As I went to church this past Sunday, the praise team struck up an old hymn of the faith in a new way that I thought was incredible. The words to this song take me back to the old Southern Baptist hymns that I grew up with. The chorus to the song goes like this:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know, I know, He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
As I listened to those words again for the first time in years, I immediately thought back to memories of my dad singing this song. It was one of his favorites, and now I realize why it is one of mine. Let us examine the deep theology from Scripture that this song expresses.
My sole focus this time is just the simple phrase "because He lives". This expresses an unapologetic belief in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So here is my question, how does Jesus being alive really apply to my life? First, as a believer, sometimes life is going to suck...plain and simple. And if it just ended there, life would be pretty depressing. Yet because I faith in a living Savior that is literally working history towards the redemption of all things, I can get up out of bed in the mornings with a hope and a purpose. My God got up from the dead, holds the things of tomorrow in His sovereign hands, and works all things for the good of those who love Him. Thus even when I am discouraged, I can live my life without fear as my constant companion. I can trust in the fact that God's providence may prove painful, but in the end, it always proves to be good. This was what was on my mind when I heard this hymn. Whether its I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, or All Creatures of our God and King, or Amazing Grace, or In Christ Alone, or Were You There When They Crucified My Lord; take time today to think over a hymn....maybe even hum it to yourself or to your savior. There is nothing wrong with praising God with songs new or old, and there is nothing wrong with them reminding us of why life is worth living.
