One contemporary Christian song dominated radio for years with its message of finding identity in what God says about us. “You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing,” the lyrics declare. “Remind me once again just who I am.” Millions found comfort in its promise: your identity is secure in God’s thoughts about you.

Another popular worship song offers similar assurance: “I am my Father’s child / I make Him proud and I make Him smile. I was made in the image of a perfect King / He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing.”

The emotional power is undeniable. The comfort is real. The vocabulary sounds biblical. But what if the most dangerous counterfeits are the ones that sound most like truth?

Both songs represent a growing pattern in contemporary Christian worship: identity-focused theology that strips identity from Christ’s work and the Spirit’s transforming power. They offer declarations about who we are without grounding those declarations in what Christ has done. They promise comfort without transformation. They give us half the gospel–and half the gospel is ultimately a false gospel.

The Popularity of Therapeutic Christianity

Contemporary Christian music increasingly centers on how God sees us, what He thinks of us, how He feels about us. This “you are loved, you are enough, you are treasured” messaging resonates deeply because it addresses real hunger. People are drowning in shame, crushed by performance anxiety, desperate for acceptance. Into this aching need, these songs whisper: “God loves you exactly as you are.”

The problem isn’t that this is false. The problem is that it’s incomplete.

God does love us. But His love doesn’t merely affirm us–it transforms us. He doesn’t just declare us lovely while we remain unchanged. He is actively, progressively making us into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18). The gospel isn’t just “God accepts you as you are.” It’s “God loves you too much to leave you as you are.”

When worship music reduces identity to God’s opinion about us rather than God’s work in us, it offers therapeutic affirmation wearing Christian vocabulary. It’s more dangerous than obvious secular counterfeits because it sounds so right while subtly undermining biblical truth.

“You Say”: The More Subtle Counterfeit

Lauren Daigle’s “You Say” is subtler than “The Truth,” which makes it more dangerous. The song begins with an accurate diagnosis: “I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough.” Then comes the cry for help: “Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know.”

Here’s where the song should point to Christ. Here’s where we need the gospel. Instead, it jumps directly to: “You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing.”

The Missing Middle

Notice the flow:

Diagnosis: “I’m not enough”  → Solution: “You say I am loved”

The song skips from true problem to therapeutic affirmation without the gospel mechanism that makes God’s love possible and actual. It’s as though God simply overlooks our inadequacy and declares us loved anyway–a divine affirmation that ignores the fundamental issue.

But here’s the truth the song misses: We AREN’T enough. The diagnosis is correct. We can never measure up to God’s standard. Our righteousness is “like filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). We stand condemned before a holy God (Rom. 3:23).

The gospel doesn’t deny this–it answers it through Christ. God can love us and declare us righteous not by overlooking our sin but because Christ bore it on the cross. God’s love for us isn’t therapeutic affirmation–it’s love that acted. God loved us so much that He sent Christ to die in our place, bearing our sin on the cross (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). We are declared righteous because Christ’s righteousness is credited to us through faith (2 Cor. 5:21). We become God’s children not because He decides to call us that, but because Christ’s death and resurrection adopt us into His family (Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 4:4-7).

“You Say” offers God’s declaration without Christ’s work. It gives us the verdict without the trial, the acquittal without the payment of debt. This isn’t gospel–it’s therapeutic deism wearing Christian vocabulary.

Where Is the Cross?

The entire song focuses on what God says about me. But where is the cross? Where is Christ’s sacrifice? Where is His righteousness credited to believers? Where is the resurrection that proves His victory? Where is union with Christ? Where is the Spirit’s transforming work?

These aren’t minor omissions. They’re the gospel itself. Without Christ’s work, God’s love is just nice thoughts–comforting perhaps, but ultimately powerless to save or transform. The song centers on God’s opinion. The gospel centers on Christ’s work.

Identity as Something to Remember, Not Something Being Formed

“Remind me once again just who I am,” Daigle sings. This reduces identity to something we’ve forgotten and need to recall–a static truth we must remember rather than a dynamic reality the Spirit is forming.

But Scripture presents identity as both positional and progressive. Yes, we ARE God’s children–that’s our secure position in Christ (1 John 3:1). But we’re also BECOMING like Him through the Spirit’s transforming work (1 John 3:2-3). We ARE new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) AND we’re being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16). Our identity isn’t just something to remember–it’s something being actively formed in us.

When we reduce identity to declaration without transformation, we miss the gospel’s comprehensive power. We offer comfort without calling. Acceptance without change. Status without sanctification.

“The Only Thing That Matters”

The song’s central claim–“The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me”–reveals the fundamental problem. It makes God’s thoughts about us ultimate rather than God’s work in us and for us.

What actually matters isn’t primarily God’s opinion but God’s action: What Christ has accomplished (justification) and what the Spirit is doing (sanctification). Biblical identity flows from these gospel realities, not merely from cognitive awareness that “God thinks I’m valuable.”

“The Truth”: The More Blatant Counterfeit

Megan Woods’s “The Truth” lacks even “You Say’s” subtlety. It presents therapeutic affirmation wrapped in biblical vocabulary, and the theological problems are more obvious.

“He Wouldn’t Change a Thing”

“I was made in the image of a perfect King / He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing.”

This is the song’s most blatant theological error. While we ARE made in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), Scripture is crystal clear that God IS changing us–progressively, from glory to glory, into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). God loves us unconditionally, yes. But that love includes His commitment to transform us, not His affirmation that we’re fine as we are.

The image of God has been marred by sin. We’re being renewed in knowledge after the image of our Creator (Col. 3:10). We’re being conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). God sees us clothed in Christ’s righteousness (our position), but He’s also conforming us to Christ’s character (our progressive sanctification). To say “He wouldn’t change a thing” is to deny sanctification–the Spirit’s work of making us actually holy, not just declaring us holy.

This is therapeutic affirmation masquerading as biblical truth. It sounds like grace but it’s actually a rejection of the gospel’s transforming power.

God’s Love: Validation vs. Transformation

Throughout the song, God’s love is presented as validation: “I make Him proud and I make Him smile.” But Scripture presents God’s love as commitment to transformation.

God’s love isn’t based on our loveliness–it’s based on His character (1 John 4:8). He loves us as sinners (Rom. 5:8). But His love doesn’t leave us in sin; it rescues us from it and makes us new. When we confuse these, we get therapeutic affirmation (“God loves you, so you’re fine as you are”) rather than biblical gospel (“God loves you, so He’s making you new”).

Like “You Say,” this song is anthropocentric rather than Christocentric. Missing entirely: Christ’s work, the cross, redemption, the Spirit’s power, progressive transformation, union with Christ. The song reduces gospel to identity declaration without the gospel narrative that makes that identity possible.

The Gospel These Songs Forget

Here’s what the true gospel offers that these songs miss:

Both Unconditional Acceptance AND Progressive Transformation

The biblical gospel holds both realities in tension. We are completely accepted in Christ–our standing before God is secure, not based on performance (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1:6). God’s love for us cannot increase or decrease based on our behavior. That’s justification, and it’s gloriously one-sided.

But justification isn’t the whole gospel. God also sanctifies us–progressively transforming us into Christ’s image through the Spirit’s power (Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23-24). This isn’t about earning acceptance; it’s about becoming what we already are in Christ. It’s God working in us because He has already accepted us, not to gain acceptance.

Songs like “You Say” and “The Truth” give us the first part (acceptance) without the second (transformation). The result is a gospel that comforts without changing, affirms without transforming, declares without delivering.

Christ’s Work and the Spirit’s Power

Biblical identity is inseparable from what Christ has accomplished and what the Spirit is doing. We are:

• Justified: Declared righteous because Christ’s righteousness is credited to us (Rom. 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:21)
• Adopted: Made God’s children through Christ’s redemptive work (Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 4:4-7)
• United to Christ: Our lives are now hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)
• Being transformed: The Spirit is conforming us to Christ’s image through supernatural power (2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 2:13)

Identity isn’t primarily about God’s thoughts toward us–it’s about what Christ has done for us and what the Spirit is doing in us. True transformation happens through the Spirit’s power, not through believing good things about ourselves or repeating positive declarations. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is actively at work in believers (Eph. 1:19-20). We’re not just declaring ourselves new; we’re being made new.

When we strip identity from Christ’s work and the Spirit’s power, we’re left with therapeutic affirmation, not biblical gospel.

The Proper Place of Music

Before going further, we need to clarify: We’re not suggesting Christians avoid contemporary worship music (or any music, for that matter). Music is God’s gift, and Scripture encourages God’s people to sing (Ps. 96:1; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

But music–even theologically sound music–can never be our doctrinal foundation. Songs are not Scripture. They cannot serve as the authority for our faith and practice, no matter how biblically accurate or emotionally moving.

Here’s the proper relationship:

Scripture is our foundation. The Word of God is sufficient for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). We build theology through careful study of Scripture–not through songs or any secondary means.

Music reinforces biblical truth. Good worship music takes truths established in Scripture and helps us worship, remember, and meditate on them. But it always serves Scripture; it never replaces it.

Community provides correction. We need the local church to teach Scripture’s full counsel, correct misunderstandings, and speak gospel truth into our lives. This is why being part of a Bible-teaching church isn’t optional. If we’re singing incomplete gospel, we need a community that will faithfully provide what songs leave out.

The point isn’t avoiding music–it’s recognizing its proper place: subordinate to Scripture, supplemented by community, always tested against biblical truth.

Why This Matters

Some might protest: “These songs help people feel loved and valued. Isn’t that good?”

It would be good–if it were the whole gospel. But half-truths are ultimately lies, especially when they wear Christian vocabulary.

People singing these songs weekly are being discipled by them. They’re learning identity theology disconnected from Christ’s work and the Spirit’s power. They’re absorbing a therapeutic counterfeit that sounds biblical but subtly undermines biblical truth.

This produces Christians who expect comfort without transformation, separate identity from sanctification, focus on God’s feelings about them rather than God’s work in them, and resist the Spirit’s convicting work. It’s a fundamental distortion of the gospel that creates stunted disciples who want assurance without holiness.

The Church’s Calling

The church must recover the full gospel–not just the comforting parts, but the transforming parts. We must teach that:

God’s love means He’s changing us, not just affirming us. His love is demonstrated not in telling us we’re fine but in sending Christ to rescue us and the Spirit to transform us.

Identity flows from Christ’s work, not just God’s declaration. We are who we are because of what Christ has done–His death, resurrection, and ongoing intercession–and what the Spirit is doing–conforming us to Christ’s image.

True security includes both justification and sanctification. We rest in our unchanging position in Christ (justification) while we’re being changed by the Spirit (sanctification). These aren’t contradictory–they’re complementary.

Christian worship should disciple people in full gospel truth. Songs shape theology more than sermons for many believers. If our worship offers therapeutic affirmation instead of gospel transformation, we’re discipling people in half-truths.

Institutional Responses

Churches need to:

Evaluate worship music theologically. Don’t just ask “Does this move people emotionally?” Ask “Does this teach full gospel truth? Does it center on Christ’s work? Does it acknowledge both our security in Christ and our need for transformation?”

Teach the difference between therapeutic affirmation and gospel transformation. Help believers identify when Christian vocabulary is being used to support self-focused identity theology rather than Christ-focused gospel.

Recover comprehensive sanctification teaching. Make clear that God’s love doesn’t mean He’s pleased with our current condition–it means He’s committed to transforming us. Grace isn’t just acceptance; it’s also the power to change.

Point people to Christ, not just to identity declarations. Help them see that security comes from what Christ has done, not from believing good things about themselves.

Community as Corrective

But institutional responses aren’t enough. If we’re being constantly discipled by incomplete worship music—in church, in our cars, throughout our week—we need the body of Christ to provide ongoing correction and encouragement. We need believers who will:

Speak gospel truth into each other’s lives. When a brother or sister is settling for therapeutic affirmation, we lovingly point them back to Christ’s work and the Spirit’s power. When someone is resisting conviction because “God accepts me as I am,” we remind them that God loves them too much to leave them unchanged.

Create discipleship relationships where the full gospel is taught and lived. This isn’t just formal programs–it’s mature believers investing in younger believers, walking alongside them through struggles, helping them apply Scripture to specific situations, modeling what it means to rest in justification while pursuing sanctification.

Practice biblical accountability. We give each other permission to ask hard questions: “Where are you resisting the Spirit’s work right now? What sin are you protecting? How are you growing in Christlikeness?” This isn’t legalism–it’s love that cares about transformation, not just comfort.

Provide perspective when cultural Christianity distorts gospel truth. When popular songs, books, or teachers present half-gospels, we help each other test everything against Scripture. We’re not isolated consumers of Christian content–we’re part of a community that helps us discern truth from error.

The antidote to being mis-discipled by songs isn’t avoiding music–it’s being in community where full gospel truth is consistently taught, modeled, and spoken into our lives. This is why belonging to a local church isn’t optional. We need brothers and sisters who know us well enough to see where we’re settling for affirmation instead of transformation, who love us enough to speak truth, and who are committed to helping us become more like Christ.

Songs like “You Say” and “The Truth” are popular because they offer what hurting people desperately want: assurance that they’re loved, valued, accepted. That’s not wrong–it’s part of the gospel. But it’s only part. And when we offer part of the gospel as though it’s the whole, we ultimately fail the very people we’re trying to help.

The true gospel offers infinitely more than therapeutic affirmation. It offers transformation. Not just God’s opinion about us, but God’s power in us. Not just declaration of identity, but Spirit-wrought formation of character. Not just “you’re loved as you are,” but “you’re loved too much to stay as you are.”

That’s the gospel these songs leave unsaid. And that’s the gospel the church–through both faithful teaching and faithful community–must proclaim.

Questions for Reflection

• Think about the worship songs that most comfort you when you’re struggling. Are you drawn to them because they point you to Christ’s work, or because they make you feel better about yourself? What does your answer reveal about what you’re really seeking?
• Where in your life are you resisting conviction or needed change because you’ve believed the lie that “God wouldn’t change a thing”? What sin patterns or character flaws are you protecting under the guise of “God accepts me as I am”?
• When you think about God’s love, what comes to mind first–His acceptance of you in Christ, or His commitment to transform you into Christ’s image? What would it look like to hold both realities together in a specific struggle you’re facing right now?
• In what ways have you settled for the comfort of therapeutic affirmation instead of pursuing the costly work of transformation? What are you afraid would change if you truly embraced sanctification?

Prayer Points

• For Worship Leaders and Songwriters: Pray that those creating and selecting worship music would prioritize theological depth over emotional impact, teaching the full gospel rather than comforting half-truths. Ask God to raise up songwriters who can express both security in Christ and need for transformation.
• For Church Members: Pray for believers to develop theological discernment, able to identify when Christian vocabulary is being used for therapeutic purposes rather than gospel truth. Ask the Spirit to help us crave transformation, not just affirmation.
• For Pastoral Leadership: Pray for pastors and elders to teach comprehensive sanctification–showing how God’s unchanging love includes His commitment to change us. Ask for courage to address popular but incomplete theology, even when it means correcting beloved songs.
• For Personal Transformation: Confess where you’ve settled for therapeutic affirmation instead of gospel transformation. Thank God that His love doesn’t leave you unchanged. Ask the Spirit to continue His transforming work, conforming you to Christ’s image.