Bethel Music (Feat. Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser) – I Believe

Bethel Church was founded in 1952 in Redding, California.  They release their music under the label Bethel Music, which became active in 2001.  They produced several albums, so many that I dare not count them all.

They won two GMA Dove in 2016: one is Worship Song of the Year for their work on No Longer Slaves.  The other Instrumental Album of the Year for their album Without Words: Synthesia.

Check out my other Bethel Music reviews.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Bethel-music-i-believe-live-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.  I strongly encourage you to consider this artist’s theology’s potential blessings and dangers by visiting Resources.

1. What message does the song communicate?

Bethel Music believes the following:

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ cleanses us from unrighteousness and restores our brokenness through His death, burial, and resurrection
• When we submit to Christ, His goodness envelopes us with miracles and blessing
• The gates of hell are scared
• Bethel Music implores us to tell others about Jesus through song

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

This song completely reflects Scripture.

[Verse 1]

Line 1: Bethel Music is washed by the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, and 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Lines 2 and 3: It is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that restores people from their state of spiritual damnation (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).

Line 4: Bethel Music really believes these things!

[Chorus]

Lines 1-6: Contrasts Bethel Music’s prostration in surrender (Psalm 43:5, Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 10:38, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-38, Mark 10:28, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, John 15:1-11, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:7-10, and 1 Peter 5:6) with rising in confidence that God’s goodness will shine forth as it has in the past (Exodus 33:19, Psalm 13:6, Psalm 23:6, Psalm 27:13, Psalm 31:19, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:29, Psalm 119:68, Psalm 145:9, Matthew 7:11, Mark 10:18, Luke 11:13, Luke 18:19, Romans 2:4, Philippians 1:6, James 1:17, and 1 Peter 2:1-3).

Lines 7 and 8: Essentially repeats lines 3 and 4.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1 and 2: Miracles will occur if we yield to God’s ways (Leviticus 26:1-39 and Deuteronomy 28:1-68).

Line 3: The gates of hell will not prevail (Matthew 16:18).

Line 4: Repeats Verse 1, line 4.

[Bridge]

Lines 1-8: Bethel Music compels us to sing this Gospel message to others, fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

Lines 9-16: Repeats lines 1-8.

[Spontaneous]

Lines 1-27: See commentary on Bridge, lines 1-8.

[Outro]

Lines 1-5: See commentary on Bridge, lines 1-8.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will immediately recognize it as Christian.  The opening line explicitly mentions the washing of Jesus’ blood.  There is also the Gospel, sin as a curse, the rolling stone, Lord, the gates of hell, and the church scattered throughout.  Bethel’s language is a mix of Christianese with everyday.  Though they may not understand the meaning of “washed by the blood”, they can extrapolate it by examining the “curse of sin was broken when they rolled away that stone”.  That is, being washed by Jesus’ blood is not literal, but a cleansing from unrighteousness.  Also, sin is explained as a curse rather than mere mistakes.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Jesus as the miracle worker whose Gospel resonates with those who are His.  He rescues us from our sinful state of spiritual death, showers us with His goodness, and calls us through Bethel Music to surrender to His ways.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Bethel Music’s I Believe is great.  It tells us that Christ’s Gospel is that His death, burial, and resurrection frees us from the consequences of lawbreaking.  Those who surrender to Him will receive His blessing, goodness, and healing.  These glorify God.  Unbelievers should interpret similarly with relatively little difficulty.

This song is appropriate for corporate worship.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: I Believe (listen to the song)

Artist: Bethel Music (Feat. Jonathan David Helser & Melissa Helser)

Album: Homecoming (Live)

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2021

Duration: 7:37

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