Passion (Feat. Melodie Malone) – Holy Ground

Much like Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation Worship, Passion is a church-turned-producer worship band.  Passion held conferences since 1997, in Atlanta, Georgia. They also produced their own music, including a jaw-dropping 23 albums.

Also, check out my reviews of There’s Nothing That Our God Can’t Do, Behold the Lamb, and Glorious Day.

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?

Passion leads us to invite God to rule over us as we yield to God’s will.  Works will not produce spiritual life.  Only Jesus could change us!  Prostrated before Him, we ask God to reveal His glory and His Presence to us.  As I’ll show in section 2, Scripture informs us that Jesus is God’s glory revealed and His Presence that resides within our hearts is the Holy Spirit.

While Passion lists a few examples of the things God changes, namely, broken chains, quenched fear, spiritual healing, and restored hope, they also state that Christ alters every aspect of our lives, using the word “everything” to represent our shifting worldview.

Score: 10/10

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

The entire song lines up with Scripture.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

Here as we wait
Seek Your face

That is, as we wait upon the Lord (Psalm 27:14 and Isaiah 40:31) and see His face (Psalm 27:8).

Come and make Your throne upon our praise
Here in this place
Have Your way

That is, we surrender to God, allowing Him to rule and reign over us (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) amid our praise and worship (Psalm 19:1-4, Psalm 66:4, Psalm 103:22, Psalm 148:7-11, Psalm 150:1-6, Isaiah 55:12, Luke 19:40, and Revelation 5:13).

The moment that we see You, we are changed

That is, as we spend time with God, He changes our desires (Psalm 51:10, Jeremiah 24:7, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26, Romans 2:29, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and 2 Corinthians 7:10).

[Chorus]

Show us Your glory

According to John 1:14, Jesus shows us God’s glory.  This line asks God to show us Jesus.

Show us Your glory

Repeats line 1.

In wonder and surrender we fall down

See commentary on Verse 1, lines 3-5.

Show us Your glory
Show us Your glory

Repeats line 1.

Let every burning heart be holy ground

Holy ground only shows up three times in the Bible: during the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-5), the burning bush reiterated in Acts 7:32-33, and Joshua’s encounter with a commander in God’s army (Joshua 5:15), although the word “ground” isn’t used in the last instance.  The ground is holy because God’s Presence radiates in that place.

Passion wishes for all hearts to personally experience God.  When we become Christ-followers, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us (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).  It’s in this sense that our hearts become “holy ground”.

[Verse 2]

Here, not by power
Not by might
But only by the cross we come alive
Here, we’re undone
Overcome
By heaven’s love revealed before our eyes

We who are spiritually dead in our sins are spiritually alive because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24); His love poured on on us through sacrifice (John 3:16 and Romans 5:6-8).  Christ is the only way to salvation (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12).  Human effort cannot do, for the sum of our works are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), resulting in spiritual death (Romans 6:23).

[Bridge]

Chains fall
Fear bow
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything
Lives healed
Hope found
Here, now

Passion lists a few examples of things that Jesus changes:

• We who were slaves to sin are slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:15-23).
• We are no longer afraid (Genesis 15:1, Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:6, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 34:4, Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 94:19, Psalm 115:11, Psalm 118:6, Isaiah 35:4, Isaiah 41:10-13, Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 54:4, John 14:25-27, Romans 8:15, Romans 8:38-39, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 13:5-6, 1 Peter 3:13-14, 1 Peter 5:6-7, and 1 John 4:18).
• We experience spiritual restoration (Psalm 51:12, Acts 3:19-21, Galatians 6:1, James 5:16, and 1 Peter 5:10).
• We find hope in Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 8:24-39, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58, and 1 Peter 1:3-6).

Jesus, you change everything

Repeats line 4.

Chains fall
Fear bow
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything
Lives healed
Hope found
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything

Repeats lines 1-8.

Chains fall
Fear bow
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything
Lives healed
Hope found
Here, now
Jesus, you change everything

Repeats lines 1-8.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will immediately recognize it as Christian, given its references to the cross, heaven’s love, and that Jesus changes everything.  This song is thick with Christianese, including the following phrases/concepts that require deeper study:

• God showing His glory
• Holy ground
• How the cross makes us alive

Despite this, unbelievers will probably think Christians worship God, changed because of Jesus.

Score: 8/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Jesus as the One who changes everything.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Passion’s Holy Ground is an excellent song.  It glorifies Christ as the One who rules over our hearts.  His crucifixion is the only way we’re saved, prompting us to surrender and ask for more of Jesus.  He spiritually restores us, gives us courage, and provides hope.  Jesus changes everything!  Unbelievers will catch the gist of Passion’s message, even if they don’t fully understand it.

I highly recommend this song for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Holy Ground (Live) (listen to the song)

Artist: Passion (Feat. Melodie Malone)

Album: Worthy Of Your Name (Live)

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2017

Duration: 5:29

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2017 sixstepsrecords music (SESAC) A Popular Muse (SESAC) Universal Tunes (SESAC) worshiptogether.com Songs (ASCAP) Worship Together Music (BMI) Songs From Worship Together (SESAC) sixsteps Music (ASCAP) sixsteps Songs (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com), Be Essential Songs (BMI) Tempo Music Investments (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

04/18/2021 – The earlier article incorrectly stated that Passion City Church held conferences since 1997.  Thank you Alie for finding this!

03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.

12/30/2020 – The original article incorrectly stated that Passion conferences started in 1985.  I corrected this to 1997.