Ephesians

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4 KJV).

Growing up in the church, my family was surrounded by singing. We would sing in all the regular services. Periodically there was a 5th Sunday singing. There were singings in surrounding congregations that we would attend. Our family would also sing when we had family gatherings. After I got married, my husband’s family and mine would gather at one another’s house to sing.

We can look to the scriptures to find out more about singing.

Singing is a command:

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19 ESV).

Singing is a way of teaching others about God:

According to Paul’s words,

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16a ESV).

Singing helps summarize Bible truths to “dwell in you richly”:

There are phrases we memorize, singing them over and over through the years, and they stick with us.

Singing can be used to strengthen each other during trials and tribulations as “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25a) while in prison.

Singing is also a way of praising God:

“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord” (Psalm 68:4).

Singing is to build one another up:

In Colossians 3:12–16 we see singing at the end of a long list of duties and encouragement that God wants his chosen ones to show. He wants us to have compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other as we have been forgiven, binding everything together with love and harmony, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

Singing does all of this: it lets the word of Christ dwell in us; It teaches and admonishes each other; Singing helps us praise God; and give thanks to God. While singing we are all united in harmony in the musical sense and in the spiritual sense. We are all praising God and giving thanks. I am so thankful God gave us voices to sing praises to Him.

Hymn: Sing Me A Song About Jesus

“–and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6 NASB)

Everywhere we go we all try to find the best seat in the house. We want the best seat at a theater. Some like up close, some farther back. How about on an airplane? I like a seat by the window. Others might like an aisle seat. What about when booking a seat for a ballgame you look for a seat that’s good but in your price range.

Growing up we each had our own seat at the kitchen table. Our dad sat at the end, the head of the table. Even at church, everyone seems to have their own seat. Don’t sit in that seat, it is Brother so-and-so’s seat. Which actually has been said many times.

We are told how the scribes and the Pharisees were being very hypocritical doing all their deeds to be seen with long fringes on their clothing… “and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues” (Matthew 23:5–6). Also, we’re told in Luke “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces” (Luke 11:43).

It is sometimes important what seat we sit in. At some functions such as a wedding reception or a retirement party, there are seats for the guest of honor.

We read that Christ is seated at the right hand of God:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1 ESV)

We don’t want to be like the Scribes and Pharisees, who boasted about their status and position. But we can be reassured that when we have died to our sins and have been raised from the grave of baptism (Colossians 2:12), by the grace of God we will be seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

We all will appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). It is a joy to know we do have a seat reserved for us in heaven, as long as we continue to live a faithful life.

Hymn: When We All Get To Heaven