THE UNEXPECTED ACT OF FAITH
Romans 10:6-10 NKJV
6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
One of the key components of Biblical faith is action. James 2:17 tells us that faith without action is lifeless. More than simply believing, we want to act on what we believe. But just how do we do that? Our verses today give us one of the most important acts of faith. But it's an unexpected act because we do not equate speaking with action.
Paul is writing to the believers in Rome and describing how a person receives salvation. The righteousness of faith is not asking to bring Christ down from heaven to save us. Nor is it asking Jesus to rise from the dead again. Instead, the word of what Jesus has already done is near us. When we proclaim the good news of salvation, we are no longer asking Jesus to do anything. He already carried out everything necessary for any person anywhere to receive. The word of salvation is near to us.
How is this word near us? It is in our heart and in our mouth. If we believe in our heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, that He truly is the Son of God. And if we confess or speak with our mouth that He is our Lord, we are saved. Verse ten gives us the order and action of faith. "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." This is why in almost every service at The Ark, we lead the congregation in a prayer. And we pray this prayer out loud. In the message, people are given God's Word, which causes faith to come. In the prayer, people are given the opportunity to act on that faith and confess with their mouth, that Jesus is their Lord.
However, our words are not typically seen as an act of our faith. We have viewed words as just words. But heaven has a different perspective. Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of our words. Jesus said in the twelfth chapter of Matthew that by our words, we would be justified or condemned. And He said we will have to give an account for our words. So, heaven's perspective of words is vastly different from the world's view. The wise thing for us is to accept the fact that heaven is right, and we are the ones who need to adjust.
APPLICATION
To take this principle one step further, begin to recognize that we have something to say about what God's Word says about us. We entered into salvation by believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth. And this act of speaking what we believe is a powerful way to make the reality of God and His promises more real in our life.
Over the years, Joy and I have taken God's promises and truths and applied them to our lives by speaking them aloud. This is something we do in our own prayer and devotional time. But this principle is something we have incorporated into our daily lives as well. Speaking of the Lord as being our Healer and Helper has made a huge difference. Acknowledging the good things in us in Christ, as Paul wrote in Philemon 6, has strengthened our faith. So here is a great tip - to get stronger in your faith, get stronger in your words. Don't simply read the Bible; learn to speak what the Bible says about you and your future. You are not trying to change or manipulate God. You are simply aligning your life with His truth.
Disclaimer. When you begin to speak God's Word about your life, your family, and your future, it may seem strange at first. But that's okay, stay with it. This is a faith-based spiritual action, not a feelings-based action. Your feelings will change.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You that Your word is near me in my heart and in my mouth.