Not So Great Hymns of the Faith: "He Lives"

It was suggested that I take a look at this hymn for my series, "Not So Great Hymns of the Faith," and it actually does share a theme with last week's selection, "In the Garden." There is also a kind of inverse correspondence between this hymn and the sermon for Sunday, March 25.

So for those of you who may be wondering if you missed something somewhere, I explained the rationale for my selections for the "Not So Great Hymns of the Faith" in the March 19, 2007, posting. But as a reminder, my comments are concerned with whether these songs are the best choices for corporate worship. They may be expressive of truth, they may be beautifully penned, they may be meaningful in the appropriate setting; the question is, Are these the best choices for a worship service where we are to be focused on honoring our God?

As I consider the lyrics to both "In the Garden" and "He Lives," I am reminded, oddly enough, of my Introduction to Philosophy class at Cedarville College (now University), and our beloved philosophy professor, Mr. (now Dr.) Grier. We were in awe of this Calvinist-teacher-in-a-Baptist-college who had studied at Westminster Seminary under teachers like Van Til, Murray, and Young. To say that we admired and respected our Mr. Grier is an understatement. So I will never forget the lecture on epistemology in which Mr. Grier told us about his favorite hymn. When Mr. Grier asked, "Do you know what my favorite hymn is," I was on the edge of my seat. I just knew he was going to name some glorious Reformation anthem that could be found in the Trinity Hymnal or some Psalter somewhere. But his answer was completely unexpected: "Jesus Loves Me." What? That's a Sunday school song; that's the first song a child learns as soon as he or she is capable of talking. But the explanation was powerful: "Jesus loves me, This I know, For the Bible tells me so." In its simplicity, the child's hymn expresses a profound truth: We know of Jesus and His love, we know of truth itself, not because of how we feel in our hearts or because of some kind of emotional lift that tells us the Holy Spirit has taken up residence, and not because God Himself speaks to us in a still, small voice or walks with us in the garden--but because the inspired Word of God tells us--in no uncertain words--so.

And that brings me to the lyrics for this week's choice:

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.

Refrain:
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.


In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro' all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.

There really isn't anything untruthful in the verses of this song. The first person dominates, however, which makes me question how well suited this song is for worship.

Again, if our attention is to be drawn to our God and to worshipping Him alone in all of His majesty, power, and glory, then why would we want to sing about what we do? In any earthly endeavor, if we gather to honor another person for some accomplishment, we wouldn't think about talking about ourselves and what we do, and yet this is so often what the church does when it gathers for corporate worship. And so we forget why we're really there, caught up in an emotionally uplifting melody that pleases our sensibilities.

What I find most problematic in this song is the chorus, with its emphasis on a subjective experience with and knowledge of God. Like "In the Garden," God walks with us and talks with us. And yet He doesn't. His Son walked and dwelt among us at a point in history, but He doesn't today. And He does talk to us--through His Word. But then we do get to the problem of how we know He lives: "He lives within my heart." But there are those who don't believe He lives, because He doesn't live within their hearts. So does that make Him alive for those of us who feel Him in our hearts and not alive for those who don't? And I have to admit that if the truth of God's existence were dependent on what I feel in my heart, some days I would have to wonder.

Thankfully, this is not how we know He lives. This is not how we know truth. The apostle John tells us in 1 John 1:3--What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. You ask me how I know He lives? The Bible tells me so.