Godly Living and the Worship of God

Part 2 of a series on The Christian and The Psalms.

By Simon Padbury • 1 February 2025 • 20 minutes read

Before we ascertain what the apostle Paul meant by his phrase, “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” in Ephesians 5:18-19 and Colossians 3:16 through studying these three words, we must make sure we understand the contexts of the verses where this phrase is found. Here we will consider what the Holy Spirit has written through Paul in the verses leading up to these instructions.

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19).

The context of the above verses in Ephesians 5 is full of instruction in godly living. Paul commands the church at Ephesus—and all Christians—to be “followers of God” by “walking in love” together “as dear children” in the family of God. He gives us no less than our Lord Jesus Christ himself as the Example to follow in this walk: “as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (vv.1-2).

This is how Christians should live. This is how Christians should love the Church of God. The apostle commands each of us to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God through manifesting the pleasant fragrance of Christ-like love to our brothers and sisters in Christ. By Paul’s metaphor of our “walk”, he means our life—who we are and how we live. We must all life-walk together in self-sacrificial, God-pleasing love for one another in whatever practical way it may be required of us by our adopted Christian family, both in our local church and increasingly around the world (see also Matthew 22:35-40; John 13:1-15; Romans 12:3; Galatians 5:14; Philippians 2:2-4 etc.; James 2:8).

The Christian walk involves a twofold effort on our part. It requires us to turn from sin and to turn to godliness: to put off the old life and to put on the new life. While it is true that we must do this mortification and sanctification in our individual Christian lives, in these both Ephesians and Colossians Paul instructs us in how we are to do this together as a local body of Christians in our church fellowships: mortification and sanctification through mutual accountability, edification, encouragement, service—and singing the “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” to the Lord together.

First, putting off the old life together. Recognising the perpetuity and universality of God’s moral law,1 the apostle Paul commands us that there should be no fornication, no uncleanness of any kind, and no covetousness within our churches—for what the Holy Spirit has burdened him to write to the Ephesians, the Holy Spirit has also given to us. These things should “not be once named” among us. It is not that we hush them up, but that there must be no trace of them that needs to be called out and brought to church discipline. Likewise, Paul addresses ungodly speech as well as ungodly activities: we must have no filthiness, no foolish talking, and no jesting. Instead of all such “not convenient”, that is, inappropriate and unhelpful speech, we must use our mouths to give thanks to God for our brothers and sisters in Christ (vv.3-4).

Not only must sins of word and deed be gone from the individual Christian, but whoremongers, unclean persons, and covetous men must not be tolerated or accepted into our churches unless they repent of their sins. Paul calls the covetous man an idolater, because people who are characterised by the sin of covetousness (Exodus 20:17) are effectively making objects of worship out of the possessions of other people. Unrepentant sinners of all kinds have no place in the Christian Church on earth because they have no “inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God”, and they have only the “wrath of God” coming to them. So says the apostle. And we are deceived if we think we can fellowship with the “children of disobedience” without ourselves becoming caught up in these sins all over again (vv.5-7).

Second, putting on the new life together. Instead of living in ungodliness, we must live “as becometh saints” (v.3) both individually, privately, publicly, and corporately—as the “body of Christ” (see also Ephesians 3:6; 4:2; 5:23). We must become involved in a local church, a fellowship of Christians in this world, engaging with our brothers and sisters in the Lord in mutual repentance, faith, mortification, sanctification, service, and worship—not letting the church down by our absence, and not dragging the church down by our sins when we are present.

Christians must live as Christians—“as becometh saints” (Ephesians 5:3), both their personal capacity and in their churches together. Or as Paul irresistibly argues: “now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” together (v.8). We must take to heart that Paul has been speaking in the plural all along: be ye (plural form of you)2 followers of God (v.1) together, not a follower alone; walk as children of light together—not as a child of light alone.

Continuing in Ephesians 5 Paul reinforces his teaching about the twofold life-walk of the Christian. Walking as children of light together involves both congregational sanctification and congregational mortification. First, congregational sanctification: bearing Holy Spirit-implanted, watered, growing fruit of “all goodness and righteousness and truth” together (v.9). Second, congregational mortification: by church discipline reproving sinful, “unfruitful works of darkness”, putting them out of the church fellowship (v.11).

So, how do we prove “what is acceptable unto the Lord” (v.10)? By bringing our personal life and our church life into the light of God’s word, acknowledging where we fall short (i.e. sin), and then reforming so that our lives and our churches are acceptable to the Lord. This is how we should each and together walk as “children of light” (meaning children illuminated by the revealed word of God; i.e. children of the Bible): we should walk in in the light—in God’s revealed will—so that it renews and transforms our souls by the Holy Spirit, and so that the fruit of the Spirit grows in us. Urging upon us his point about proving what is acceptable to the Lord again, Paul adds that we must walk “circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” in our dealings with each other, “understanding what the [revealed] will of the Lord is” in our Christian fellowships (vv.15-17).

What Paul teaches on godly living in the context of the local Christian fellowship, here in chapter 5, is the third of his triple emphasis on this docrine in his epistle to the Ephesians. Let us remind ourselves of what the apostle taught earlier by simply quoting the two passages:

  1. “Now therefore ye [gentile Christians] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints [of Israel], and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (2:19-22).
  2. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint [connected part] supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (4:11-16).

Summary of Paul’s triple-emphatic urging of us to unity in Christ—unity in the truths of Holy Scripture:

  1. Be a holy temple, the habitation of God comprised of Jews and Gentiles, raised upon the foundation of the doctrine of the apostles and prophets through the Holy Spirit, fitly framed together and builded together through the work of the Holy Spirit.

  2. Be the body of Christ—fitly joined together, built up, growing, maturing “by itself” and “of itself” [i.e. by and of Christ] throughout the generations by what every apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher and member supplies: the effectual working of truths spoken to one another in love.

  3. Be followers of God together, walking after Christ’s own example of love and self-sacrificing service to God and the people of God. Live as children of light together—children of the word of God, building up and growing up each together in corporate mortification, sanctification, and worship.

Now, let us consider: the largest portion of the word of God is comprised of what we now call the Old Testament Scriptures; and these are the scriptures that the apostle had in mind while, by the inspiration of God, he gave us these moral instructions in his epistle. For he admonishes us, his Christian readers: “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (v.17). The apostle is here directing the Ephesian church, and our church also, to the revealed “will of the Lord” concerning godly living: this is none other than the moral law of God in the Books of Moses. Paul also intends us to study the prphets and the wisdom writings, because also have much to teach us about the moral law. And he especially directs us to the Book of Psalms, as we shall see in verse 19.

The Old Testament Scriptures are “given by inspiration of God” (see 2 Timothy 3:16) for Christians too. But it is a shame that many Christians think the Old Testament Scriptures are obsolete and of little relevance to the Christian, and so they neglect more than 75% of the word of God. They think that the moral instructions given by the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles replace God’s moral law. But the truth is, nowhere do the New Testament Scriptures teach that Christians only need to keep God’s moral laws if they are repeated in the New Testament Scriptures!

Where the apostle Paul mentions fornication, all uncleanness, covetousness, filtiness, foolish talking, jesting, idolaters, whoremongers, and so on—we should all know what moral laws Paul is urging us to obey. And not only these examples that Paul has named, but we should keep all of God’s moral laws, in the spirit and the letter. For Christians have not been given a lower moral standard to keep—none of God’s moral laws have been set aside, abrogated, or cancelled—what was immoral then is immoral now. And Paul’s instructions elsewhere to “walk in the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 5:16-26) do not mean that Christians recieve moral guidance directly from the Holy Spirit without them needing to learn the revealed word of God in the Holy Scriptures—both Old and New Testaments.

Here in Epheasians, Paul briefly yet deliberately applies several of God’s moral laws that relate to issues needed to be dealt with in that particular local church. The apostle called the Ephesians’ sins out. And we too still need to be engaged in this “proving what is acceptable to the Lord” today—whether these specific sins need to be repented of and mortified in ourselves or our churches, or other sins.

Paul was not the first prophet or author of Holy Scripture through whom God imparted instructions on godly living. Nor did such teachings first come to earth through from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ while he dwelt among us. Godly living, righteousness, holiness, walking with God, glorifying God—all this was a major part of the religion of the people of God since ancient times. We have the revealed will of God on these matters in the Old Testament Scriptures as well as in the New. Yes, we Christians have both.

The wisdom-filled, love-filled, truth-filled, righteousness-filled, goodness-filled Christian life is not accomplished by being “drunk with wine,” but by being “filled with the Spirit” (v.18). So, according to the apostle Paul, how are we filled with the Holy Spirit? As he instructs his readers: we are filled with God the Holy Spirit by “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”—that is, by deep learning and application of the teachings contained in these songs that Paul speaks of, together in our Christian fellowships (v.19). And, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then this is what our heart desires to do.

In turning to give us instruction on what we must sing in our churches, Paul has not changed subjects. He is still teaching about mutual accountability and edification, mortification and sanctification. When you get together, you must not put yourselves out of it by alcohol or anything else that can cause a stupor or a trance; and neither should you come to church already in such a state. For though you may be present in body, you are out of your mind, you are not really fellowshipping with anyone, and worst of all you are dishonouring God. But in the church, the fellowship of the saints, you must put yourselves into it together. But into what? Into what God the Holy Spirit teaches in the Holy Scriptures—here particularly on matters of personal and corporate godly living. This is what Paul means by being “filled with the Spirit”: being filled with the word of God, and being transformed by the word of God, by the work of the Spirit applying the word of God to your soul.

And therefore, we believe that Paul here commands us to sing all those “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” that the Ephesian Christians already knew and possessed, whether in some kind of book, or scroll, or in their memories since childhood: namely, the Book of Psalms. The Psalms contain, among other things, very much instruction on the moral law and godly living. Yes, Paul has given his readers (and hearers, when the epistle is read out loud from the pulpit) some brief but weighty instruction on the moral law and godly living, calling out some of the sins that they need to address or be on special guard against in their local church. But Paul then hands his readers on to further and ongoing instruction in these same things: “speaking to yourselves”, i.e. to each other, by singing the Psalms to the Lord togther.

Singing the Psalms must be a deeply personal exercise. With these psalms and hymns and spiritual songs thou (you personally) should be singing and making melody in thy heart to the Lord. However, even though Paul uses the word “heart” in the singular, the context is plural and communal. The phrase, “in your [plural] heart [singular]” is a construction that is unexpected by the modern reader, but common in the Bible: the Lord’s people are one people, and we should all have one heart (compare Acts 4:32; Romans 12:10-16; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 2:2). The entire epistle, including this passage, is addressed to the local church in congregation: a fellowship (a singular entity) of Christian brothers and sisters. Paul is saying that you must each be personally devoted to worshipping God even while you are all participating in this congregational singing.

Sing and make melody in your one church heart to the Lord—and do so while taking the words of these psalms and hymns and spiritual songs very seriously. Sing in thy (your, singular) heart personally while you sing with on your lips communally. You sin against God if God can say of you: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Notice again: “This people” (this one people, singular) with one mouth, one pair of lips, and one heart.

If you personally do not sing and make melody in your own heart to the Lord, but you only appear to do so by anyone who happens to glance at your face, then you are singing to be seen by others as you sit or stand there pretending to participate in the church’s praise of God. Your heart is far from God when it should be near to him, and you have swapped out the real worship of God for a shallowness that only dishonours him, even while those beside you in the church are honouring God both with their lips and with their hearts. You are in the church, but are you of the church, really?

Having no other gods but God (Exodus 20:3) necessarily means that you must have God, and you must glorify him even while you are addressing him, which you do if you sing to the Lord.

It is still true—true for each and every one of us—that “the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

The context of this verse in Colossians 3 is also full of instruction in godly living. Paul exhorts Christians to not set their affection upon the things of this world, but instead we must “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (vv.1-2). We must “mortify”, or put off, our fallen earthly “members” (vv.5-9). Here, Paul uses the metaphor of amputating a diseased body-part in order to save a life, to make us understand how important and how difficult it is to repent of (i.e. turn with grief and hatred3 from) our old sinful life and practices, whatever they are or were in our own case, whether included in the examples Paul here mentions or not: “fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (v.5). This is the very same moral law of God here briefly summarised by Paul, with some sins called out that the Galatian Christians particularly need to be concerned about at that time. And likewise today, dear Christian and local church: you need to repent of your sins, whether these or others that Paul could have drawn attention to; your church leaders must bring church displipline to bear. “Mortify” your corrupt “members” (meaning sins), whatever they are in your own congregation.

In place of what we are to put off, we must sanctify ourselves by putting on “the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:10-15; see also Romans 12:2). And one way we “put…on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14) is by letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom.

Paul commands us to deeply learn and continuously reinforce this sanctifying knowledge in our souls by singing these particular songs together. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” in our church fellowships—how?—by “speaking to yourselves [plural and necessarily together] in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your [singular corporate] heart to the Lord”—corporate, as the body of Christ. This worship of God mutually edifies us (or, it should do so: our hearts and minds must be engaged), because while we sing these songs together, we are “teaching and admonishing one another” by the content of what we are singing.

What we sing to the Lord together in our Christian fellowships must be those psalms and hymns and spiritual songs that teach and admonish us in godly living (among other things). And, as everyone who learns them knows: practical godliness is taught in great detail in the Book of Psalms. The Psalms are full of instruction in the doctrines of the faith and in the moral standards of the people of God—God’s moral law.

Singing the Psalms is, or ought to be, an essential instructor and motivator in our personal and corporate Christianity. It is essential that the Psalms are restored to their rightful place throughout the Christian church today. These “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” must be the songs of our life as Christians.

The apostle commands all Christians to continue to use the Psalms as they were intended by God who gave them to us—by God who breathed them out to us (2 Timothy 3:16): Speak them to your own self while you speak them to yourselves with one voice and one heart together. Teach and admonish one another as you sing to the Lord together, in your church service. You are the church, and this is your service!

Engage in the self-examination that the words of the Psalms should move you into. Pray the prayers of repentance together, that the LORD rebukes you not. Vow the vows together, to serve your God together as a fellowship of believers, the congregation of the righteous. Make corporate, congregational promises together to obey the LORD, the God of your righteousness. Build up what is broken down. Build the house, and do not labour in vain. Replace the wood, hay and straw with gold, silver and precious stones. Restore what has been taken.

Be for peace where there is war. Reconsile with those with whom you are at enmity. Come to the truth, and restore unity in the truth. Together, draw near to God and humble yourselves under the mighty hand of him who hears the desires of the humble. Love the bretheren with with the love that covers a multitude of sins in a multitude of sinners. Show yourselves to be Christ’s disciples. Then behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Bind up the wounds in the Bride of Christ. Go up to the house of the Lord together, to worship him who has set his glory above the heavens. It is good to draw near to God. Tell of all his wonderous works. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. All nations whom God has made shall come and worship before the LORD; and shall glorify thy name.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

And so on. Keep going. Sing and learn. Worship and be taught, every one together.

Sing to the Lord all these psalms and hymns and spiritual songs—and do the work required in all this church building and Christian discipling again and again, every time you fellowship together.

That’s what the Psalms are for. Use them as God intended.

  1. “(I.) God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it. (II.) This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the first four commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man. … (III.) The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons [i.e. true Christians] as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator who gave it. Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen, this obligation.”—The Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 19: Of the Law of God; sections 1, 2, and 5. ↩︎

  2. New Testament Greek has two forms of “you” words of address: (1.) the 2nd person singular σοί, soi (Strong’s Concordance, Greek Dictionary, number 4671) and related forms, which our Bible (King James Version) faithfully renders as thou, thee, thy, thine; and (2.) the 2nd person plural ὑμεῖς, hymeis (Greek 5210) and related forms ye, you, your, yours. ↩︎

  3. “Q. 87. What is repentance unto life? A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.”—Westminster Shorter Catechism, question and answer 87. ↩︎