Exegeting the Hymns #59 - Who You Say I Am

Who You Say I Am
w/m - Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan

Who am I that the highest King
Would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in
Oh His love for me
Oh His love for me

Free at last, He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I’m a child of God
Yes I am
In my Father’s house
There’s a place for me
I’m a child of God
Yes I am

I am chosen, not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me, not against me
I am who You say I am

This is a brand new song from Hillsong and is probably my favorite one from that band. There is a lot of theology in this song and the melody is very singable. I personally love this song because it takes a very popular theme in evangelicalism today (We are who God says we are), and rather than fall into the common trap of the “self-esteem gospel”, it keeps its focus on Christ and His work. Surrounded by a flood of songs that follow the model of “don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough” (If my theology was that I was good enough, I’d never bow the knee), this one recognizes that in me there is no good thing (Romans 7:18), and if there is any good in us, it is Jesus.

Who am I that the highest King would welcome me? Joel Osteen opens all his services with the words, “This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do.” Then continues ironically, “Today I will be taught the word of God.” I say ironically, because the focus is often on God wanting to make us comfortable, and there is power within us to do (and get) great things. This false, prosperity gospel may pack stadiums, but is the opposite of the way we should view God and view ourselves. In contrast, this song gets it right. “Who am I?” That’s the question. Isaac Watts wrote the classic line, “Lord, Why was I a guest?”. When we begin with this attitude of humility and reverence, we can then truly, and rightly enjoy the blessings of God’s grace.  

I was lost but He brought me in, oh His love for me! This simple line can’t be overstated. We were lost, not like “lost at the mall and can’t find the Gap” lost, but more like “dropped out of a plane in the middle of the jungles of South America” lost. We were lost with no hope of survival, no hope of finding civilization, no hope. It was the Good Shepherd who went out and searched until He found us. What love!

Free at last, He has ransomed me. His grace runs deep. We were not only infected by sin, it owned us. Sin was our master and we had no choice but to serve it. The Bible goes even further, it describes our slavery to sin as something we actually loved (John 3:19), not something we struggled to get away from (Romans 3:11). In ransoming us, God not only changed our status, He changed our desires (Philippians 2:13). What grace!

While I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me. This is the most amazing part of our redemption, God the Father punished His Son, Jesus in our place. A price needed to be paid to buy us out of that slave market, and Jesus paid it all, 100% of the cost.  

Who the Son sets free, oh is free indeed. I’m a child of God, yes I am. This line in the song is particularly well placed because it is in the very context that the Bible places it. In John 8, Jesus distinguishes between the Pharisees, those who are enslaved and are children of their father, the devil, and believers who have been set free and are children of God. This song of freedom can be sung by those who live in freedom or those who have been imprisoned for their faith. They may lock up the body, but in Christ, we are really, truly free indeed.

In my Father’s house, there’s a place for me. I’m a child of God. Here, the relationship is brought out between a father and a child. The father loves his child, so he provides for them. God, our Heavenly Father loves us because we are His children and has a place prepared for us.

I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am. The bridge here shows the blessings of the Children of God. These blessings are only for God’s children, they are not for everyone and not everyone can claim them. As a child of God, we know that He chose us. 130 times in the Bible it speaks of God choosing. All the implications of this can and should be discussed further, but for now, it is clear we are chosen by God.  

The contrast is to be forsaken and left to continue in our willful sin and rebellion. God is for His children. He promised to work all things together for our good, but that promise is only for the children of God. If we are truly in Christ, let us enjoy the blessings that come from Him knowing they don’t originate with us. I am who God says I am. ​

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