As Easter approaches, churches are preparing their musical selections for their Sunday services.
Many of them will probably sing Alfred Ackley’s popular song, “He Lives,” without putting much thought into the theology that the hymn promotes.
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.
But as for me and my house, that song is on our banned list.
To be fair, I agree with most of the tenets of the song. But the part that I disagree with is so fundamental to the message of the song that I have to throw out the whole thing.
The first stanza begins by saying, “I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today.” This is wholly unbiblical.
Here are three reasons this is incorrect:
1. Ascension of Jesus Christ
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days before ascending into heaven (Acts 1:3). The ascension of Jesus is a fundamental aspect of Christian belief, affirming His exaltation and reign as Lord and Savior at the right hand of God the Father (Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:20-21). As such, Jesus is not physically present on earth in the same way He was during His earthly ministry.
2. Presence of the Holy Spirit
While Jesus is no longer physically present on earth, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers (John 14:16-17). Through the Holy Spirit, believers experience the presence of God in their lives, guiding, empowering, and transforming them to live according to His teachings (Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 2:20).
3. Body of Jesus Christ
In the absence of the physical presence of Christ, the Bible refers to the congregation of believers as the body of Christ here on earth. Christ is depicted as the head of the body, and the church derives its direction, purpose, and vitality from Him (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). As the head, Christ exercises authority over the body, nourishing and sustaining it, and guiding it in accordance with His will. The church is entrusted with the mission of continuing the work of Christ on earth, proclaiming the Gospel, making disciples, and demonstrating God’s love and compassion to the world (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:20).
Based on all of this biblical evidence, how confusing is it, especially to people who are still young in their faith, to exclaim triumphantly that Jesus is “in the world today”?
He is not here! He is risen, and now he sits at the right hand of the throne of God (Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1). Christ does, however, continue to work in the world through the Holy Spirit and the congregation of the saved.
Continuing on, the chorus of the hymn declares, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.”
While personal experience can indeed play a role in one’s faith journey, it should not be the sole or primary basis for belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1. Subjectivity vs. Objectivity
Personal experiences, feelings, and perceptions can vary widely among individuals and are inherently subjective. While they may provide comfort and assurance to believers, they do not provide objective evidence for the truth of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical event with objective implications, supported by eyewitness testimony, historical documents, and archaeological evidence.
2. Reliability of Experience
Personal experiences can be influenced by various factors such as emotions, biases, cultural background, and psychological state. While experiences of God’s presence or spiritual encounters can be meaningful and transformative, they are not always reliable indicators of truth. Moreover, individuals from different religious traditions may claim similar experiences, leading to conflicting interpretations of truth. Therefore, personal experiences should be critically examined in light of Scripture and the broader Christian tradition.
While personal experiences can be meaningful and significant in the Christian faith journey, they should be grounded in the objective reality of Jesus’ resurrection and the teachings of Scripture.
If “you ask me how I know he lives,” my answer echoes the simple truth of another well-known song: “The Bible tells me so.”
Jesus does not live in my heart, but the Holy Spirit does (on behalf of the Godhead).
Yes, Jesus lives! Not because I feel like it, and not because he takes care of me.
He lives because He arose again, just like he said he would, and I know all of this because the Bible says so.