Ephesians 5:19 (NIV)
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
Songs have always been instrumental in worship. Music moves every part of a man. Music moves our bodies as we sing, clap, and dance. Most importantly, music engages our hearts. We refer to songs as love songs, sad songs, happy songs, etc. Songs are described by the emotional responses that they elicit in us. Worship songs lead us to engage our hearts in worship.
Man is more than just body and emotion. Music should also engage our minds. The mind was a major focus of music in ancient cultures. A large percentage of the population had limited education. Even those that were literate didn’t have the advantage of a printing press to preserve and distribute ideas. Songs were used to memorize vast amounts of information and ensure that important details weren’t confused or lost. It has been said that you can tell what was important to a society by the content of the songs that they sang. This was also true of early Christianity.
Colossians 3:16 (NIV)
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Paul instructed the church to internalize the message of Christ by singing to God with gratitude in their hearts. The songs would teach and admonish them.
We have probably all been in a service when a preacher used the poetic wording of a hymn to emphasize a point or to connect with an audience. It seems that ministers have been doing this for at least a couple thousand years. Paul in his letters admonished early Christians by reminding them of the truths found in the lyrics that they sang in their praises. Just as we can easily identify poetry and songs, Greek scholars can positively identify verses embedded in the New Testament. The following scriptures, due to elements of rhythm and rhyme, are accepted as lines from songs of the early church.
Romans 11:36 (NIV)
For from him and through him and for him are all things.To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Philippians 2:6-7 (NIV)
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness.
Colossians 1:15,19 (NLT)
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation… For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ
1 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels ,Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
In surveying these lyrics, what was the message of Christ that Paul was so concerned about teaching? What doctrine was being preserved? It seems that the early church was particularly concerned with clinging to the true identity of Jesus Christ.
Traditionally, Christians sang great songs of doctrine. Saints learned during the preaching and during the praise. In my opinion, we still need these songs declaring truth in a way that will engage the heart and encourage the soul.
“All In Him” is one of my favorite songs declaring the full deity of Jesus Christ. It was written during the early Pentecostal revival. This precious revelation of truth was masterfully portrayed in lyrics compiled entirely from scriptures. In many ways, this has been the anthem of the Apostolic movement.
All In Him
by: George Farrow
Verse 1
The mighty God is Jesus
The Prince of Peace is He
The Everlasting Father
The King Eternally
The Wonderful in wisdom
By whom all things were made
The fullness of the Godhead
in Jesus is displayed
Verse 2
Emmanuel God with us
Jehovah Lord of hosts
The omnipresent Spirit
Who fills the universe
The Advocate, The High Priest
The Lamb for sinners slain
The Author of redemption
Oh glory to His name
Verse 3
The Alpha and Omega
Beginning and the End
The Living Word incarnate
The helpless sinner's friend
Our wisdom and perfection
Our righteousness and power
Yea all we need in Jesus
We find this very hour
Verse 4
Our God for whom we've waited
Will be the glad refrain
Of Israel recreated
When Jesus comes again
Lo He will come and save us
Our King and Priest to be
For in Him dwells all fullness
And Lord of All is He
Chorus
It's all in Him
It's all in Him
The fullness of the Godhead is all in Him
It's all in Him
It's all in Him
The Mighty God is Jesus and
It's all in Him