Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger
Many are familiar with Hillsong’s Cornerstone; However, Edward Mote’s My Hope is Built on Nothing Less is the original by which Hillsong’s hit song is based.
Mote was a pastor who wrote hymns, but not until his 50’s. Before his work in ministry, he worked as a cabinet maker. He wrote about 100 hymns, published in Hymns of Praise, A New Selection of Gospel Hymns, Combining All the Excellencies of our Spiritual Poets, with Many Originals (1836). My Hope is Built on Nothing Less is Mote’s most famous hymn.
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1. What message does the song communicate?
Despite our trials and tribulations, we still trust in the Holy Spirit’s leading and Jesus above everything else. Christ is the chief cornerstone; the foundation by which our salvation, faith, and righteousness derive. There is no other foundation, frame, or name by which we can be saved. It is only through the shed blood of perfect Jesus that makes salvation possible.
We depend on the promised Holy Spirit, along the foundation that is Jesus under the New Covenant for support. We will one day enter into His Heavenly Kingdom, dressed in white and having put on the Lord Jesus, not because we are good, but because He is righteous.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
This song is public domain.
[Verse 1]
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
References the two foundations of solid rock and sand in Matthew 7:24–27 and Luke 6:47–49. It is Jesus who is the foundation of our faith; the chief cornerstone (1 Corinthians 3:11 and Ephesians 2:19-22). All others will fall like quicksand.
[Verse 2]
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
Despite the stormy, dark weather where God seems absent, Hillsong still trusts in God, whose grace is unchanging. He is faithful when we are not because He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
The concept of praising God in the storm shows up in a LOT of Psalms, too many to list! My favorites are Psalm 22, Psalm 10, and Psalm 80. There is also a treasure trove of Scripture to examine.
My anchor holds within the veil.
In the same way that an anchor prevents its ship from being swept away from wind and waves, Christ is the hope that secures us when we face the unknown. Jesus is the pathway that brings us through the Old Testament veil that separated us from entering God’s presence (Hebrews 6:19-20).
[Verse 3]
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
That is, His promise of the 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). This line also references the New Covenant sealed with His shed blood (Jeremiah 31:31, Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
This combined effort of the Spirit’s work, who lives inside of 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), with Jesus’ shed blood to clease us of our sins (Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, and 1 Peter 1:18-19) gives us support and hope.
[Verse 4]
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
That is, when Jesus returns the second time (Matthew 24:43, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 11:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15).
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
When Christ returns, Hillsong believes that they will be with Him in paradise (Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 3:36, John 4:14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 1:20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, and Revelation 21:3-4).
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Having died to the law, it is now Christ who lives within Hillsong (Galatians 2:19-21). They have put on the Lord Jesus (Romans 13:14), often attributed to the color white (Ecclesiastes 9:8, Matthew 17:2, Matthew 28:3, Mark 9:3, Mark 16:5, Luke 9:29, John 20:12, Acts 1:10, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 4:4, Revelation 3:18, Revelation 6:11, Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:13-17, and Revelation 19:14). Therefore, they are faultless not because they are sinless, but because they have the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
The majority of its language is everyday and poetic, easing unbeliever comprehension. Mote communicates deep concepts of salvation, Christ as the foundation, and His second coming in an accessible format. It will be easily interpreted as a Christian song given its explicit references to Jesus and His shed blood.
Score: 10/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies Jesus through its focus on Jesus as foundational to our faith, His shed blood that saves us, and His triumphant second coming, where we will be found dressed in white.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Edward Mote’s My Hope is Built on Nothing Less celebrates Christ as the chief underpinning of our faith. Their descriptors of Christ’s shed blood as the only means of forgiveness of sins, the promised Holy Spirit who guides us, and eternal life in His Kingdom bring God glory. Unbelievers will have little trouble comprehending this song.
It is difficult to recommend this for corporate worship given its mix of testimony and worship. Still, there might be an audience who are interested in worshipping with this blended approach. If you’re already singing Hillsong’s Cornerstone, consider switching it up with this classic.
Final Score: 10/10
Artist Info
Track: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (listen to Norton Hall Band’s version of this song)
Artist: Edward Mote
Album: N/A
Genre: Hymn
Release Year: 1837
Duration: N/A
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Updates:
03/24/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.
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