Charity Gayle, Hannah Rae Miele, Magen Thurman, Ryan Kennedy, Steven Musso
A profoundly Christ-centered worship song with exceptional scriptural depth and theological precision. The lyric surveys salvation history from creation to consummation through a Christological lens, celebrating the redemptive work of Jesus with doctrinal clarity and corporate voice. Minor melodic ceiling and poetic repetition prevent a higher score, but these do not diminish the song's powerful theological witness. Highly recommended for congregations seeking to deepen their understanding of Christ's lordship over all creation and history.
Five lenses
Exceptionally saturated with biblical truth. The song weaves together creation theology (Genesis 1, John 1), incarnation (John 1:14), atonement (Romans 5:8-9), resurrection (1 Corinthians 15), and cosmic reconciliation (Colossians 1:15-20). The recurring refrain anchors every blessing, past and future, in the completed work of Christ. The lyric demonstrates sophisticated theological integration, connecting protology and eschatology through Christology. Every claim is traceable to scriptural warrant, with particular strength in presenting Christ as the mediator of both creation and redemption.
The song presents a comprehensive Christology with exceptional precision. It traces Christ's work through three movements: creation (Christ as eternal Word and agent), redemption (incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection), and consummation (eternal reign). The theological arc is masterfully constructed, moving from cosmic declarations to personal appropriation without collapsing into individualism. The corporate voice maintains focus on Christ as object of worship while allowing personal testimony. The lyric avoids all therapeutic or man-centered language, keeping Christ's glory and work central from first line to last. This is robust, historically orthodox Christian theology in accessible contemporary form.
The melody is singable and memorable once transposed appropriately. Original key of Ab places the ceiling at Ab5, which is too high for comfortable congregational singing, particularly for men and lower-voiced women. Transposing down to G (recommended) or F brings the range into more accessible territory while maintaining the song's anthemic quality. The tempo of 67 BPM allows for clear lyric articulation and breath management. Melodic contour is intuitive, with stepwise motion predominating and few awkward interval leaps. The challenge is duration rather than complexity - the song's comprehensive theology requires sustained vocal stamina.
The lyric achieves theological depth with relative economy of language. Imagery includes creation, cosmic victory, eternal reign, and personal freedom - all biblically grounded rather than decorative. The corporate first-person plural voice is consistent and appropriate for congregational worship. The song employs effective contrast between cosmic scope (all things made by His power) and intimate appropriation (He came and took my penalty). Poetic devices include parallelism, antithesis (bondage/freedom, death/life), and anaphora in the recurring 'because of Jesus' refrain. The lyric reads more as theological declaration than artistic poetry, which is appropriate to its purpose but limits its literary craft score.
This song will face minimal theological objection from informed Baptist leadership. Its scriptural saturation, orthodox Christology, and gospel clarity make it defensible across the theological spectrum within evangelical Baptist life. The most likely pushback will come from musical preferences (contemporary style, length) rather than content concerns. The song could be used in both contemporary and blended services with appropriate instrumental arrangement. Any critique of its triumphalism can be answered with reference to Colossians 1 and Philippians 2, which present Christ's cosmic lordship in equally comprehensive terms.
Full analysis
Because Of Jesus represents a return to comprehensive Christology in contemporary worship. Where much modern worship focuses on personal experience or therapeutic comfort, this song rehearses the full biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation with Christ as the central figure in every movement. The lyric opens with eternal perspective, declaring Christ's preexistence and creative agency, then moves to incarnation and atonement, and concludes with eschatological hope. This structure mirrors the biblical storyline while maintaining present-tense celebration, allowing congregations to locate themselves within the grand sweep of redemptive history rather than merely expressing momentary emotion.
The theological precision of the lyric is notable. The song affirms Christ's deity (eternal, creator of all things), humanity (He came), substitutionary atonement (took my penalty), bodily resurrection (death had no hold), and cosmic lordship (all things are His, everything bows before the King). This is Nicene orthodoxy in contemporary idiom, with no compromise of historic Christian confession. The corporate voice allows individual appropriation without collapsing into individualism - the 'because of Jesus' refrain reminds worshipers that every blessing, past and future, is grounded in Christ's finished work rather than our faith, feelings, or faithfulness. This is gospel-centered worship in its truest sense.
The primary challenge for worship leaders will be managing the song's length and range. At 67 BPM with comprehensive lyric content, the song requires sustained vocal stamina and congregational attention. This is not a liability but a feature - the song teaches while it worships, building theological literacy through repetition and reinforcement. However, it requires appropriate placement in the service order (perhaps following a more accessible opener) and careful key selection to avoid vocal fatigue. Transposing from Ab to G or F makes the song accessible to mixed congregations while maintaining its anthemic quality. The melody is simple enough that length does not equal complexity - most congregations will learn it quickly and retain it well.
From a Baptist perspective, this song is exemplary. It proclaims Christ's lordship without neglecting His humanity, celebrates divine sovereignty without excluding human response, and maintains gospel clarity without therapeutic dilution. The lyric could be sung in a Calvinist church, an Arminian church, or a church that refuses to choose sides in that debate, because it focuses on what all evangelical Baptists affirm: Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is Lord of all creation, and in Him we have redemption, freedom, and eternal hope. The song equips congregations to worship with theological depth, emotional authenticity, and corporate unity. It deserves wide use in churches seeking to deepen their Christological focus in corporate worship.
Defense brief
Who raises this: Theologically trained pastors concerned about Word of Faith influence
Romans 8:31-32 states 'He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?' Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, 'All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.' The biblical text itself makes this claim. The song's context keeps this grounded in Christ's finished work, not human claiming or material guarantee.
This phrase echoes Paul's theology of inheritance in Christ. Brief teaching before the song can clarify that we receive spiritual riches, covenant promises, and Christ Himself - not blank-check material prosperity. The song's overall emphasis on Christ's work, not our benefits, guards against misreading.
Who raises this: Worship leaders prioritizing engagement metrics and seeker accessibility
Colossians 3:16 instructs believers to 'let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.' Theological depth in corporate singing is not optional - it is formational. The Psalms themselves range from brief cries to comprehensive recitations of salvation history (Psalm 78, 105, 106).
This song serves a different function than three-minute radio choruses. It teaches while it worships, rehearsing the full scope of Christ's work. Used appropriately (perhaps once monthly rather than weekly), it builds theological literacy without sacrificing accessibility. The melody is simple enough that length does not equal complexity.
Who raises this: Pastors ministering in contexts of chronic illness, economic hardship, or persecution
The New Testament proclaims Christ's cosmic victory even in contexts of suffering. Paul writes Colossians 1:15-20 from prison. The book of Revelation, written to persecuted churches, contains the most triumphant Christology in Scripture. Psalm 22 moves from lament to cosmic praise in a single song. Suffering believers need to rehearse Christ's ultimate victory, not only lament.
This song can be paired with lament or confession to create healthy tension. It does not negate present suffering but locates it within the larger story of Christ's completed and coming victory. In pastoral contexts, introduce it by acknowledging that we sing of Christ's triumph while living in the 'already but not yet.'
Scripture map
Primary foundations
Supporting connections
Story behind the song
Because Of Jesus emerged from the worship ministry of Charity Gayle and her collaborative team during a season focused on Christ-centered, theologically rich congregational songs. The songwriters intentionally crafted a comprehensive Christological statement that would survey the full scope of redemptive history in a singable contemporary form.
Ministry context, Endless Praise album materials
The song was released in 2022 on the Endless Praise album during a broader movement among younger worship songwriters to recover theological depth and biblical saturation in contemporary worship music. The collaborative writing process involved multiple voices, reflecting the corporate nature of the lyric itself.
Album release information, 2022
Because Of Jesus quickly gained traction in evangelical worship communities seeking alternatives to therapeutic or emotion-focused worship songs. Its combination of accessible melody and robust theology made it particularly effective in teaching contexts and multigenerational worship settings.
Worship community reception, 2022-2023
Themes
Sermon series fit
Audience fit
Maturity
Suitable for all levels - accessible melody with deep content that rewards repeated singing and meditation
Age group
Multigenerational - simple enough for youth, substantial enough for adults, teachable for children with explanation
Service type
Contemporary or blended services; requires some modification for traditional liturgical contexts but theology is compatible
Visitor-friendly
Moderately visitor-friendly - clear gospel content and memorable melody, though theological breadth may require brief introduction for unchurched visitors
Special contexts
Excellent for baptism services, membership classes, doctrinal teaching series, and any setting requiring comprehensive gospel proclamation
Similar songs
If you love this song
In Christ Alone (Getty/Townend) - similar comprehensive gospel narrative and theological depth
The Lion and the Lamb (Leeland) - cosmic Christology with accessible contemporary arrangement
Christ Our Hope in Life and Death (Getty/Papa) - Reformed perspective on Christ's sufficiency through all of life
King of Kings (Hillsong) - chronological survey of Christ's life, death, and resurrection with corporate voice
If this concerns you
How Great Thou Art - classic hymn with cosmic scope but simpler theological structure
10,000 Reasons (Redman) - accessible contemporary worship with corporate testimony but less theological density
Goodness of God (Jenn Johnson) - contemporary congregational song with personal testimony focus
What A Beautiful Name (Hillsong) - Christological focus with more poetic, less systematic presentation