The Theology of Modern Worship Music – One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails) by Brian Johnson, et. al.

The Theology of Modern Worship Music – One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)

by Brian Johnson, Christa Black Gifford, Jeremy Riddle

There are some very interesting videos on YouTube and other places that give you the lyrics to part of a song and ask, “Is it a love song or worship song?” Many times it is hard to distinguish between the two. I understand that worship to Jesus from His Church, the Bride of Christ, is love songs to Him. I have led many of the songs that fall into this nebulous realm because they lack direct references to the Trinity.

Today’s song is one of these. One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails) is a song that has one focus: love. When sung in a worship setting it gives voice to the deep love the Believer has for his/her Lord. If you were to tune in to a random radio station playing the song it could just as easily be a secular love song.

The bridge is the most overtly Christian of all of the lyrics. “My debt is paid. There’s nothing that can separate my heart from Your great love.” It’s hard to imagine how this phrase could be mistaken as a secular love song.

At any rate, that is one of the main criticisms given modern worship music. I personally don’t have a problem with it. I know what is in my heart when I sing songs like this. I don’t have a problem with “redeeming” secular love songs and using them as worship to the Lord. We have sung Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful” many times in worship. I love it.

You're everything I hoped for

You're everything I need

You are so beautiful

To me

Well, let’s get back to the issue at hand. What is the theology behind One Thing Remains? As I mentioned earlier, the song has a sing focus: love. I believe it to be the love of God. Here’s something Jesus said that can help us understand why a Believer might sing this song.

Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV) “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

That pretty well explains the title: One Thing. When Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, says love is the most important thing you can take it to the bank.

1 John 4:19 (ESV) We love because he first loved us.

The only reason we the capacity to love is because of the love of God. His love becomes our purpose, our mission, our ministry.

1 John 3:16 (ESV) By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Just as verse two of the song declares, “On and on and on and on it goes, it overwhelms and satisfies my soul”, we could go on and on about the love of God. It is the reason we worship. I’m glad we have songs like One Thing Remains to express our gratitude to God for His love, without which we would be lost, and without His love we would not the capacity to love others.

Thanks, Bethel Music, for generating some great worship songs to lead us into a deeper walk with our Lord.