The Message of Faith

(Romans 10:8) “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.”

The Jews thought that if they would keep the law, they could make themselves righteous. But this is not true, for God has said (Romans 3:23), “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” That means that all start as sinners and there is nothing in the law that can change that. 

Paul, in Romans Chapter 10, tells the Jews and tells us that we can be saved. This salvation comes not the works of the law, but by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus. In verses 5- 7 he quotes Deuteronomy 30:11-14, which tells the Jews how to come back to God and how to receive the blessing that God wants to give them when they come back to Him. Paul is telling them that they do not have to go anywhere to get this blessing for it is in their mouth and their heart. 

This is the word of faith or the message of faith that Paul preaches. This message of faith has two parts: the mouth and the heart.

Paul takes up the use of the mouth first; (Romans 10:9) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” In this message of faith, we are to use the mouth to confess that Jesus is Lord. 

Now to say that Jesus is Lord, one must be sure that this is true. (1 Corinthians 12:3) “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” The only way that anyone can be sure that Jesus is Lord is by the Holy Spirit. If you are sure that Jesus is Lord, you need to say so.

Now you need to be sure you understand just what being Lord means. If Jesus is Lord, he is the boss. If one is Lord, he ought to be able to command, and we obey.

The Bible capitalizes the word Lord because it means that He is God. 

If you are sure Jesus is Lord, then you are sure that he is the Word in John Chapter One; (John 1:1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  

It also means believing that Jesus was the one that was made flesh as John said. (John 1:14) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

 Next, I want to look at the word heart which is the way we are to believe. (Romans 10:9b-10 ) “And believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” 

In verse 9 and 10, the word believe and heart is used together. The heart is where we are to love God. (Matthew 22:37) “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” 

The heart is the place that we are to believe. And if we want to be saved we need to believe in our hearts.

Why the heart? The heart carries the idea of both one’s mind and emotions. “The heart is seat or center of secret thoughts and emotions. It is the part of you that controls what you think and what you feel. When one believes in his heart, that means that God will be able to control you. The heart is the thing that controls one’s will. 

I will say more next time about “believing in the heart”.  

*Devotional written by Ralph Williams, retired pastor and member of One Hope Mobile.