Bob De Moor, a Christian Reformed pastor, recalled an incident from many decades ago when he was a delegate to his denomination’s convention, where he was assigned to the advisory committee that evaluated which hymns should be included in their hymnal. He remembers:
“The most difficult decision, one we debated endlessly, was whether or not to advise synod to include a perennial favorite hymn, He Lives. Throughout the process, the song had been included, tossed out, reintroduced, and tossed out again. Reason? The closing line in the refrain goes like this: ‘You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart.’”
Bob De Moor continues: “That line was perceived by many to be subjective, basing our belief in the resurrection on our own (subjective) experience rather than on the (objective) Word of God that clearly tells us that Jesus rose. Others argued that the hymn does not actually deny the importance of the objective truth of Scripture, but that it merely highlights the reality that the Holy Spirit also confirms the truth of the resurrection in our personal experience, or in our hearts. But, of course, the song doesn’t actually say that.” […]
