Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

Paul Continues with Deuteronomy 30

In our last post from Romans, we saw how Paul was building on God’s word from Deuteronomy 30:11-14. (If you’re interested you can learn more here: Where can I find God?–Romans 10:5-8.) In today’s passage, Paul continues to reference the same scripture passage from Deuteronomy:

“But the word is very near to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it,” God tells us in Deuteronomy 30:14.

In Romans, Paul extends this idea about the word being in our mouths and our hearts to Jesus: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” To his Jewish brothers, Paul is presenting a conditional statement. If you receive Jesus as the Messiah and Lord, and if you believe God raised Jesus, then you can be saved. It’s an if-then conditional statement. Paul is emphasizing what God wants from his Jewish brothers and sisters and from all humankind. God wants the whole person. God wants us to profess our faith in Christ with our mouth. But God doesn’t just want our spoken words. God also wants our whole heart, and our whole soul, and our whole mind. He wants all of you and He wants all of me. (Matthew 22:37-38)

He wants us to truly give ourselves to Jesus Christ.

And He wants us to truly receive Jesus as our Lord.

The Greatest Threat to Christianity

I used to be much more concerned about, and focused on, ideologies and worldviews that are in opposition to Christianity. But as I grow older and observe more and study more, and learn more about Jesus and human nature and culture: I’ve come to the conclusion that the greatest threat to Christianity isn’t found in those with opposing worldviews.

The greatest threat to Christianity is found in me.

It’s found in me when I profess to be a Christian with my mouth, but I don’t give my heart and my whole self to Jesus as my Lord.

When my family or my neighbor, (or your family or neighbor), when the world sees a professing Christian who isn’t following Jesus as their Lord, someone who isn’t living according to how Jesus taught us to live, it’s repulsive. I’m reminded of something G. K. Chesterton wrote.

“In one sense, and that the eternal sense, the thing is plain. The answer to the question, ‘What is Wrong?’ is, or should be, ‘I am wrong.’ Until a man can give that answer his idealism is only a hobby.” -GK Chesterton, Letter to the “Daily News”, August 16, 1905, “What is Wrong”

As I write this, another quote comes to mind. This one from Leo Tolstoy:

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Paul gives a conditional if statement to the Jews. Just as Jesus gave a conditional if statement to me, and to you.

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” (Jesus Christ, John 15:10)

If I keep Jesus’ commandments, I can abide in his love, and, not only that, but the people around me are attracted to Christ.

But if I don’t keep Jesus’ commandments, I don’t abide in his love, and I’m the problem. I’m a threat to Christianity, because I’m misrepresenting the Son of God, Jesus, to the people around me.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

“Father, please have mercy on me and on the dear person reading this right now. Fill us with Jesus. Fill us with his love. Fill us with his spirit. Help us to keep his commandments and abide in his love the way Jesus wants us to. Fill us with Christ’s love in ways that open the eyes of the people around us. Let them see Jesus in us: In our words, in our hearts, in our minds, in our souls, and in our grace and generosity and capacity to love.

“In Jesus’ name we ask this of You.

“Amen.”

Notes:

Scott W. Hahn and Curtis Mitch, Romans: (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars – CCSS) (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture), Baker Academic, November 7, 2017

Kurt Cameron Bennett best known for his book Love Like Jesus. After attending church and studying the Bible for most of his adult life, he was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven-year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote Love Like Jesus for himself as much as for others. He currently lives in Hillsboro, Oregon, just a few miles from his son Gabe, daughter (-in-law) Charise, and grandson Andrew. He has another son Nate and daughter (-in-law) Anastasia who live in Sammamish, Washington. His blog, God Running is a place for anyone who wants to (or even anyone who wants to want to) love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to.

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