The hymn “I Serve a Risen Savior” is cherished by many for its uplifting message and declaration of faith. A particularly resonant part of this hymn is its chorus, which affirms our knowledge of Christ’s resurrection: “He lives within my heart.” While the lines “He walks with me and talks with me” beautifully illustrate a personal relationship with Jesus, the hymn goes further, pointing to a more profound understanding of Christ’s presence. It suggests that our conviction of a living Christ shouldn’t solely rest on feeling His presence externally, but on the powerful reality of His indwelling within us.
Moving Beyond External Manifestations: The Indwelling Christ
When we sing that Christ “walks with us and talks with us,” it speaks to the comforting and personal nature of faith. However, the hymn subtly guides us to consider a deeper truth. The question, “How do you know Christ lives?” finds its most powerful answer not just in these external experiences, but in the internal reality: “He lives within my heart!” This shift in focus is significant. It moves our understanding of Christ’s living presence from something we experience around us to something that is fundamentally within us.
Christ’s Life in Us: A Source of Direct Experience
This concept of Christ living within believers has profound implications. If asked, “Have you seen the Lord Jesus?”, our response can be a resounding, “Yes!” This isn’t about a physical sighting, but a spiritual perception rooted in His indwelling presence. As the hymn implies, because Christ lives in us, we “see” Him in a spiritual sense, even as we speak and interact with the world. It suggests a constant, internal dialogue – “While I am speaking to you, He is speaking to me.” This paints a picture of believers as conduits, expressing the very life and word of Christ that resides within.
Drawing from scripture, we recall the powerful promise, “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19). This promise found its dramatic fulfillment on the day of Pentecost. When Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, stood with the eleven apostles, it was more than just Peter speaking; it was Christ in resurrection manifesting through him. Peter’s words, his boldness, his very being, became an expression of the risen Christ living within. If someone were to ask, “Where is Christ?”, Peter’s life, and indeed the life of any believer, could answer, “Christ is here. Don’t you see me? If you see me, you see Christ because He lives in me.”
In conclusion, the hymn “I Serve a Risen Savior” beautifully directs us to a powerful truth: our knowledge of Christ’s resurrection is most profoundly understood not just through external experiences, but through the indwelling reality of Christ living within our hearts. This internal presence becomes the ultimate testament to His living reality and our connection to Him.
