Photo by Wil Stewart
Australian-based Contemporary Christian band CityAlight began much the same way as Hillsong, Elevation Worship, and Bethel. A group of individuals at St Paul’s Castle Hill banded together to write, review, and release Bible-based music. Lyrics go through several in-house musicians, pastors, and lyricists to ensure Scriptural integrity before it enters the public sphere.
CityAlight released two albums and one EP: Yours Alone (2014), Only a Holy God (2016), and Yet Not I (EP; 2018).
Also, check out my reviews of Christ is Mine Forevermore and Yet not I but through Christ in Me.
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 the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.
1. What message does the song communicate?
The song’s Verses ask a series of rhetorical questions that includes a variety of God’s attributes, including:
- Commander of the heavenly hosts
- Ruler of all other authorities
- Causes the shadows to quake
- Hallowed
- Everlasting
- Gorgeous
- Worthy of worship
- More magnificent than earth’s sun
- Majestic
- Fair
- Intolerant of faithlessness
- Revives
- Unsubdued
- Lovingly Sent Jesus to liberate us from eternal damnation
- Asks believers to call Him Abba
CityAlight requests us to join them, proclaiming to God His value and worth.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
All of it.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
Who else commands all the hosts of heaven
God rules over the heavenly hosts (Nehemiah 9:6, Isaiah 63:3, Matthew 26:53, and Revelation 4:8).
Who else could make every king bow down
God is the King of kings (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) who will bow down to Him (Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11).
Who else can whisper and darkness trembles
God is the light that 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)
Only a Holy God
God is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7, and 1 Peter 1:15-16).
[Verse 2]
What other beauty demands such praises
God is beautiful (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 29:2, and Isaiah 28:5-6) and is worthy of worship (1 Chronicles 16:25, 2 Samuel 22:4, Psalm 96:4-5, Psalm 145:3, and Revelation 4:11).
What other splendour outshines the sun
Repeats the same idea as line 1, with a possible reference to Isaiah 60:19, Revelation 21:23, and/or Revelation 22:5.
What other majesty rules with justice
This is so because God is just (Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 32:4, Job 34:12, Psalm 9:7-8, Psalm 89:14, Psalm 97:2, Psalm 99:4, Psalm 140:12, Psalm 146:7, Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 61:8, Romans 3:26, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Only a Holy God
Repeats Verse 1, line 4.
[Chorus]
Come and behold Him
The One and the Only
Cry out, sing holy
Forever a Holy God
Come and worship the Holy God
CityAlight invites us to observe and worship the eternal God (Deuteronomy 33:27, 1 Chronicles 16:34, Job 36:26, Psalm 48:14, Psalm 90:2-4, Psalm 102:12, Psalm 102:26-27, Proverbs 8:23, Isaiah 40:28, Isaiah 41:4, Habakkuk 1:12, John 17:5, Romans 1:20, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 1:4, Hebrews 1:11-12, 1 Peter 1:20, 2 Peter 3:8, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 11:17, and Revelation 22:13). Also, see Verse 2, line 1.
[Verse 3]
What other glory consumes like fire
God is jealous; intolerant of unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 4:23-24 and Hebrews 12:29).
What other power can raise the dead
What other name remains undefeated
God’s power causes some to resurrect physically (1 Kings 17:17-24, Matthew 27:51-53, Mark 5:35-43, Luke 7:11-17, John 11:1-44, Acts 9:36-41, and Acts 20:7-12) and others spiritually (John 3:3, John 9:25, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 5:14, Titus 3:5, and 1 Peter 1:3). He rose Jesus from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7:11–17, Luke 8:40-56, and John 11:38-44) and will resurrect us in due time (Luke 20:34-38, Acts 24:15-16, Romans 6:1-5, Romans 8:11-13, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 1 Corinthians 15:50-56, 2 Corinthians 4:13-14, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Only a Holy God
Repeats Verse 1, line 4.
[Verse 4]
Who else could rescue me from my failing
Who else would offer His only Son
Only God lovingly offered His Son Jesus to save us from our sins (John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, and 1 John 4:9-10).
Who else invites me to call Him Father
Only the adopted sons and daughters of the Most High have the right to call God Abba, meaning “daddy” (Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6). It is a name that invokes intimacy and reverence for God.
Only a Holy God
Repeats Verse 1, line 4.
Only my Holy God
Personalizes Verse 1, line 4. See commentary on line 3.
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
This song intermixes Christianese and everyday language to describe God. It is poetic and clear, leaving little room for misinterpretation. Chorus invites them to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). Verse 4 references God sending His only Son, pointing unbelievers to the Christian worldview. It also paints a clear picture of their fallen state, that their failings cannot be overcome without God.
Score: 10/10
4. What does this song glorify?
This song brings glory to God by listing His many attributes and acts and compels us to praise and worship Him.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
CityAlight’s Only a Holy God is a phenomenal song. It asks who but God is sovereign over creation, the light that defeats darkness, more beautiful than the sun, eternal, and whose Son releases us from sin’s enslavement, bringing Him glory. This song is clear to unbelievers and invites all of us to worship Him.
I highly recommend it for corporate worship.
Final Score: 10/10
Artist Info
Track: Only a Holy God (listen to the song)
Artist: CityAlight
Album: Only a Holy God
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2016
Duration: 5:47
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2016 CityAlight Music (APRA) Farren Love And War Pub (SESAC) Integrity’s Alleluia! Music (SESAC) Integrity’s Praise! Music (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
06/18/2022 – Changed Introduction from “Castle Church” to “Castle Hill”.
06/11/2021 – Per Artist Theology announcement, I expanded the red text to encourage others to study CityAlight’s theology.
Comments
Kim S.
I led my womens Bible study in this song several times. Cityalight songs have become a staple for our worship alongside Sovereign Grace Music. I especially like Cityalight’s Known & Loved and SGM’s From Everlasting.
Jessa Stanel
I Love this song
Martha
Thanks for the careful reviews! In this song, I feel that using the indefinite article “a” was not the best choice (only a Holy God) — it implies there is more than one holy God (and, by inference, there are several (or many) holy Gods and any of them could do these things). So it would be better to say “THE holy God”, and to name Him somewhere in the song — only Yahweh or only Adonai or only the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, etc.
Vince Wright
Martha,
Thank you for your comments!
The word “a”, as I understand it, contains a litany of definitions depending on context. For this song’s context, it means “one or more”. It could be just one, or there could be more than one holy god. However, the rest of the song asks a whole list of questions that, when answered, leads to the conclusion that “a” means “one” and not “or more”.
-VInce Wright
Paul
Another way of looking might be the though there might be many so called ‘gods’, only a Holy God would be the answer to all the questions in the song.
As the all other so called ‘gods’ wouldn’t match up to the description in the questions.
The ending points that the ‘a Holy God’ is ‘my Holy God’.
The flow might be like this:
–> Existence of many so called ‘gods’
–> The description of God’s character through questions
–> This description only fits a God who is Holy
–> Declaration that this Holy God is my Holy God and call to behold Him and worship Him
Joe F
Introducing this one to my church this coming Sunday. Can’t wait! ‘Yet not I but through Christ in me’ was extremely well received a couple of months ago too.