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Getting to the Heart of Your Words
My son had a “heart project” for his grade seven Bible class. They needed to use a Bible verse that talked about the heart and craft a creative representation of that verse.
We ended up using Matthew 6:21: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” It was the easiest to represent.
But we had wanted to use one of the verses that connect our hearts to our mouths. In several places, Jesus reminds us that our words reveal what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:34; Matthew 15:18; Luke 6:45). Whether good or evil, whatever is in the heart will eventually be revealed by what comes out of our mouths.
Paul recognizes that connection. Both the mouth and the heart are involved in embracing the gift of our salvation.
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).
The belief in our hearts is not disconnected from the words we utter. But what’s the point? Why talk about the heart and the mouth in our salvation? Paul is reminding us that our belief is not simply an internal feeling or conviction we keep to ourselves. It is something to be declared.
This is Paul’s “Shout it from the rooftop!” moment. His call to action.
Men, when it comes to our faith, we cannot be the strong, silent type. It is not enough for us to believe deeply for ourselves. We are to be fully convinced but then share that conviction with others. We speak what is in our hearts. In fact, a few short verses later (Romans 10:14-15), Paul will celebrate those who share the Gospel.
When it comes to our belief, we must internalize it—take it into our hearts and make it a part of who we are. Then, we are to speak it—allow that belief and conviction to flow out in the words that offer eternal life to others.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of belief. In my heart, I believe that You are my Savior. Help me to be bold enough to declare my faith. Amen.
Reflection: Does everyone in your life know you are a follower of Jesus?
About this Plan
In this devotional, we walk through the big themes of the book of Romans from start to finish, unpacking the Gospel that goes out to the whole world and transforms us all from the inside-out. Written by J.R. Hudberg from Our Daily Bread.
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We would like to thank Impactus for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.impactus.org
