Faith Speaks

Romans 10:6 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, even in your mouth and in your heart’’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

This is probably one of the most known sections of Scripture in the Bible. It has been preached and taught more times than could be counted. There is a reason for this, there is a powerful truth being conveyed here. This is our instruction for being born again. It is also the foundation to receiving all of God’s promises. What is faith if not acted upon? As the Word, we just read, and as the title of this lesson indicates, faith must speak. Believing in your heart, and then speaking out of your mouth brings God’s promise to pass. What you believe will come out of your mouth and what comes out of your mouth will manifest in the natural. You can have faith in God and His Word or you can have faith in the negative circumstances that come at you. What you truly believe in will eventually come out of your mouth. As God’s Word says, The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart. You must speak. This is the way God has ordained things. It is an act of faith to proclaim Jesus. Let’s read on.

Romans 10:9. 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 to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

Salvation does not come from believing alone, it comes from believing and then confessing. It is with the mouth confession is made to salvation. This is vital. Confession is an act of our will, and this act is what allows God to go into action on our behalf. If we will not speak, God can not act. You must believe in your heart, but you must also confess with your mouth.

I would like to look at The New English Translation starting with vs. 8.

8-10. but what does it say? ‘The word is near you: it is upon your lips and in your heart.’ This means the Word of God faith which we proclaim. If on your lips is the confession, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and in your heart the faith that God raised him from the dead, then you will find salvation. For the faith that leads to righteousness is in the heart, and the confession that leads to salvation is upon the lips.

Again, I would ask, what is faith if not acted upon? I could ask that in a slightly different way, what good is faith if not acted upon? It is no good to you, it is no good to me, and it is no good to God. Faith must be acted upon, faith must speak. Faith has a voice.

You hear, faith comes, and then you act. Speaking is acting on what you already believe. Lets go back to Romans…

Romans 10:13 For "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’’

14. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

You have to believe before you call, you have to hear before you believe. What you have to hear is the Word of God. This is the way faith comes. Faith always comes with the hearing of the Word of God, but faith not acted upon is faith wasted. This happens all the time. Faith is wasted because it is not acted upon. There is a cure for this, and it is so simple, act on what you have heard and believed. Speak with your mouth what God has put in your heart, and absolutely do not speak contrary to what you know as truth. Speaking contrary to the truth will cause the faith that was once in your heart to diminish and disappear. In essence, you have replaced faith in God with faith in the problem. What you have chosen to believe was spoken out of your mouth and because of this, God can not act on your behalf. That is truly a waste, and an unnecessary one at that.

James said this; James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.