Photo by Sunyu
Previously known as Vertical Church Band, Vertical Worship formed from their home church in Harvest Bible Chapel. They did not begin recording and selling music until 2012, signing with Essential Records. As of this writing, they have released five albums: Live Worship from Vertical Church (2012), Rock Won’t Move (2013), Church Songs (2015), Frontiers (2016), and Bright Faith Bold Future (2018). Though some of these albums appeared in the top 10 US charts for Christianity, they have no prestigious awards to their name.
As the title suggests, I will review Spirit of the Living God from their 2015 album Church Songs.
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?
I am pleased with Vertical Worship’s topic of choice: the often neglected Holy Spirit! We have so many songs about Jesus and the Father, so to see one dedicated to the Holy Spirit excites me. While I did not see any attributes of God specific to the Holy Spirit in these lyrics, the song’s title and opening verse cemented it for me. He is often referred to as God’s Spirit throughout the entire Bible. Vertical Worship expresses their desire to:
- Hear from Him;
- Know Him personally,
- Change under His power,
- Put Him before their family and lives,
- Remove fears and tears, and
- Bow their knee to God’s throne.
I would have liked to see attributes of God given to the Holy Spirit and some of the things He has done. His role would have also been a nice touch.
Score: 8/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
Most of it is Biblical. There is an unclear line and another unnecessary line.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
Refers to the Holy Spirit.
We only want to hear Your voice
We’re hanging on every word
Given that the Holy Spirit guides us (John 16:13 and Hebrews 3:7-11) and speaks through us (Matthew 10:19-20 and Mark 13:11), the desire to hear His voice is a good thing.
Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
Repeats lines 1 and 2.
We want to know You more and more
That is, personally, relationally.
We’re hanging on every word
Repeats line 4.
[Chorus]
‘Cause when You speak, when You move
When You do what only You can do
We could do without this line. It’s not anti-biblical, but it’s not terribly exciting either.
It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
When You come in the room
When You do what only You can do
It changes us
It changes what we see and what we seek
You’re changing everything
In one instance in Acts 10:1-48, Peter’s obedience of the Holy Spirit resulted in the gentile house of Cornelius to be saved, with his entire household. This changed the way Peter saw gentiles: they too are beings created in God’s image. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, it will transform us as well, with the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:2).
[Verse 2]
Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
Repeats Verse 1, lines 1 and 2.
We’re leaning in to all You are
Everything else can wait
Reminiscent of Jesus’ call in Luke 14:26-33, where He calls His followers to hate their families and lives. The word “hate” in the Koine Greek is the word “miseō”, meaning “to love less”. Jesus is not advocating for disdain towards our relatives! Rather, we are to love them less than God or, put in the reverse, to love God more than family.
Spirit of the living God
Spirit of the living God
Repeats Verse 1, lines 1 and 2.
Come now and breathe upon our hearts
Come now and have Your way
Probably comes from John 20:22, where Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them. If we follow John the Baptists’ advice to decrease as God increases (John 3:30), this gives room for the Holy Spirit to move through us.
[Bridge]
When You move, You move all our fears
The Scriptures call us not to be afraid because God rescues (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,and 1 Peter 5:6-7). It is His perfect love that drives out fear (1 John 4:18).
When You move, You move us to tears
This is a bit vague. Why does the Holy Spirit bring us to tears?
When You move, You move all our fears
When You move, You move us to tears
Repeats lines 1 and 2.
When You fall, we fall on our knees
When You fall, we fall at Your feet
Refers to the promised Holy Spirit, prophecied by Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 44:3, Joel 2:28-29, and Zechariah 12:10), John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:32-33, and Acts 1:5), and Jesus (John 14:15-17, John 14:26, and Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples of Jesus in Pentacost (Acts 2:1-4 and Acts 2:38) and later in other areas, both with Hebrews and Gentiles (Acts 8:15-18, Acts 10:44-47, Acts 11:15-16, and Titus 3:5).
When You fall, we fall on our knees
When You fall, we fall at Your feet
Repeats lines 7-8.
Score: 9/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Those who do not follow Jesus will probably not understand that the Spirit of the Living God is the Holy Spirit. However, they may understand it as God. This loss of nuance takes little away from the overall message and what Vertical Worship communicates to their audience.
Score: 8/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies the Holy Spirit, though slightly veiled due to lack of attributes.
Score: 8/10
Closing Comments
I am ecstatic for the rare opportunity to hear a song dedicated to the Holy Spirit. Vertical Worship’s Spirit of the Living God is highly biblical, with some vagueness regarding why He moves us to tears. It would also improve to include some of His properties, acts, and role in the Trinity. Nonetheless, it brings God glory through what Vertical Worship does provide and gives the unchurched something to ponder upon.
Music directors may want to consider this one, especially since there are such few songs specifically about the Holy Spirit.
Final Score: 8.5/10
Artist Info
Track: Spirit of the Living God (listen to the song)
Artist: Vertical Worship
Album: Church Songs
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2015
Duration: 5:39
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2015 HBC Worship Music (ASCAP) All Essential Music (ASCAP) Upside Down Under (BMI) Be Essential Songs (BMI) Jingram Music Publishing (ASCAP) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
10/27/2019 – Steve Barhydt challenged my update since Gilbert commented. I examined the context of the entire song and the Scriptures he brings to his commentary. I had forgotten my initial comment that the entire song is about the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I restored the score to its former 8.5/10.
10/07/2019 – Commenter Gilbert Johnson challenged me on my Scripture references for Jesus falling. I realized that it was not referring to His death, but his physical falling three times, which is not supported in Scripture. I altered its score, slightly lowering it from 8.5/10 to 8/10.
04/28/2019 – Thanks to commenter Elaine Goedde for pointing out that I did not address “when you fall” at the end of the bridge. I updated my commentary for this entire part in light of this context, which in my mind, is not about every knee bowing, but rather a response to Christ’s sacrifice.
Comments
racefangurl
I can’t tell if a song’s rooted in Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition unless it mentions lifted hands, filled with Holy Spirit or is by an artist that has mentioned these things before. Like there’s a song I recently learned that says “Spirit of the living God, fill us with Your holy fire”, which implies Spirit filled if I actually think about it.
Lydia
Thanks for covering this song, it’s a new one they shared at church this past Sunday and it sounded a little…charismatic to me. I’ll admit though I feel like I have to be constantly on guard because they’ve shared Bethel & Hillsong songs a lot, even Reckless Love. The preaching seems pretty solid though-we’ve been looking for a new church home for a year now since we left a mega church. It makes me sad that it feels like the traditional churches are changing things up to be more like what we left.
Vince Wright
Lydia,
My pleasure! I hope that my review gave you something worth pondering.
-Vince Wright
Gilbert Johnson
Jesus Christ did and does not fall! I looked up the scriptures you referenced to “prove” your point. They all refer to his suffering because of our sin, but not that he fell. It was God’s plan that Christ would take on our suffering, but He never fell, He endured!! Satan fell not the Son of God!
Vince Wright
Gilbert,
Thank you for your challenge! You’re right. I was thinking that Jesus fell in the sense that He died, but I think the artist has more in mind that Jesus fell three times while carrying the cross.
Having said that, my next thought was to examine the three falls of Jesus. We know from the Scripture that Simon of Cyrene was asked by the Romans to carry the cross on Jesus’ behalf; However, I could not find any Scripture to support the three falls of Jesus! I looked for a source on this and only found tradition, much like the three wise men (they were unnumbered magi), Mary Magdeline as a prostitute (she had seven demons cast out of her), and the perpetual virginity of Mary (Jesus had other physical brothers).
I updated my review.
-Vince Wright
Steve Barhydt
This is a song about the Holy Spirit. It has nothing to do with Jesus falling on the way to Calvary.
Acts 2
1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 10
44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts 11
15And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? 18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Acts 19
5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
All of the above scriptures describe the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10 and 11 the term “fell on them” is used to describe the event.
When Charismatics / Pentecostals pray for the Holy Spirit to “fall” or “come”, this is what we are referring to.
Vince Wright
Steve,
Thank you for pointing this out!
I’m an idiot. I don’t know why I thought that the last part was talking about Jesus when even my own commentary makes it clear that it’s the Holy Spirit.
I updated the review.
-Vince Wright
Kim Cramer
Hi Vince,
I just wanted to say that I do not think you’re an idiot. As a musician and Christ follower, I know that it can be really difficult to decipher artist intentions. I want to let you know that I appreciate your reviews and discernment in regards to worship song lyrics. I attend Harvest Bible Chapel where Vertical Worship is from, and sometimes I wonder what exactly their lyrics mean, so I’m thankful this website!
Thanks,
Kim
Vince Wright
Kim,
Thanks for the vote of confidence! I appreciate your compliments.
-Vince Wright
Lisa
I thought of fall as in the spirit fell upon us- for example “when the spirit falls in the room we fall to our knees!” Isn’t that truth? Woah!!!
Brad Turgeon
There are a lot of songs lately talking about the Holy Spirit coming, as though the Holy Spirit is not already within believers. This song says “When You come in the room” and “Come now and breathe upon our hearts. Come now and have Your way”
This could lead believers, especially new believers, to have an incorrect understanding of the indwelling of the Spirit.
tastywallet
Brad,
Thank you for your comments! I can understand how that might be the case. In my defense, phrases like this help us in terms of our attitude towards God, that God is in control and not us. It takes time for a new believer to understand that, and I’d hate to downgrade a review based on the perspective of a believer still on milk. It’s worth considering for a youth group or seeker-sensitive church to decide if they want to include this one.
-TastyWallet
Elaine Goedde
My church has sung this several times and each time I am bothered by the words “When You fall, we fall on our knees, When You fall, we fall at Your feet. You did make note that every knee will bow and confess Jesus as Lord, but what about the words “When you fall?” I don’t understand how we can sing about God falling.
tastywallet
Elaine,
Thanks for pointing this out! In light of the first part that I clearly missed, I had to update the second in the context of the first.
-TastyWallet