Believe 2!

Believe 2!

For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. Romans 10:10 AMPC

2 parts of the human body are mentioned in today's extract: the heart and the mouth. One is very plain for everyone to see; the other is hidden away from public view. We can see the outward flow from one; we need spiritual insight to understand the workings of the other. Both of them play fundamental roles in the experience and plan of salvation, as laid down by God.

First the heart is mentioned: the seat of all emotions and decisions. This is the part of the body God called 'deceitful and desperately wicked'. It is because God knows the heart that any great work He has to do has to start here. I can make all the public show of faith and piety, but that hidden part of me: the heart- will always be plain before God. I can deceive men with an outward show; the creator of the heart cannot be fooled.

That is why any sincere change must start here: I must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, sent as the Saviour who loved me enough to give His life for me, and I must submit to Him by accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. It is not enough to know this as an external truth; it is my nner reality; the start point of my relationship with God. I get a new start; a new heart. Justification comes when my heart is cleansed from sin. The devil has no hold again on my heart.

Then comes the part where my mouth must function. This is where the world takes note that I have had an encounter with Jesus. No one who meets with Christ in the secret place can keep that experience a secret. The work of salvation is first an inner work, but there is a place for a public confession of faith, which is a witness to other people that a change has occurred, and it is a reminder to you that you now have a new owner, new pursuits and priorities and new direction.

There are men who have all the drama of the mouth totally figured out. They know the right words, and can speak the 'Christian' language. They grew up in or around church and know how it works, but there is no heart involvement. They can quote the scriptures, but they do not have any kind of encounter with the God of the scriptures. Am I such a person? Am I all mouth and no heart? Remember: we deal with a God of absolute knowledge; one who created both the heart and the mouth and can discern hypocrisy.

God calls me to come to Him. He wants to do an eternal work in me; He wants to make me a candidate for heaven. He must first own my heart so He can impact my life and make me a platform from where my lips can speak for Him. Am I that kind of person? Are you? His time of favour is here.