But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 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. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."
Driving a car in my youth and early adulthood was a task requiring a small degree of dexterity and coordination. The primary challenge was one of getting my left foot to communicate with my right hand when it was necessary to shift gears. The two were at odds frequently resulting in considerable noise and lurching. But practice did its work and that task became one that was totally ingrained and effortless.
Salvation is likewise, a process with two aspects. The belief of the heart and the confession of the mouth are both needed to move the life of the individual along the King's Highway in the here and now. James puts it very succinctly in James 2:17 "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Or in my paraphrase, "Faith without results is useless" Paul also counsels in Philippians 2:12 to apply our faith.
The combination of coordination/consistency between mouth and heart results in a transformed life that lives and acts according to the Word of God.
Today's readings in the Psalms:
Morning: Psalm 87
Mid-day: 119:97-104
Evening: Psalm 13
Voices Together is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at theFellowship Of Ailbe bookstore. A weekly edition, formatted as a bi-fold insert and suitable for distribution can be downloaded at https://www.ailbe.org/resources/item/5828-2015-voices-together-weekly-devotionals. The next edition is available by Thursday of the prior week.
