Hillsong Worship – Cornerstone

Popular juggernaut Hillsong Church recently released King of Kings last month.  Hillsong continues to dominate our radio stations, playlists, and churches.  In part, because much of their music is Biblically sound.

In 2019, they won a GMA Dove Award “Worship Song of the Year” for their song Who You Say I Am. This song was also nominated for “Song of the Year” and “Worship Recorded Song of the Year”. Hillsong also received three Billboard nominations for “Top Christian Artist” (Hillsong Worship), “Top Christian Album” (There is More), and “Top Christian Song” (Who You Say I Am).

Cornerstone will be my 21st Hillsong review, including their Christmas song Prince of Heaven and twenty other reviews.  I will review the live version since it contains Verse 3.  It is also based on Edward Mote’s classic My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.

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?

Despite our trials and tribulations, we still trust in God above everything else. Jesus 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 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?

The entire song aligns with God’s inspired Word.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Verse 1]

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness

It is the shed blood of Jesus that saves Hillsong from their sins (Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, and 1 Peter 1:18-19).  It is His righteousness that makes His sacrifice for our sins possible (Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 27:24, John 19:4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Peter 2:21-23, and 1 John 3:5).

I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name

That is, a foundation that is not Jesus.  Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).  Hillsong talks more about foundation in the Chorus.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name

Repeats lines 1-4.

[Chorus]

Christ alone, Cornerstone

This line has personal significance given my father’s occupation. My dad is a stonemason who builds walls, patios, and stairs. He gave me personal insight into the importance of the cornerstone. It is the first piece that lays the foundation for the rest of a wall’s structure. All other stones form its structure based on this important solid rock.

In the same way, Jesus alone is the foundation of Hillsong’s faith (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49, and 1 Corinthians 3:11). It is He by which all other people, the body of Christ, is constructed. He is the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Weak made strong in the Saviour’s love

God’s power is made perfect in Hillsong’s weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-11), showing His love for us in that He disciplines us (Hebrews 12:4-11).

Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all

Jesus rebuked the storms in Matthew 8:23–27, Mark 4:35–41, and Luke 8:22–25. This demonstrates that Jesus is Lord through physical storms. In the same way, He is also Lord over spiritual storms. He is sovereign over creation ( Romans 9:19-21, Ephesians 1:11, Romans 14:8-9, Colossians 1:15-23, Hebrews 1:8, James 4:15, Revelation 4:11, and Revelation 20:11).

[Verse 2]

When darkness seems to hide His 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).

My anchor holds within the veil

Repeats line 4.

[Verse 3]

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).

Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless 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. Hillsong 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.

Those outside the camp of Christ might find the concepts of cornerstone and our dressed up in righteousness to be confusing. These are deeper concepts that require more than a cursory reading of Scripture to understand.

Score: 8/10

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.  Its slightly annoying repetition does not take away from His glory.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Hillsong Worship’s Cornerstone celebrates Christ as the chief underpinning of our faith. Their descriptors of Christ’s shed blood as the only means of forgiveness of sins and eternal life in His Kingdom bring God glory. While some of it might be harder for unbelievers to comprehend, the majority of it is simple enough for them to understand.

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.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Cornerstone (Live) (listen to the song)

Artist: Hillsong Worship

Album: Cornerstone (Live)

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2012

Duration: 6:49

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

*Copyright © 2012 Hillsong Music Publishing (APRA) (adm. in the US and Canada at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

05/07/2021 – Per Artist Theology announcement, I expanded the red text to encourage others to study Hillsong’s theology.

03/24/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.  I also forgot to state my overall thoughts on Biblical accuracy in section 2.  I increased the score in section 1.  This did not affect the overall rating.

02/28/2020 – Added Hebrews 6:19-20 and commentary surrounding the anchor that enters the veil.  Thanks to Musicalworship for this wonderful find!

02/26/2020 – Neal pointed out that Cornerstone is “built” on the work of Edward Mote.  I added this credit to the introduction.