I serve a risen Savior

Throughout the centuries, all the living servants of God have had this resurrected Christ living in them. I can also testify that He lives in me, enabling me to do what I never could do in myself. Hallelujah, the Lord Jesus lives! How do we know He lives? As the hymn says, we know He lives because He lives in us (Hymns, #503). We may be persecuted and opposed, and we may suffer very much. But we have the resurrected Christ in us. The more we are opposed, the more alive and active we become. Nevertheless, our testimony is this: Not I, but the grace of God with us.

Many Bible readers do not have this understanding of the word witness; even our understanding is not this deep. In Galatians 2:20 Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me." This is the meaning of being a witness. A witness is a person who has Christ living in him. The chorus of a hymn says, "He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! /...You ask me how I know He lives? / He lives within my heart" (Hymns, #503). His living in us proves that He has resurrected and that He is living.

This is a good hymn, and I appreciate it. The chorus says that we know Christ lives because He walks with us and talks with us. However, this is not as good as saying that we know Christ lives because He lives within our heart. In answer to the question, "How do you know Christ lives?" the chorus of this hymn answers, "He lives within my heart!" We know that the Lord lives not simply because He walks with us and talks with us, but because He lives in us.

How do you know Christ lives? You should answer this question by saying, "I know He lives because He lives in me." Likewise, if we are asked if we have seen the Lord Jesus, we should say, "Yes, I have seen the Lord, for He lives in me. Even while you are asking me this question, He lives in me. Because He lives in me, I see Him. Even now as I am speaking, I can see Him. While I am speaking to you, He is speaking to me. I am simply a transmitter speaking whatever He speaks to me."

The Lord's word, "Because I live, you shall live also," certainly was fully fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. When Peter stood up with the eleven, that was Christ in resurrection. Peter's speaking was also Christ in resurrection. If someone had asked Peter where Christ is, he might have said, "Christ is here. Don't you see me? If you see me, you see Christ because He lives in me."