Probably many of us Christians know how catchy some rap songs may sometimes be. I am not myself that much of a rap friend but sometimes if I hear a very catchy Christian rap song I would actually listen to it. But is that ok for Christians? Many of us may have heard that rap music is always of the devil and while I agree with this to some extent I believe that things are not so black and white in cases like this. Still, as followers of Jesus Christ, we have to be very careful what we allow our ears to hear. Mainstream music nowadays is usually not appropriate for anyone who really wants to honor God with his/her life. The problem mostly is that mainstream music contains a lot of inappropriate themes like cursing, drugs, alcohol, sexual themes, etc. But what about rap music? Many Christians probably ask questions such as: “Can Christians listen to rap?”, “Is rap music appropriate for Christians?”, “Can Christians listen to Christian rap songs?”, “Will my listening to rap music honor God?”, etc.
These are all important questions that we really should think about before we consider listening to rap music. It is a good idea to pray about it and if we feel a conviction that we should not do it then we should not do it. The Bible says:
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Romans 14:23 KJV
If something is not of faith it is a sin for us. So if we have a conviction that we should not listen to rap music at all then it is better to obey our conviction and not listen to it. But what if we are still not sure if it is okay or not to listen to rap music? What should we do then?
Can Christians Listen To Rap Music – Secular And Christian Rap
Next, I want to talk about secular and Christian rap music and what is the difference between these two. I always recommend praying first because each of us may have different convictions in matters like these as the Bible does not directly address rap music. There is actually a very big difference between secular and Christian rap songs. So I already can confidently say that not every rap song is ok for Christians.
Secular Rap Music
There are so many secular rap songs in the world nowadays that is it sometimes hard to know for sure which song may be okay and which is not okay for Christians. Personally, I believe that we should generally avoid secular rap music as it usually contains non-appropriate language, rapping about drugs, money, and fame, etc. Obviously, those themes would not be appropriate to Christians who are serious about their faith. I can confess that in times when I was living like a lukewarm Christian I would listen to songs that are not really appropriate for Christians and even if we have a strong temptation to listen to these songs it never helps us. It only drags us deeper into the darkness. Even if it offers temporary pleasure it is not worth it.
Even though it may be very rare, some rap songs may actually b be ok in the sense that those songs do not contain swearing, or lyrics about drugs, money, women, fame, etc. In these cases, if the rap song lyrics contain a good message we should personally pray to God if it’s okay to listen to it. If Holy Spirit convicts us then we again should not listen to those songs even if those songs are clean.
Generally, the ideal situation in our Christian walk would be that we listen to music that glorifies our God. The Bible says:
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Ephesians 5:19 KJV
The Bible actually tells us that music is good for us but it should be music that is glorifying our Lord. Does rap music that contains inappropriate language, drugs, etc honor our Lord? I think not. So we should aim to listen to music that is actually honoring our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christian Rap Music
But what about Christian rap songs where the lyrics are about the gospel or about praising God? I believe that these songs are totally different things. I believe that any music style is not evil itself. It is about the message. If we are singing clean gospel rap songs about our Lord Jesus Christ I see no problem there at all. However, there are Christians who believe that all rap songs are evil even if these songs are Christian rap songs. As I explained before, each one of us has different convictions so if someone is convicted that all rap music is evil then it is definitely better that he/she does not listen to rap music at all even if it’s Christian rap.
What About Rap Songs About Money
Can Christians listen to rap songs about money? Many rap songs nowadays are about wealth. Having money itself is not a bad thing but when it goes too far money may become an idol to us. The problem in rap songs about money is that many times the lyrics may be about being rich and boasting about that. Even though the lyrics may otherwise be quite clean we still have to be precise even in small things. Music is a powerful tool and if used wrongly it may affect our spiritual life very negatively and cause problems.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:10 KJV
Notice that in that Bible verse, it says “love” of money. Not money itself. But if we are listening to rap songs where lyrics are about boasting about wealth or being rich then there is a love of money present in those lyrics. Songs like that should be avoided as it is definitely not a good influence on us. Money can either be a blessing to us or it can also be a curse if we don’t know how to use it properly. The Bible clearly teaches that we should first seek the Kingdom of God and after that, we receive all that we need.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 KJV
God knows everything we want and everything we need. However, sometimes we do not receive everything we want in this life. God has promised us that He will give us all that we need but not everything we want. Sometimes we do not really appreciate what we already have but we just want more and more. This is in human nature. But we can be assured that if we have food, clothes, and a roof over our heads then we have everything we need.
Can Christians Listen To Gospel Rap – My Experiences
I can confidently say that I have been lately really enjoying listening to some gospel rap music. I don’t generally listen to rap genre at all but some gospel rap songs are quite catchy and it is a great way to also worship our Lord. There are some great Christian rap artists and one that I really recommend right now is M.O.G Quan. His songs contain a catchy beat while His songs also praise the Lord and talk about Christian life. I really can’t stop listening to his songs (lol).
When we want to listen to gospel rap songs it is still important to listen to the lyrics. Some songs may appear innocent from the surface but if we listen to the lyrics more specifically some songs may not be that innocent at all. Devil tries to get into Christian music too and we should remember that the devil can appear as an angel of light which means it is not always easy to see if some things are of the devil or not. We should pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in such matters.
My Experiences With Secular Music
I have always loved listening to music and it’s very hard for me to go even one day without music. Unfortunately, as a Christian, I too have listened to secular music. Don’t get me wrong all secular music may not necessarily be bad. Think about Beethoven’s compositions for example. His compositions simply are pieces of art and there is not anything bad at all. However, as I explained before most secular music is actually trash that Christians should definitely avoid. And I too have listened to secular music that is very bad for Christians. Secular music can actually be a huge stumbling block in our Christian walk and that’s why I personally do not recommend listening to it at all.
It is so easy to start listening to secular music that has innocent lyrics but I have noticed that little by little we start listening to more secular music and soon we find ourselves in situations where we don’t actually listen to Christian music that much at all but most of the music we listen to is secular music. And often the music we listen to may become more and more inappropriate. I don’t know why this happens but I speak this from experience. This has happened to me. Secular music can be a trap from the enemy. This is why we have to be so careful with secular music. It is better if we do not listen to it at all.
Final Thoughts
So can Christians listen to rap? It depends. If it is Christian rap music that contains lyrics that honor God then I believe that of course, we can listen to it. But even in situations like that if we are convicted that we should not listen to rap at all then we should listen to our conviction and preferably pray about it before we decide what to do. But what about secular rap music? Can Christians listen to secular rap? Well, if secular rap music we want to listen to contains ungodly lyrics then we should always avoid songs like that. If the song is clean then we should pray about it. As Christians, we should aim to listen to music that glorifies God. I know that in today’s world that may be very difficult as mainstream secular music is often very ungodly. But it is possible.
We need to remember that we are created for God’s glory. We are created to worship Him and spend time with Him. It should also be reflected in the music we listen to.
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
Isaiah 43:7 KJV
That being said we are free to listen to any music that glorifies God but we have to be careful. The secular music industry may be a very dark place and that is why I generally recommend staying away from secular music. I know that it is not easy but it is worth it in the end. We should always pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit for He will show us the way.
Hopefully, this article was helpful to you! If you have any questions, prayer requests, or anything related to this topic please feel free to share your thoughts.
Hi! My name is Rasmus. I am a 23-year-old born-again Christian. Recently I felt called to blogging and now I want to serve the Lord by using my writing skills for His glory. I came to faith in the summer of 2018. I have walked a pretty bumpy Christian walk during these years and learned a lot from the Lord. Now I want to share my thoughts & experiences in this blog and do what Lord calls me to do.