If It Works Then It Is A Good And Godly Thing To Do

In Section 3 of Chapter 5 of the Westminster Confession of Faith it states the following, "God, in His ordinary providence, makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at His pleasure."

In our day it is a common practice to be a pragmatist.  If it works keep on doing it.  Within Christianity, it is often thought that if something is used by God that means He approves of it and it is a good thing to keep on doing.  Some of those things that I come in contact with most are music styles in worship and the general tone of worship.

It is common in American Christianity to set a mood for worship by having the lights off, maybe having some candles, and using music that sounds similar to the culture and world around us with lyrics which are Christianized.  It seems to work, more people come because they like the music and therefore more people are exposed to a message being communicated, hopefully the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If the lights are off it gives more of an intimate feel for those participating and therefore the feeling that one is closer to God; lighted candles even enhance this and really add to the whole experience.  Many Christians tend to really love this type of atmosphere, music, etc.  But is a person's experience and feelings based on reality?  The pragmatist would believe so, after all this stuff actually works.  In general, more people come and more people are interested.  The thought, therefore, is that more people are saved and grow in faith through these experiences. But what is the message being communicated?  The message is that emotion and experience are greater than God's very Word commanded.  Typically what is found in these circles are rock music sounding like the world mixed with 'Christian' lyrics with an added watered-down message, many times the Gospel isn't even preached.  And you might be a person who will say, "If a person wants to worship that way and it works for them, then I have no problem with it."  

The question should always be, first and foremost, what does God think?  God says, 

"Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?' You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it."

The words we find here in Deuteronomy 12 speak directly to this situation.  Don't act like the world. Don't worship like the world.  Even though you will be tempted to do so, don't follow them, follow Me!  Only do what I command you to do in worship.  Do not add to what I command nor take away from what I command.  If we were to keep reading through Deuteronomy, we would learn that those who do not follow these commands are cursed, those who do are blessed.  So shall we worship like the world, should we sing and make music like the world or as God commands?  Are we to touch and heighten the emotions to a mystical state where we seem to be somewhat closer to God to the downplay of reality?  You do know for the Christian that the Holy Spirit dwells within the heart of each believer right (1 Corinthians 3:16)?  You can't get very much closer than that.  As we come to worship Him, coming before the throne of mercy and grace, we come because of the blood of Jesus Christ shed for us and by the strength and power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:16).  But now you might come back and say, "But this method works, it gets people to hear the message."  Yes, that is correct some of the time.

First, I would ask, "What message?"  What message is communicated and maybe the message is the Gospel and is straight to the point, like this.  And yet, it also communicates that heightened emotions are good and there are certain times we are closer to God than others. When in reality we can never be far from God as Christians because even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death there He is, with us (Psalm 23).

Second, I would ask, "So what?  Are you limiting God to work only through those means by which He has expressly laid down in Scripture as good?"  Remember, what the Confession says above, "God, in His ordinary providence, makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at His pleasure."  God makes use of means, ordinarily.  Certain means when talking about worship, that is through the Word preached and read, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper which show forth visibly His Word, and prayer in which the Spirit intercedes for us with WORDS, God's Word (Acts 2:41-42).  Those are the ordinary means He uses in worship, yet that does not limit Him to work through sinful acts.  "...yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at His pleasure."  Did not God work through Satan to bring good things to Job?  Job had everything taken away and yet ended up with more than he had at first.

God works at His pleasure without, above and against ordinary providence, even through yokels like Benny Hinn, who is a heretic, to save some.  What Benny Hinn preaches is sin (heresy), yet God uses such things for the good of His people and for His glory.  Does that make what Benny Hinn preaches to be good and pleasing and right?  Absolutely not!

One of the greatest problems in Christianity today is this problem of pragmatism.  I'm afraid it has been a problem for some time.  If it works, then it is good and we should keep on doing it for it must be godly.  In a sense you could say, "If committing this sin causes grace to abound, then let's keep on doing it." Yet the Lord Jesus speaks through Paul and tells us the exact opposite, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 5:20-6:2).