Chris Tomlin – Our God

Chris Tomlin is a household name.  Entering the public eye in 1993, he released three independent albums before signing with Sparrow Records:

• Inside Your Love (1995)
• Authentic (1998)
• Too Much Free Time (1998)

He also released eleven commercial albums:

• The Noise We Make (2001)
• Not to Us (2002)
• Arriving (2004)
• See the Morning (2006)
• Hello Love (2008)
• And If Our God Is for Us… (2010)
• Burning Lights (2013)
• Love Ran Red (2014)
• Adore: Christmas Songs Of Worship (2015)
• Never Lose Sight (2016)
• Holy Roar (2018)

He also won 23 Dove Awards, 2 Billboard awards, and 1 Grammy for his work.

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.

1. What message does the song communicate?

It offers a treasure trove of Biblical truth, one fact right after the other.  These facts include:

• There is no comparison to God!  He is unique.
• He performs miracles, including:
  • Turning water to wine
  • Physically heals blind people
  • Spiritually heals the hearts of believers; His light illuminating the shadows within us
• He is the most supreme being that exists
• He is the strongest being that exists
• If the most supreme being miracle-worker by which has no comparison is for us, what can resist those to whom are His?

Score: 10/10

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

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

Water You turned into wine

References the Miracle at Cana in John 2:1-11.  Given the lyrics in Chorus, it implicitly declares that Jesus is God (Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 43:10-11, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26, John 1:1-3, John 1:14, John 5:17-18, John 8:23-25, John 8:28, John 10:30-33, John 14:9, John 20:28-29, Philippians 2:5-6, Colossians 1:16-19, Colossians 2:8-9, Titus 2:13, 1 Timothy 6:14-16, Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 1:8, and Revelation 22:13).

Opened the eyes of the blind

Numerous references to Christ’s healing blind people include Matthew 9:27–30, Mark 8:22–25, and John 9:1–7.

There’s no one like You
None like You

Explicitly answers the question posed in Exodus 15:11, Psalm 35:10, Psalm 71:19, Psalm 77:13, Psalm 89:6-8, Psalm 113:5, Isaiah 44:7, Jeremiah 49:19, Jeremiah 50:44, and Micah 7:18 that contain the same implicit answer.

[Verse 2]

Into the darkness, You shine

God’s light drives out darkness (Psalm 107:10-16, Luke 1:79, John 1:1-13, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, and 1 Peter 2:9).

Out of the ashes, we rise

According to dictionary.com, to “rise from the ashes” means “Emerge as new from something that has been destroyed, as in A few months after the earthquake large sections of the city had risen from the ashes. This expression alludes to the legendary phoenix, a bird that supposedly rose from the ashes of its funeral pyre with renewed youth.”

Given the context of line 1, the “something that has been destroyed” would be our old life of sin and the “emerge as new” is our new life with Christ.  It references the transformation from deadness in our trespasses to alive in Jesus (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).

There’s no one like You
None like You!

Repeats Verse 1, lines 3 and 4.

[Chorus]

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God, You are higher than any other

God is in the highest, most supreme position that exists.  He is sovereign over creation (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 4:39, Deuteronomy 10:14, Joshua 2:11, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 29:10, Psalm 45:6, Psalm 50:7-15, Psalm 93:1-2, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Isaiah 43:13, Isaiah 45:9-10, Isaiah 46:10, Lamentations 5:19, Daniel 4:35, Romans 9:19-21, Ephesians 1:11, Hebrews 1:8, James 4:15, Revelation 4:11, and Revelation 20:11), King of kings, and Lord of lords (Deuteronomy 10:17, Psalm 136:3, Daniel 2:47, Matthew 28:18, 1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:16).

He is also stronger than anything else that exists.  This is Tomlin tipping his hat to God’s omnipotence (Genesis 1:1-31, Job 11:7-11, Psalm 33:6, Jeremiah 32:17, Romans 4:17, Hebrews 1:3, and Jude 1:24-25).

Our God is healer, awesome in power

While Goes does physically heal people (Verse 1, line 2 provides an example of this), He is more interested in healing us spiritually (2 Kings 6:17, Luke 24:31, John 3:3, John 9:39, Acts 26:12-18, 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, and Ephesians 1:18).

God’s great power is manifested in:

• His creation, which declares His glory (Psalm 19:1-4).
• Our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
• Through miracles (examples include Exodus 14:30-31, Exodus 34:10, Deuteronomy 3:24, 1 Kings 18:37-39, Psalm 77:14, and Luke 9:42-43)

Our God, our God

Indeed, He is our God!

[Bridge]

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against

Quotes from Romans 8:31.

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against
Then what could stand against!

Repeats lines 1 and 2.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Any unbeliever who does not understand Tomlin’s message must either be living under a rock or ignorant of everything religious.  Tomlin’s lyrics are plain language, comprehensible by a child with a rudimentary knowledge of God.  God works miracles.  He restores people.  He’s the zenith of authority and power.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

Our God.  Our God.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Chris Tomlin’s Our God is the gold star of modern worship.  Not a single word is without Scriptural support, praising God for His signs, wonders, greatness, authority, power, and Presence in us and bringing Him glory.  Those outside the camp of Christ must be highly ignorant to miss Tomlin’s message.

Shout this from the rooftops, youth gathering, and yes, corporate worship.  I highly recommend it!

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Our God (listen to the song)

Artist: Chris Tomlin

Album: And If Our God Is For Us…

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2010

Duration: 4:45

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*Copyright © 2010 Thankyou Music (PRS) (adm. worldwide at CapitolCMGPublishing.com excluding Europe which is adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family. Songs@integritymusic.com) / Atlas Mountain Songs (BMI) worshiptogether.com Songs (ASCAP) sixsteps Music (ASCAP) Vamos Publishing (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

03/23/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.

12/01/2020 – I Added “Adore: Christmas Songs Of Worship (2015)” as an album that Tomlin released prior to this review.

05/14/2020 – The original introduction incorrectly stated that Tomlin ended the public eye in 1993.  He entered it that year.