evaluate every lyric for truth? Shouldn’t this make us hesitant to use any song or source we find dubious?

The first step to worshiping wisely is simply refusing to worship blindly. As Ephesians 5:14, the verse just previous, says, “Awake, O sleeper!” Wake up. Examine your songs. Investigate your sources. Whether or not you use Bethel and Hillsong, unexamined worship is not likely to be self-controlled worship.

Steward Your Days

I realized earlier this week that I’d gone over a month without using headphones. I found that I can run just fine without them and my ears enjoyed the break. However, the main reason I stopped popping in my headphones to fill every silence is that I’ve been haunted by the recurring thought: Is this the best use of my time? I have a few podcasts I enjoy and more than a few folk singers I love. However, there comes a point when I’m listening just to listen, whether or not the podcast is actually educational or the songs actually compelling.

Ephesians 5:16 calls us to “make the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” I “fasted” from headphones for a month for the same reason that I don’t often listen to Bethel and Hillsong; these things aren’t wrong, but they’re not the best use of my time. Instead, I’ve spent more time memorizing old hymns, building a repertoire of theologically rich lyrics I can sing anywhere and anytime—no charger or amps required.

Music is made in time, and when we stand before God, we will give an account of how we spent our time. When it comes to worship, I don’t want to sing anything in time that I don’t think I’ll also sing in eternity. Ask yourself whether songs by Bethel and Hillsong will be in your heavenly repertoire.

Study the Word

Ephesians 5:17 warns us not to be foolish “but understand what the will of the Lord is.” We understand God’s will by reading His word. An exercise I find helpful is to go through each song or hymn and ensure that there is a scripture citation to support every verse, chorus, bridge, etc. Now, I’m a poet, so I value figurative language. However, some songs break from appropriate and recognizable analogies, sacrificing meaning for catchy phrases. Ensuring your worship is scripture-saturated does not mean you need to sacrifice creativity, but the meaning should still be clear and biblical.

Let’s consider a poor example of this… Read the lyrics to “We Make Space,” a song published by Bethel Music. I’ll link them here because, ironically, I don’t want them cluttering up my post.

Firstly, “make space” is a phrase from pop culture, not scripture. Secondly, as you read through these lyrics, there’s hardly a complete thought, let alone a theologically acute one. In all honesty, the lyrics read more like a cultic incantation than an articulate celebration of God. And let’s not get into whether it’s our job to “make space” for the Maker of Space Himself… This is an extreme example, but the fact that this song was published and endorsed by one of the giants of Christian contemporary music should be concerning.

Stay Sober

The crux of Ephesians 5:15-21 comes with the call to abstain from drunkenness and, instead, pursue the Spirit-filled life. But sobriety is about more than how much alcohol we drink; it’s about discernment in consumption of all types—including music.

Sound (not just music) has a remarkable ability to influence or enhance our emotions and, through this, skew our perceptions and decisions. Sound familiar? Scripture’s call to sobriety extends to all areas. While I believe music’s capacity to influence or enhance our emotions is often good, our songs must not be just emotional but affectional, directing our hearts toward God and articulating clear meaning—not “drunken” babbling.

Again, think of the song “We Make Space.” I do not want to straw-man Bethel by using one of their worst songs against them, so please don’t make sweeping judgements based on this one baffling song. Still, I would not program this song in the name of upholding scripture and promoting sobriety. I listened to it as I wrote this article, and I found myself bopping along absentmindedly. And thats the key: absentmindedly. Musically, it’s pleasant and upbeat, but when I stopped and read the lyrics again, I was struck once more. However cheery it sounds, its repetitive, vague, almost petulant lyrics are not what you would expect of sober worship, which should be temperate, intentional, articulate, humble, and orderly even as it has the freedom to be upbeat and expressive.

In the name of fairness, I do want to offer a sort of counterexample, not necessarily to defend Bethel but to acknowledge the fruit in some of their listeners. I mentioned before that I attended a concert featuring Chris Tomlin and Bethel Music a few years ago. In many ways, it was just like any other concert: loud and exciting, bright lights, attendees raising their hands and belting their favorite lyrics. And yet, I am struck now by how unlike a secular concert this was. People were spending their money at booths supporting charities and missions. They danced and sang but, like the Christians on the Day of Pentecost, were not intoxicated. Families sat together and nothing got out of hand. Whatever might be said about the performers, self-control was present among the audience, and it was powerful.

Sing Together

The command to sing in Ephesians 5:19 is communal. We are told to “address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Certainly the phrase “making melody to. theLord with your heart” allows for inner or individual praise, but the thrust of the command here is to sing with and even to one another. That said, for our worship to be self-controlled, it must prioritize participation. It isn’t about a few leaders taking the stage, but the entire church singing together, addressing one another in song.

When it comes to organizations such as Hillsong and Bethel, we need to consider whether their songs are best suited for congregational singing or concertized singing. Let’s break this down to a few questions to ask of each song:

1. How is this song originally composed/recorded/performed? If a song is written for a specific artist in a concert setting, it is likely to be too difficult for a congregation to sing without some adjustments. Are you willing to make these adjustments in order to help your congregation sing together?
2. Does the song use “I/me/mine” or “us/we/our” language? Singular pronouns in worship are not wrong because we are called to personal saving faith in Christ. However, it is wonderful when we include songs that emphasize the shared life we have in Christ as well.
3. Is this song familiar to your congregation? This is one of the strongest points in favor of using music by Bethel and Hillsong, as anyone who listens to Christian radio or Spotify playlists is likely to know much of their output.
4. Will using this song ostracize members of your church? If you know that people in your congregation will struggle to worship using music by Bethel and Hillsong, are you willing to consider other options? Alternately, if you are the congregation member who refuses to sing songs by certain artists, are you willing to put church unity above your musical tastes? Or, if your reasons are theological/moral, are you able to disagree gently? I admit that there have been times when I have quietly abstained from singing certain verses; it seemed the best way for me to preserve my conscience without undue distraction or division.

Answers may vary based on your congregation, but what is most important is that we give these questions proper attention.

Submit to God

Ephesians 5:20 reminds us to thank God for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now this is more familiar territory! We are all comfortable with the idea that worship should be thankful, right? But how is thankfulness part of self-control? Simple: Thankfulness recognizes that all we have is from the gracious hand of God. It recognizes that we are not in control; God is, and we must respond in thankfulness and obedience.

Again, I am drawn to the song “We Make Space.” Is this a song of submission? The more I listened, the more the singers seemed to be telling Jesus what to do. They made space, they invited Him in, and they told Him to bring the kingdom. This isn’t submission to God in Christ! It’s not even the gospel! Taken by itself, this song seems to say we have to make space and declutter our messy lives for Jesus to set up His kingdom…and that is very bad news for those of us who, apart from God’s intervention, are flaming hot disasters. (Hint: that’s everyone.)

When choosing music for worship, it should, most basically, include thanksgiving. It must acknowledge that we worship out of obedience to our Lord, who showed us unmerited grace. Worship is not a magical means of channeling and controlling Christ but of gratefully surrendering our control.

Verse 21: Submit to one another

This final point requires nuance. Ephesians 5:21 calls us to submit to one another “out of reverence for Christ.” Here we see both the why and the how of biblical submission. Both points are crucial for understanding and practicing self-control in worship music.

Why: We submit to one another because, in so doing, we submit to Christ. For instance, if your leader decides not to sing Hillsong or Bethel, you are called to respect that decision out of respect for Christ. It gets more tricky, though, when it comes to submitting to a leader who does use music by Bethel and Hillsong. From my experience as a band member, I still recommend submitting and playing the music. Being on the praise team is not mandatory; if you choose to be on the team, you are choosing to follow your leader. This does not mean you can’t express your concerns or step back from serving, but I would avoid dying on hills that are not doctrinal deal breakers.

Now, leaders: If you know of band members or even congregation members who struggle with Bethel and Hillsong’s music, why would you force it on them? You, too, are called to submission. Christ laid down His life for His sheep, so minimizing the use of certain songs seems like the least we could do. Conversely, if certain songs are acceptable on their own terms and really seem to minister to your people, maybe using them is a way you can submit to others, feeding Christ’s sheep solid food even if the flavor isn’t your favorite.

How: We submit to one another out of Christlikeness. Like gentleness, submission is sorely abused in today’s culture. It can be misused to bully people into abandoning their convictions to satisfy other people’s desires. However, Ephesians is clear: we submit to one another out of submission to Christ. Therefore, we cannot “submit” to anything that is not Christlike. If someone demands that you “submit” to playing a heretical song, they’re asking you to submit apart from the truth of Christ—and to do so would not be self-control. (Terrifyingly, to do sovwould be to worship the demanding person, not Jesus.)

Self-controlled worship is submissive: to God and one another in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

Singing is a gift, not merely for expressing joy but for exercising self-control. As surprising as it may be, scripture directly links singing to the cultivation of self-control. Ideally, Christians don’t just leave worship services feeling hopeful and encouraged but determined and equipped to follow Christ in all things. When we sing together, we should not just be exercising our mouths, lungs, and vocal folds but our resolve, discernment, love for obedience, distaste for sin, and determination to follow Christ at all costs.

Ephesians 5:15-21 might be summarized as follows: Do not be intoxicated by the things of this world; be filled with the Spirit. Do not give in to debauchery; join in singing.

As I said earlier, unexamined worship is not likely to be self-controlled worship. Carefully weigh each song you sing against the words in Ephesians 5:15-21, selecting only the music that will genuinely glorify God and strengthen His people in Christ Jesus our Lord.