Photo by Aaron Burden
My church played this song recently and I fell in love with it. As I worshipped God with hundred’s of others in our congregation, I knew immediately I had to review Living Hope. I had done one other review of his; another song that I enjoy, namely, This Is Amazing Grace.
I sang the Chorus for a week, so it better be good!
I was asked to provide a link to listen to the song, something I should have done when I started this blog. I intend to go through all my previous posts and add this to the last section Artist Info, in line “Track”.
Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Phil-wickham-living-hope-lyrics.
Also, check out my review of This is Amazing Grace.
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?
Phil Wickham has done an excellent job weaving together a canvas describing the entire Gospel message from start to finish, including the three most important elements: life before God, His death, burial, and resurrection, and life after receiving God. The language is poetic and emotionally driven, touching our hearts on a spiritual level.
The name of Jesus is explicitly mentioned, littered throughout the entire lyrics. Given the Gospel as its focus, we should not expect to see attributes of God, though one can argue that Christ’s resurrection serves as a pointer to His eternal existence.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
Everything is Biblical.
[Verse 1]
Lines 1 and 2: That is, the partition between man and God caused through sinful actions. Left unchecked, we would experience eternal separation from God (Genesis 3:7-8, Isaiah 59:1-2, Matthew 7:23, Romans 6:23, and 2 Thessalonians 1:3-9).
Line 3 and 4: the last line of this verse clarifies whose name Wickham spoke: it is the name of Jesus. Realizing that he could not cross the divide, he spoke Christ’s name in hopes for salvation. No other name will do (see John 14:6 and Acts 4:8-12).
Lines 5-8: Expanded in greater detail in Verse 2 and Verse 3 This is Wickham’s introduction to the Gospel, succinctly captured in 1 Corinthians 15:3-11.
[Verse 2]
Lines 1-4: An excellent paraphrase of Philippians 2:5-8 combined with 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Line 5: Without the shedding of Christ’s blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22).
Lines 6 and 7: Refers to God’s adoption of us as His sons and daughters, we have an inheritance in His eternal Kingdom (John 1:12-13, John 14:18, Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:23, Romans 9:1-8, Galatians 3:26, Galatians 4:5-7, Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hebrews 9:15, and 1 John 3:1-3).
Line 8: A subtle nod to the resurrection of Jesus expanded in Verse 3. Christ is described as our living hope in 1 Peter 1:3.
[Chorus]
Line 1: A call for us to praise Christ for redeeming us, with rationale explained in subsequent lines.
Line 2: That is, the second death (Romans 6:23, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 20:14-15, and Revelation 21:8). It no longer has claim on our lives given that Christ defeated it (more on that in Verse 3).
Line 3: Chains are a common Christian metaphor describing slavery to sin, as described in John 8:34, Romans 6:6, Romans 6:20-22, and 1 Corinthians 6:12. Christ came to break the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1; also see Matthew 11:28-30).
Line 4: See Verse 1, lines 3 and 4.
Line 5: Repeats Verse 2, line 8.
Lines 6-10: Repeats lines 1-5.
[Verse 3]
Lines 1 and 2: Refers to the resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15, Acts 4:33, and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
Line 3: Revelation 5:5 describes Christ as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Line 4: Christ’s resurrection gives us hope of a life beyond the grave. All the prior references of Christ’s resurrection, Him as our living hope, our adoption, and our inheritance are all eloquently captured in 1 Peter 1:3-5.
Lines 5-8: Repeats lines 1-4.
Line 9: The apex of the entire song. In my own congregation, I can hear shouting and clapping at this moment. Savor it. It is where we proclaim back to God Jesus’ victorious triumph over death.
[Outro]
Line 1: Repeats Verse 2, line 8.
Line 2: A great shift on Wickham’s part to shift from speaking to the audience to singing back to God. It is a great high note from which to end.
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Most (if not all) unbelievers will immediately recognize this as a worship song to Jesus. Though it does not describe how one receives Christ, that is a small concession compared to the strong, raw, emotional impact on those who listen. They can simply ask their pastor how to find this living hope, much like Samaritan woman asked Jesus for living water in John 4:4–42. It is not a criticism worth docking points.
While Wickham uses some idioms and metaphors that only Christians and those who have studied Christian theology will comprehend, he also throws enough everyday language for unbelievers to understand the basic message. He skillfully balances Christian worship with evangelistic effort.
Score: 10/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies Jesus as the One who rescues us from damnation, eradicating our sins and presenting us before the Father as spotless.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Phil Wickham’s Living Hope had a profound emotional impact on me. He demonstrates mastery on so many levels with lyrics that are Biblically sound, balances between Christian praise with unbeliever comprehension, touches the hearts of his listeners, beautifully poetic, and brings glory to God.
Sing this one at your churches. It will cause people to lift their hands faster than Jimmy John’s can deliver a sub.
Final Score: 10/10
Artist Info
Track: Living Hope (listen to the song)
Artist: Phil Wickham
Album: Living Hope
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2018
Duration: 5:27
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
Updates:
03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.
04/20/2019: Thanks to commenter Mal Green who pointed out the phrase “life after God” in my review. I corrected it to “life after receiving God”.
Comments
Kim
I have a problem with this song, though I otherwise love it: I don’t believe Jesus is ever described in the Bible as a “roaring lion.”. As far as i know, “roaring” is only used to describe the enemy. Thoughts?
Vince Wright
Kim,
Thank you for your comments!
Though Scripture doesn’t cite that Jesus roars, according to 1 Peter 5:8, Satan prowls about and roars like a lion. The word “like” or “as” is present (depending on the translation), indicating imitation. Lions roar to establish territory and power. Satan is the fake roaring lion, deceiving others by disguising himself as genuine. His strength and rulership will come to a head when Christ returns and strips it from him (Revelation 20:10), showing Jesus as the true roaring lion.
-Vince Wright
Vince Wright
Kim,
I was doing my daily Bible reading today and discovered Amos 3:8, which says,
“A lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken! Who can do anything but prophesy?”
This seems to me direct evidence that God roars. And of course, Jesus is God. So, we can conclude that Jesus roars.
-Vince Wright
clicky
Vince,
your ideas make sense to me. Thanks again for your ministry!
Vince Wright
clicky,
Thanks for confirming! I’ll start on it next year. Taking a breather throughout the rest of the year.
-Vince Wright
clicky
Vince,
I just read Caleb’s comment on Great Things (I hadn’t read it prior to my posting). He mentions the song Great Are You Lord. I wonder if that review needs to be amended (although you do give it a “Perhaps” recommendation for Corporate Worship with the caveat mentioned in your closing comments).
Actually I should’ve started off my first comment by thanking you for your labor of love which is this website. The time and dedication that you put in to analyzing each song is admirable. I know that you express your own personal opinions at times (but everyone has an opinion, am I right?), but I believe that your motives are pure in your pursuit of searching out the Scriptural integrity of each song.
I have 2 suggestions:
1) reviews that have a recent change in their Corporate Worship status from “No” to “Perhaps” or “Yes” have some indicator on the Song Review Index page for the first 6-12 months or so (like a star or color change etc). When I first stumbled upon your website about a year ago, I noticed that the song As the Deer had a “No” rating under Corporate Worship. I’m the worship leader at my church, and so I decreased this song’s play time (the song is a well-known staple at my church). Then when I came back to your site a month ago, I just happened to notice that the rating changed to “Yes”, but I could’ve easily missed this (so now the song is back in our rotation).
2) Perhaps add an asterisk or column after the Corporate Worship column for songs that are a “No” under Corporate Worship but might be appropriate for a Special Music (e.g. Offering, Communion, Altar Call, Celebrate Recovery meeting, etc). That might allow songs that are more testimonial in nature to be used for a specific purpose/audience.
Vince Wright
Clicky,
Thank you for your comments!
First, thanks for finding another review with my former “every” criticism! I updated it. I’ll do the Song Review Index sometime later this week. Probably Wednesday or Sunday.
Second, it’s ok! Better late than never! I appreciate your words of kindness that compliment my work.
Third, as per your suggestion to add an asterisk for recent changes, it gave me an idea. I could create a separate page that contains all of the changes I’ve done in one place. You might have noticed that at the bottom of each review, there is a record of all the changes I’ve made and how it affected the score. If I create this in one place, ordered by date, you can go and check to see if I’ve updated, for example, As The Deer and saw that I increased its scoring and Corporate Worship rating. It would be a table with three columns: Date, URL, and Change. The second column would contain a link to the page/review that contains the change.
The third column would be a copy of the change in the review, or an update to one of the pages. This would require a bit more effort, but at least I won’t have to go back and remove asterisks after a set time period expires. What do you think of this alternative suggestion?
Finally, I like the suggestion to add an asterisk for “special occasion” song that received a “no” rating. I’d hate to add another column, given that the ever-expanding table takes up a lot of space as-is. I had to readjust columns to fit the recent “Theological Depth” rating. Of course, the reader will need to open up the review to see why it has the asterisk. However, it is highly likely that the reader would open the review anyway, to see what I have to say.
-Vince Wright
Vince Wright
Clicky,
I’ve been thinking more about this. I think I’ll start with 2023 and just add to it as updates come. If I have extra time, I can retroactively add additional years to the table.
As for your second suggestion, I am adding an orange “Other” category to replace some of the “no” Corporate Worship values to indicate that the song could be useful for something other than corporate worship. However, viewers will have to see the review’s conclusion to see what that use looks like (I only have so much real estate on the Song Review Index page).
I’ll send out an announcement when these are done.
-Vince Wright
clicky
Do you have any issue with the 3rd line of the chorus which says: “You have broken every chain”? You have an issue with the 2nd line of the chorus of Phil Wickham’s other song Great Things, which says: “break every chain.” In that review, you conclude “its statement about “every” is incorrect, making it more difficult to recommend for corporate worship.” So why would you not recommend Great Things for corporate worship, but you would recommend Living Hope?
Vince Wright
clicky,
Thanks for letting me know! I updated Great Things to conform to other reviews where I initially criticized “every” and “all” as literal.
-Vince Wright
Kimberly Minick
My concern is this. Jesus conquered death on the cross. When he breathed his last breath, the veil was torn. These lyrics say, “Then came the morning that sealed the promise…” It makes it seem like Jesus conquered death when he rose from the grave. Look up the Word of Faith (which Bethel is part of) teaching on Jesus having to be born again. It is heresy. Jesus conquered death on the cross. I’m noticing these lyrics in more and more songs from Bethel and Hillsong.
Neal Cruco
Kimberly,
“But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”
– 1 Corinthians 15 (NLT)
I have not yet been able to get a clear picture of exactly what Jesus’ death did vs His resurrection. But Paul makes one thing very clear here- Jesus’ death was not enough. His resurrection was what sealed His promise of eternal life to us. If He had stayed dead, then Christianity would be just another sham religion that can offer no more hope than anything else, and we would be lost, without hope or redemption.
Vince Wright
Kimberly,
Thank you for your comment!
Did Jesus conquer death on the cross? That doesn’t make any sense. He DIED. The way to conquer (or to defeat) death is to, well, not be dead anymore! Hence, the resurrection. See https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Christ-conquered-death.html.
-Vince Wright
Joseph Stephens
I Peter 5:8 refers to Your adversary the devil prowls around like a “roaring lion” seeking someone to devour.
I’m confused about this term in verse three. Does it refer to the devil? It doesn’t line up with scripture if it refers to Jesus as He may be the Lion of Judah, but is not referred to as roaring.
Please explain your high score based on this apparent departure from or adding to scripture.
Vince Wright
Joseph,
Great question!
Take a look at Hosea 11:10-12 and Amos 3:1-8, combined with the fact that Jesus is God. Both passages are about the power of God’s Word.
-Vince Wright
Jennifer Worch
I agree with the above comment that Jesus is never described as a “Roaring Lion,” but the devil is. Jesus is, indeed, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. But there is a distinction; they are not one and the same. In fact, we know that Satan is the master deceiver, masquerading as an angel of light.
The lyrics say: “Out of the silence, the roaring lion declared the grave has no claim on me.”
The “risen savior” declared this for those who believe on him, not the roaring lion.
What does Scripture say about the Roaring Lion? 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a ROARING LION, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (emphasis mine)
So the “roaring lion” is the one who seeks to devour us, not the one who frees us from death.
Words have meaning. We can’t take artistic license with the word of God and change the Scripture to suit what we want to put in a song.
I’m disappointed that a “berean test” would blow off that part of the song.
Neal Cruco
Jennifer,
I suggest you read Vince’s reply to the comment that you agree with, and then read mine as well. But I will make a more concise rebuttal of your argument here:
You quote 1 Peter 5:8 from the King James Version. Despite its enduring popularity, the KJV uses antiquated English that can be confusing to a modern ear. When it reads “as a roaring lion”, it uses “as” to mean “in the manner of; similarly to”. The original Greek word is “hós”, and modern Bible translations, such as the NASB, translate it as “like”. Additionally, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon describes “hós” as “an adverb of comparison”.
Therefore, 1 Peter 5:8 simply does not make “Roaring Lion” a title that is used specifically for Satan. It only compares Satan to a roaring lion, just like Hosea 11:10 compares God to a roaring lion.
Matt
I straight up laughed out loud at “It will cause people to lift their hands faster than Jimmy John’s can deliver a sub.”
Vince Wright
Matt,
Thank you for reminding me that I should add more humor to my reviews!
-Vince Wright
kellie
Line 3 verse 3 — the bible is specific that Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Satan is the roaring lion. The bible never describes Jesus as “the roaring lion” but 1 Peter 5:8 does describe satan as such. I don’t know about you but I’m not going to be speaking this over myself…satan declares nothing over me, good or bad! I believe this is deception at it’s finest.
Vince Wright
Kellie,
Thank you for your comment!
You are correct, that there are no references that specifically cite Jesus as a “roaring lion”; However, there are other instances to examine:
1. A strong angel of the LORD is compared to that of a roaring lion in Revelation 10:1-3:
“I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.
2. God is called a roaring lion in Hosea 11:10:
“They will walk after the Lord, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar And His sons will come trembling from the west.”
3. David’s enemy of Bashan is called a roaring lion in Psalm 22:11-13:
“11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.”
This shows that Satan is not the only “roaring lion” in town. How do you address these passages in light of your view?
-Vince Wright
Neal Cruco
In addition to Vince’s comment, I’d like to point out John 10:10- “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (NASB) The thief here represents Satan. Is there any logical reason why Satan would declare that the grave has no grip on us? Isn’t that the exact opposite of his will?
Also, 1 Peter 5:8 describes Satan as “like a roaring lion”. All modern Bible translations that I checked use that wording. That’s a bit different from “the roaring lion” being a title of Satan.
So in context, it makes no sense for Satan to be “the roaring lion” in this song, and “the roaring lion” is not a title that the Bible uses specifically for Satan. Therefore, I have to wonder how you get Satan out of that line.
Luke
I am in this dilema as well. I love love love this song as well as This Is Amazing Grace but have just recently been thinking through our usage of Bethel Music in our church and how it supports Bethel ministries including the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministries. And not only is it financially supporting them, but at the end of the song everyone sees the ccli information and that we seem to be endorsing (even if not overtly) the ministries of bethel when that copyright info comes up. And I also find it challenging then that not only songs that are written by bethel artists are associated with bethel publishing. There are way too many good songs from others out there that now at the end of a long line of music publishers, you also find bethel publishing tagged on there. It’s almost a case of the big corperation with bad ethics swollowing up all the little guys, making it harder and harder to find good songs to sing elsewhere. Anyone, all that to say, I’m really conflicted on this. But thank you for the review on this song. Love it for my own personal use, but not sure if I can keep using in our church where I have a responsibility to protect my flock.
Vince Wright
Luke,
Thank you for your comments! The more I look into Hillsong, Bethel, and Jesus Culture, the more I am inclined to agree with you. I also don’t want to put myself in a position to recommend songs that lines the pockets of bad theology by purchasing an LLCI license or otherwise legitimize these organizations. I’m not sure if there is a way to recommend it outside these bounds.
If this was written 200 years ago and without copyright, it would be an easier decision. I understand your dilemma.
-Vince Wright
Neal Cruco
I personally think we should judge and use songs based on their own merits, and not the merits of anyone associated with them. Both Hillsong and Bethel Music promote false doctrine, but some of their music is biblically sound nonetheless, so I buy and sing it in good conscience. And merely publishing a song is a much more tenuous link to it than writing it, so I’m even less concerned. You do you, but I find no reason to boycott every song with even an indirect association to Bethel, Hillsong, etc.
Steve Barhydt
Amen,Neal. Amen
Blake Herron
2 John 10-11 shows that this is not an accurate line of thinking. Source matters. Crystal clear water that comes from a toilet can still make you sick. As a worship pastor, if my people see the name Bethel Music on our slides, they may be encouraged to look further into their theology because of my support. Our royalties through copyright fees support the missions of the churches they go to. I understand and thought along the same merit lines for the song. However, our job as teachers is to clear the way of any potholes or misconceptions of the true Gospel for our people.
Neal Cruco
“2 John 10-11 shows that this is not an accurate line of thinking. Source matters. Crystal clear water that comes from a toilet can still make you sick.”
2 John 10-11 deals with false teaching. By definition, a biblically sound song has no false teaching. A church using biblically sound music from Bethel etc is not inviting in the false teaching of that church, so this citation is inapplicable.
Furthermore, any water that causes sickness is polluted, regardless of its appearance, and cannot be an accurate analogue to biblically sound music. Therefore, your analogy fails. As Vince said up above (as TastyWallet) this is an example of the association fallacy. Biblically sound songs cannot become unbiblical just by being published by Bethel.
“As a worship pastor, if my people see the name Bethel Music on our slides, they may be encouraged to look further into their theology because of my support.”
So address that concern when it comes up. My church’s leadership has fielded the same question; don’t be afraid of it. (As an aside: your church puts the publisher info on their slides? There’s no text on ours except the lyrics.)
“Our royalties through copyright fees support the missions of the churches they go to.”
If that’s a problem for you, so be it- act according to your conscience. But be gracious with those that disagree. I have no misgivings about taking the wholesome food and leaving the spoiled milk when it comes to the music of Bethel, Hillsong, etc.
Steve Barhydt
Well said, Neal.
Steve Barhydt
If you are going to quote scripture to prove a point, I suggest that you quote in in context.
2 John
4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.
What is the “this teaching” spoken of in verse 10? The answer is in verse 7 “many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.”
I challenge you to find anywhere where preachers or singers from Bethel or Hillsongs “do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh”
This scripture cannot be use to universally condemn anyone with whom you have theological differences.
Both of these groups consistently produce songs that are Biblically sound (as is evident by this very website) and lift up the name of Jesus.
When judging the ministries of others it is wise to take the approach of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1
15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
I am NOT in 100% agreement with some of the doctrines that these groups have been associated with (most noticeably Word of Faith and Dominion theology) but it is important to note that these are NOT soteriological doctrines.
When it comes to salvation, to my knowledge, they both preach “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” as the only way to get to Heaven.
Vince Wright
Steve,
Thank you for this post! This specific issue has been weighing heavy on my heart (as evidenced by some of my recent comments); However, these Scriptures and focus on salvation as the primary doctrine puts much of it to rest. I agree with you in that Hillsong, Bethel, and Jesus Culture are not denying the Gospel. It shows up with their statements of faith (or equivalent).
My concern is about how these theologies impact the walk of Christ-followers. For example, word of faith gives unrealistic expectations that God will always heal those who ask for it. Some have walked away from Christianity because of it; However, one can also argue that their walking away is a sign that they were never regenerate; that they were never filled with the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:19). What’s worse, those who ask by faith for healing and do not receive it are often accused of “not having enough faith”, which may put doubt in the mind of those who receive such criticism. It may make some people ineffective in furthering the Kingdom of God!
I like what Neal posted in his comment, that he takes “the wholesome food and leaving the spoiled milk when it comes to the music of Bethel, Hillsong, etc”. That is the heart of this website: to examine the lyrics on their own merits to determine if it’s wholesome food or spoiled milk irrespective of its artists’ views.
The decision to purchase and sing songs from these organizations or not support them financially due to their crap theology is a matter-of-conscious issue succinctly laid out in Romans 14. We should not judge one another for either decision since, as you correctly pointed out Steve, this is not about salvation.
-Vince Wright
Steve Barhydt
I, too,have the same concerns about the Word of Faith “name it and claim it” movement. Some have, without question, taken it too far.
As to how much Word of Faith is associated with Bethel Church I would encourage anyone who questions what they believe to read the following article from their website https://www.bethel.com/press/olive/ concerning the death of Olive Heiligenthal and the subsequent prayers for her resurrection.
In particular listen to the short video by Pastor Johnson about half way down the page. This is an excellent example of how the theoretical meets the practical.
In theory, we believe that God answers ALL prayers, including resurrection from the dead. In practice we understand that sometimes, for reasons only He knows, His answer is “No”
As Pastor Johnson says in the conclusion of the above mentioned video:
“When it doesn’t work, we don’t blame God. We give Him the glory, we give him the praise we celebrate his goodness, his kindness, because nothing about our experience, difficult or not, changes who he is. We are spending our life trying to discover this wonderful, wonderful father, who is so perfect in every way.”
Those don’t sound like the words of a man fully invested in the more radical views of the Word of Faith movement.
I find it deeply concerning that any mention of believing in and praying for God to do the miraculous is immediately associated with the “fringe” elements of the Charismatic movement and condemned as heresy.
As Christians who believe in an omniscient, omnipotent God we live with a constant tension…
On one hand we should pray in such a way as to expect God to answer…
I John 5
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
On the other hand, we trust in His goodness so strongly that our faith, while it may be shaken, should not be destroyed when God doesn’t answer the way we think He should…
Daniel 3
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Sorry for the sermon 🙂 I am very passionate about the misinterpretation of what is and what is not Word of Faith.
If you believe that it is too far off topic, feel free not to post it or edit it as you see fit.
Vince Wright
Steve,
Thanks for the follow-up! I appreciate your comments as always.
-Vince Wright
Amy
One important distinction to make here is that although Bethel’s Bill Johnson preaches Christ crucified, as you stated, he does not preach a biblical Jesus, and therefore the gospel he propagates is false. Johnson teaches that “Jesus was just a man in right relationship with God” – that when he “emptied” himself (Philippians 2:7), he completely laid his divinity aside. “It’s vital to note that He did all His miracles as a man, not as God” he wrote in Charisma Magazine (11/21/14). Johnson teaches this same heresy (almost verbatim) in 3 of his books, he preaches it regularly from his own pulpit in Redding, and he preached it last year at Hillsong Conference on July 11. This is not the Jesus of the Bible- the Jesus who has the power to save. I beg you, brothers- we must be very careful about proclaiming that a teacher is sound, lending them credence and encouraging others to accept their teachings and listen to their music, simply because they use words like “Jesus” or “Holy Spirit.” Mormons also teach Jesus crucified, but just like Bill Johnson, theirs is not the Jesus we know from Scripture.
Steve Barhydt
Amy,
I have debated with myself for several days now as to whether or not to respond to your comment because the purpose of this website is NOT theological debates. However , the unwarranted claim that Pastor Johnson “does not preach a biblical Jesus” needs to be corrected.
As proof of this I offer 3 quotes from Bethel sources (which I found after about 5 minutes of internet searching) and a brief statement (Brief for me at least 🙂 )…
Quote 1 – From Bethel’s statement of faith
https://www.bethel.com/about/
We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is God’s Anointed One, empowered by the Holy Spirit to inaugurate God’s kingdom on earth. He was crucified for our sins, died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven, and is now alive today in the presence of God the Father and in His people. He is “true God” and “true man.”
We believe that we are saved by God’s grace, through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Anyone can be restored to fellowship with God through repenting, believing, and receiving Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit convicts, regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and adopts us as we enter the kingdom of God as His sons and daughters.
Quote 2 – From Bill Johnson’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/BillJohnsonMinistries/posts/jesus-is-god-eternally-god-and-never-stopped-being-god-but-he-was-also-man-compl/10151009786603387/
Jesus is God, eternally God, and never stopped being God. But He was also man, completely man. In His earthly life He lived from His humanity to illustrate dependence on the Father in a way that could be emulated. Jesus said, “the Son of man can do nothing of Himself . . .” illustrating His dependence. His limitations were in His humanity, not His divinity. Understanding the difference can help us to successfully live the life He gave for us to live.
Quote 3 – From a sermon by Pastor Johnson
https://youtu.be/nYR8ZTvihiU?t=909
“Jesus did all of His miracles, even though He is eternally God, is not a created being, He didn’t somehow earn divinity, He is eternally God. He did His miracles as a man. He told us in scriptures, He said ‘The Son of Man can do nothing of Himself, and , I looked it up in the Greek that word nothing, means Nothing!. He had chosen to not function as God. He had chosen to live with restrictions, the restrictions of a man.”
My statement (including a 4th quote)…
What does Philippians 2:5-11 really mean? What does 100% God and 100% man look like? I don’t fully understand it and, I daresay, neither do you or anyone else for that matter.
One of the best explanations I have read however comes from the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary on Philippians 2 (Published by the way in 1871 long before Pastor Johnson) https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/jfb/Phl/Phl_002.cfm?a=1105007
“7made himself of no reputation, and. . . and–rather as the Greek, “emptied Himself, taking upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.” The two latter clauses (there being no conjunctions, “and. . . and,” in the Greek) expresses in what Christ’s “emptying of Himself” consists, namely, in “taking the form of a servant” (see on JF & B for Heb 10:5; compare Exd 21:5, 6, and Psa 40:6, proving that it was at the time when He assumed a body, He took “the form of a servant”), and in order to explain how He took “the form of a servant,” there is added, by “being made in the likeness of men.” His subjection to the law ( Luk 2:21 Gal 4:4 ) and to His parents ( Luk 2:51 ), His low state as a carpenter, and carpenter’s reputed son ( Mat 13:55 Mar 6:3 ), His betrayal for the price of a bond-servant ( Exd 21:32 ), and slave-like death to relieve us from the slavery of sin and death, finally and chiefly, His servant-like dependence as man on God, while His divinity was not outwardly manifested ( Isa 49:3, 7 ), are all marks of His “form as a servant.” This proves: (1) He was in the form of a servant as soon as He was made man. (2) He was “in the form of God” before He was “in the form of a servant.” (3) He did as really subsist in the divine nature, as in the form of a servant, or in the nature of man. For He was as much “in the form of God” as “in the form of a servant”; and was so in the form of God as “to be on an equality with God”; He therefore could have been none other than God; for God saith, “To whom will ye liken Me and make Me equal?” ( Isa 46:5 ), [BISHOP PEARSON]. His emptying Himself presupposes His previous plenitude of Godhead ( Jhn 1:14 Col 1:19 2:9 ). He remained full of this; yet He bore Himself as if He were empty.”
The last phrase of that “He remained full of this; yet He bore Himself as if He were empty.” sounds an awful lot like “even though He is eternally God… He had chosen to not function as God. He had chosen to live with restrictions, the restrictions of a man.”
I believe that Pastor Johnson would be well served to completely and publicly clarify his position on the incarnation.
However, based on the quotes above from him and his church, it is a fallacious argument at best to claim that “he does not preach a biblical Jesus, and therefore the gospel he propagates is false.”
Amy, your very own definition of the biblical Jesus is “the Jesus who has the power to save.” I challenge you to find anything in Bethel’s teaching that 1) denies that Jesus has the power to save or 2) attributes the power to save to anyone or anything other than Jesus. Even if Jesus completely “laid aside” His divinity while here on earth (something I believe I have proven that Bill Johnson and Bethel DOES NOT teach) it is still that “we are saved by God’s grace, through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ”
Finally to throw the Mormons into the statement is a “boogeyman” attack that attempts to draw a false equivalency between a known cult and Bill Johnson.
Sister, I, in turn, beg you that before calling someone a heretic that you fully understand what they are saying, why they are saying it, and, above all, place their words into the overall context of their teachings.
Vince, I really did try to make it brief but brevity is just not in my nature 🙂
Vince Wright
Steve,
It’s ok! Sometimes commentary calls for detail rather than brevity.
-Vince Wright
Amy
Hi Steve! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my comment, and for doing some research on Bill Johnson’s teaching. I hope you’ll take even more time to look into it. I definitely did not present a full case in my comment due to brevity concerns, and l agree with you that these type of comment forums are likely not the best place for these types of conversations. If I may, I’d love to take a step back from the “debate” and just share a little bit of personal background on what led to my current conviction on this topic, because, honestly, just a couple of months ago I would have agreed wholeheartedly with you. My playlist used to be filled with Bethel music.
This past fall God brought a new friend info my life who is a follower of Bill Johnson, and who attended a Bethel school. I thought nothing of it at first, but the more time we spent together, the more it became clear that something was off…she did not espouse orthodox Christian beliefs, but rather some form of New Age mysticism in which signs, wonders, and miracles are paramount in a “triune gospel.” She told me that Jesus didn’t “only” die to save us from our sins, but also so that we can prosper financially and physically here on earth- that “we will create heaven on earth” by conquering the 7 “mountains” of society and usher in Christ’s return. Now I won’t claim any theological expertise, but I have been been a follower of Christ, a reader of the Bible, and an attender of Baptist and non-denominational Christian churches for 40 years, and I had never heard this theology before.
In an effort to understand what she was talking about, I began listening to Bill Johnson’s sermons and reading his books. I started browsing Bethel’s social media and watching videos of their services. I spent several weeks and dozens of hours diving into their content, and what I found was anything but biblical. They may give some lip service to a orthodox Christian doctrine on their website’s “About” page, but if you look under the hood, it’s nothing but. The Kenosis heresy I pointed out in my reply is just one of many teachings that are used in conjunction with one another to weave and entirely new gospel message. For example, the teaching I pointed out in my comment to you (ie “it’s vital to note that He [Jesus] did all His miracles as a man, and not as God”) is used (by Johnson and Valloton) to make the case that we are all capable of doing what Jesus did. This little “g” gods doctrine is a huge part of what they teach- that we can and should all be speaking things into existence, raising the dead, calming storms, and healing the sick…not asking God to heal the sick, but healing the sick ourselves, because, as Johnson teaches, God wills to heal 100% of the time. In their view, we hold the power. Kris Valloton posted on his Instagram a few weeks ago “Prayer is an act of leadership as it authorizes God to do His will on our planet.” This is why Bethel held 6 nights of worship services in December when the toddler daughter of one of their worship leaders passed away unexpectedly. I watched the service live streams and read through thousands of comments from Bethel followers worldwide. They weren’t petitioning God, in His sovereign will and omnipotence, to resurrect her…they were commanding the girl to rise, and declaring that she would.
The little “g” gods doctrine feeds into a massive emphasis on signs, wonders & miracles, and an open embrace of mysticism. Johnson wrote in The Physics of Heaven, “Jonathan Edwards, the legendary 18th century minister once said, ‘A work of God without stumbling blocks is never to be expected.’ I believe that a great work of God is in process as He restores knowledge and insights that have been lost to Christians, but are now hidden in the teachings and practices of Quantum Mysticism.” In the same book, co-contributor Jonathan Welton writes, “I have found throughout Scripture at least 75 examples of things that the New Age has counterfeited, such as having a spirit guide, trances, meditation, auras, power objects, clairvoyance, clairaudience, and more. These actually belong to the church, but they have been stolen and cleverly repackaged.” This is terrifying.
The Law of Attraction (speaking things into existence) is a major theme in Bethel’s teaching, though they don’t call it that. It’s part of the power they allege we possess as a result of Christ crucified. Alongside this is a re-branded Prosperity gospel. Take a look at their offertory readings (bethel.com/offering-readings/). You’ll see line after line of declaring high-paying jobs, checks in the mail, favorable settlements…”That as I join my value system to Yours, You will shower favor, blessings and increase upon me.” My friend’s young daughter has a poster of one of these offering readings on her bedroom wall that reads,
“I am powerful
And what I believe changes the world
So today I declare
God is in a good mood
He loves me all the time
Nothing can separate me from His love
Jesus’ blood paid for everything
I will tell nations of what He has done
I am important
How He made me is amazing
I was designed for worship
My mouth establishes praise to silence the enemy
Everywhere I go becomes a perfect-health zone”
Some of this is true, of course- like God’s love for us, and that we are designed for worship, but once you’ve really dug into their teachings, you understand that when they say “Jesus’ blood paid for everything,” they mean that Jesus paid for us to get a promotion at work, and to be able tell our headaches to go away, and to “experience God” through things like “angel visitations” and “divine manifestations” (if you dare, watch one of Bethel’s regular teachers, Heidi Baker, slurring and falling down on stage during a Bethel service, “drunk” on some spirit). Or watch footage from Randy Clark’s visit to Bethel last month. The camera pans across the crowd showing of hundreds of people violently convulsing and shaking, screaming, moaning, rolling around on the floor.
This is not the Gospel, and this is not the fruit of the Spirit. This is demonic. I’m so sorry, Vince, for kinda going off the rails in the comment section, but I’m so incredibly grieved and alarmed at all of this…it’s hard to stay silent now. Thanks again, both of you, for your willingness to engage in discussion. We really need that. I do pray that you will look more deeply into the Bethel movement and consider these concerns that I and many others share.
Vince Wright
Amy,
No worries! This conversation has given me much to chew on.
-Vince Wright
Suzanne
Actually, that’s the problem of Bethel and Hillsong. (Probably isn’t the place to be discussing this, but please indulge me these few sentences.) Bethel and Hillsong are both churches that teach kenosis – that Jesus was just a mortal man, just like us, that could only do “signs and wonders” through God’s powers. This makes sense why they spent a week trying to raise poor little Olive from the grave. They think they are entitled to the same power Jesus had. Go ahead, sing their songs.
J P
I’m not a Christian, so I don’t know anything about intra-Christian theological polemics. But can anyone set me straight on Hillsong and Bethel Music? What false doctrines do they promote? I’m a bit concerned now as one of my friends is attending Hillsong services regularly now,
Vince Wright
J P,
Great question! In the interest of focusing on the lyrics instead of the artists’ theology, I’ll link to two Got Questions articles that discuss it for Hillsong and Bethel Music. I’m sure others will be willing to respond!
-Vince Wright
Suzanne
Hard to find, but not impossible. Check out Sovereign Grace, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Matt Merker, Matt Papa and Andrew Peterson. Great music and meaningful Gospel centered lyrics that don’t repeat a thousand times!
Amy
Another great one is CityAlight! Beautiful hymn-sound.
John Bads
Excellent conclusion! Wish more took this stance
tastywallet
Judy,
Great question! That is a personal call you’ll have to make. If you don’t want to support the artist because of their ties with Bethel, then that is fine with me. By all means, do not financially support him. However, we must be careful not to commit the association fallacy, arguing that the song is bad because part of Bethel’s team co-wrote it.
-TastyWallet
Rich Crist
I love the song!! Please don’t misunderstand my intention here. My question is simply this. I am not aware of any place in New Testament scripture where God/Jesus is referred to as a “Roaring Lion”, but rather satan is referred to as roaming around as “Roaring Lion”.
With that in mind, I am concerned about how this would be accepted at my church. It may be a stretch to suggest that Christ arose as a “Roaring Lion”. Thoughts?
I would like to be able to defend this if I choose to do it.
tastywallet
Rich,
Great question! Revelation 5:5 describes a “Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals”. If you read this in the context of the entire chapter, it becomes obvious that this “roaring lion” is Jesus Himself. It is from this verse by which Jesus often attains the title “Lion of Judah”.
Also, take a look at Genesis 49:9, which contains another connection between Judah and its figurative usage of lion.
-TastyWallet
KIRK
I see your point. Today Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. We the Body of Christ are the suffering church. After the rapture of the Church we see in Revelation Jesus as the Lion of Judah. Here’s my concern, to attribute to Jesus what is stated of Satan is concerning. With Christian Nationalism on the rise, AKA KINGDOM NOW THEOLOGY Reconstruction theology, they actually teach and preach we are to take the kingdom by force. To take back America for Jesus etc giving the believer the ok with words like this that we have every right to force ourselves on others. This is not what the Church is called to. Jesus said MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. AND no NT scripture teaches we are to take back earthly land for Jrsus sake or before His coming. HOWEVER after the rapture, the 2nd coming of Christ WITH US, will come back overthrowing the enemy as Jesus will set up the earthly kingdom promised to Israel.
If Christians are deceived into thinking we are to aggressively conquer the earth , America for Jesus sake, your playing right into the hands of the anti-Christ. If you don’t believe that, just look at those who have professed to be Christians and have endorced Trump as their WOLF KING. Same idea….aggressive…watch THE FAMILY documentary on Netflix.
So stick with your first instinct and nudging from the Holy Spirit and learn to discern the most deceptive tactics of the enemy….lovely music lathered in grape jelly.
Connie B
Thank you so much for this website. It is a good resource! This song blesses me every time I hear, play or sing it! Thank you for the review! One question-who is Beckham you mentioned when reviewing the outro?
Thanks again. Blessings….
tastywallet
Connie,
Thanks, much appreciated! My local church played this last Sunday. It blesses me when I sing it too!
Thanks for pointing out “Beckham”! It should have been “Wickham”. I corrected it.
-TastyWallet
tastywallet
Mal,
Oh ok, thanks! I corrected it.
-Tastywallet
Mal Green
Cheers Tasty – keep up the great work! BTW our band performed this in church today as an ‘item’ … was a great honour to this at Easter 🙂
tastywallet
Mal,
Awesome to hear, thanks for letting me know!
-Tastywallet
Mal Green
Great review, and loving the site! As a point of order, I think first time readers / new Christians may be a bit confused by the phrase “life after God”, as there *is* nothing after God! Perhaps would be better replaced by ‘eternal life with God’?
tastywallet
Mal,
Thanks I appreciate that! I dd not see the phrase “life after God” anywhere in the lyrics. Can you point it out to me?
-TastyWallet
Mal Green
Hi Tasty – it was in your review, not in the lyrics 🙂
Ben
Hey tasty good review for a good song
tastywallet
Ben,
Thanks!
-TastyWallet
lost or just less found
Love this song, too! I could not remember if I put in a request for this and was about to do so, but then you already posted this 🙂 It’s great for congregational singing in our church
tastywallet
lost or just less found,
To my recollection, you had not.
-TastyWallet
lost or just less found
I see… Thanks for reviewing it! If I may add, I also appreciate how the high points of the melody correspond to the most important parts in the lyrics.
tastywallet
Lost,
You are quite welcome! I agree with you regarding the melody, though that exists outside the scope of this review.
-TastyWallet
Steve Kuhn
Good review!
tastywallet
Thanks!