Hillsong Worship – Let There Be Light

Hillsong Church is a megachurch founded in 1983 in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia.  It was formerly led by Hillsong Founder Brian Houston.  Hillsong possesses a massive discography, spanning across four music ministries.  These include Hillsong UNITED, Hillsong Worship, Hillsong Young & Free, and Hillsong Kids.

Hillsong has won several awards within their Hillsong UNITED and Hillsong Worship artist groups.  As of this writing, there are no awards for Hillsong Young & Free or Hillsong Kids.

Also, check out my entire list of Hillsong reviews and Christmas songs, Seasons and Prince of Heaven.

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?

It says many things about Jesus:

• He is illuminate and there are no shadows in Himself or His actions.
• He does not need to ask questions for information.
• He is mighty.
• He is forgiving.
• We cannot hide from Him.
• He opens the eyes of the spiritually blind.
• He cleanses us.
• His love is without conditions (more on this in section 2).
• He is not divided.
• He rules heaven.
• He frees us.
• The cross cannot be undone.
• His sacrifice on the cross was unregrettable.
• His Gospel includes poor people.
• He comforts those who mourn.
• The day is His.
• He trades ashes for beauty.

In turn, we receive His Holy Spirit who lives within us.  We also yield control to Christ and pray by singing louder.  Let the reader understand that singing louder doesn’t mean God will hear us better.  However, it makes us more enthused.

The only thing wrong with this song is Verse 1’s ending.  Yes, we do not strive in the sense that our former life of lawbreaking is gone.  Striving is not required to become one of His.  However, Merriam-Webster defines strive as “ to devote serious effort or energy” or “to struggle in opposition”.  Neither one of these cease in the sense that we devote ourselves to God and that we continue to struggle to oppose sin.

Score: 9/10

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

Almost all of it aligns with God’s inspired Word.  The end of Verse 1 is somewhat correct, but also somewhat incorrect.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

There’s no darkness in Your eyes

God is light.  In Him, there is no shadow (James 1:17 and 1 John 1:5).

There’s no question in Your mind

Not that God will not ask questions for our benefit, but that there are no questions to which God does not already know the answer given that He is omniscient (1 Kings 8:39, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Psalm 44:21, Psalm 139:4, Psalm 147:4-5, Isaiah 40:28, Matthew 10:30, John 16:30, John 21:17, Acts 1:24, Hebrews 4:13, and 1 John 3:20).

God Almighty

There are 48 references in the Old Testament and 10 in the New Testament that state this.

God of mercy

God is merciful (Exodus 33:19, Psalm 86:5, Psalm 145:9, Lamentations 3:22-23, Luke 6:36, Romans 9:15-16, Ephesians 2:4-5, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 4:16, and 1 Peter 1:3).

There’s no hiding from Your face

We cannot run from God (Psalm 139:7-12).  Jonah tried and failed.

There’s no striving in Your grace

Yes and no.  Yes in the sense that under grace, we are no longer under the bondage of sin (Luke 18:9-14, Acts 13:39, Romans 3:20-30, Romans 4:1-7, Romans 8:3, Romans 9:16, Romans 9:31-32, Romans 11:6, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 2:21, Galatians 3:10-12, Galatians 3:21, Galatians 5:2-4, Ephesians 2:8-9, Philippians 3:3-9, 2 Timothy 1:9, Hebrews 6:1-2, and James 2:10-11).  No in the sense that we devote energy to serving God as Jesus did (1 John 2:6) and war against lawbreaking daily (Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 7:14-25, Ephesians 6:12-17, and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

God of mercy
God Almighty

Repeats lines 3 and 4 in reverse order.

[Chorus 1]

Let there be light
Open the eyes of the blind

This is not a reference to Genesis 1:3.  This light is more about curing spiritual blindness (2 Kings 6:17, Matthew 13:16-17, 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).

Purify our hearts in Your fire

References the refiner’s fire (Job 23:10, Psalm 51:7-17, Psalm 66:10, Proverbs 17:3, Isaiah 48:10, Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3, and 1 Peter 1:7).

Breathe in us we pray

That is, to be filled with the Holy Spirit (John 20:22).

Jesus have Your way

We surrender to Christ (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).

[Verse 2]

There’s no borders in Your love

Grammatical error aside (this should say “There are”), while some will balk at the idea that God’s love is without borders, there is a difference between unconditional love and unconditional relationship. When Hillsong says that God’s love is “without borders”, they are saying that God’s love for us is not conditioned upon us. Our behavior, whether good or evil, does not change God’s love for us. He died for us while we were sinners (Romans 5:6-8). Nothing will separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). He is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). Of course, He also allows us to experience eternal separation from Him if that’s what we want (Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43, Jude 1:7, Revelation 14:11, and Revelation 20:10), but that is a separate issue.  Our relationship with God has conditions, but His love for us does not.

No division in Your heart

Paul asked “Is Christ divided?” rhetorically in 1 Corinthians 1:13.  The answer is no.

God of heaven

Christ is Ruler (Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 11:10, Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-6, Luke 1:32-33, John 12:15, John 18:37, 1 Timothy 6:13-16, Revelation 17:14, and Revelation 19:11-16).

God of freedom

There is freedom in Jesus (Psalm 119:45, Isaiah 58:6, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16-21, John 8:31-36, John 10:10, Acts 13:38-39, Romans 6:1-23, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 8:20-21, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 7:21-23, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:22, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:13, Colossians 1:21-23, Hebrews 2:14-15, and 1 Peter 2:16).

There’s no taking back the cross
No regret in what it cost

Christ’s payment for sin is a done deal (Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, John 19:30, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15-26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).  No Scripture states that Jesus regretted this decision.

God of freedom
God of heaven

Repeats lines 3 and 4 in reverse order.

[Chorus 2]

Let there be light
Open the eyes of the blind
Purify our hearts in Your fire
Breathe in us we pray
Let there be light

Repeats Chorus 1, lines 1-4.

Open our eyes to Your heart

Essentially repeats line 2.

Desperate just to know who You are

Psalm 42:1 vividly describes this phenomenon to a deer whose thirst is for water. In the same way, Hillsong is thirsty for God.

Shine in us we pray

Essentially repeats line 2.

Jesus have Your way

Repeats Chorus 1, line 5.

[Bridge]

Good news embracing the poor

The Gospel is inclusive towards the poor (Luke 14:12-15).

Comfort for all those who mourn
For the broken hearted

As stated in Jesus’ beatitudes (Matthew 5:4).

We sing louder
Release from prison and shame
Oppression turning to praise
For every captive
Sing louder
Restoring sight to the blind
Breaking the curse of the night
For all in darkness
Sing louder
Proclaiming freedom for all

These are all prayers offered to God in a loud song.

This is the day of the Lord

Borrows from Psalm 118:24.  It is His day because He made it.

Beauty for ashes

Quotes from part of Isaiah 61:3.

[Outro]

Let the light that shines above
Become the light that shines in us

God is light (Psalm 27:1, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130, Matthew 4:16, John 1:1-8, John 8:12, Ephesians 5:14, James 1:17, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 1:5-7, and Revelation 21:23).  His light that shines within us is the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:16-19, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 5:18, and 2 Timothy 1:14).

There’s no darkness in Your way

See Verse 1, line 1.

So have Your way
Lord have Your way

See Chorus 1, line 5.

Score: 9/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will know it’s Christian given that it mentions His name explicitly, the cross, and “God”.  Aside from the connection between “breathe in us” and the Holy Spirit, everything else written here is either easily understood or could be pieced together without much research.  Hillsong’s language is mostly everyday, with a smattering of Christianese language and direct quotes from Scripture.

I’m uncertain if they will see the error in Verse 1’s end that, should they follow Jesus, they will strive by obeying His commandments and warring against their present life of rebellion.

Score: 8/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Jesus with a long litany of acts/attributes listed in section 1.  It also brings Him glory that His Holy Spirit resides within us, and that we pray by singing loudly to Him.  His glory is only somewhat veiled when it says striving ceases when in some regards, it doesn’t.

Score: 9/10

Closing Comments

Hillsong Worship’s Let There Be Light is mostly good.  it glorifies Jesus as the One who rescues us from our former life of sin, whose light shines within us through the Holy Spirit, and whose lovingkindness compels us to surrender to His ways.  He is a powerful ruler, a merciful cleanser, and an undivided comforter.  It only errs when stating that striving stops, which is not true in the sense of serving Him and warring against transgressions.  Unbelievers should be able to comprehend this song’s main points, though may not connect Christ’s breath with the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

If “no striving” and “breathe in us” could be explained beforehand, then this song would be suitable for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9/10

Artist Info

Track: There Be Light (listen to the song)

Artist: Hillsong Worship

Album: let there be light.

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2016

Duration: 7:32

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*Copyright © 2016 Hillsong Music Publishing (APRA) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.