believing and professing

Believing is what you do with your heart, Paul writes in Romans 10:9. And professing is what you do with your mouth, he adds. Believing, you do not with the mouth. Not he, who claims to be a believer, is a believer. For believing has to do with the inside, with our thoughts and the Word, on which we rely. How do we know if we are dealing with belief in the heart? Very simple: that we know from what we profess. Those are two sides of the same coin. Who believes with the heart, professes with the mouth, by definition. That makes sense, because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Mat.12: 34; John.7:38). A good message that you believe, wholeheartedly, cannot stay inside you and, therefore, it wants to be expressed. That is not because it must be uttered, but because it cannot remain unuttered. This believing with the heart and professing with your mouth, is not a truth that was invented by Paul. Paul’s statement in Romans 10 is based on Deuteronomy 30, where it speaks about the future conversion of Israel (30:1-10), and in that context, we read in Deut.30:14:

For the word is exceedingly near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to obey.

How is the Word obeyed? Because of it being located in the mouth and in the heart! By profession and believing. Commands are obeyed with the hands and feet. That is doing some work. But a good news message, that one hears (Rom.10:15,17), can only be believed and be passed on. There’s no work to be done, for the simple reason that it is an announcement and not a work order. When a good message is wholeheartedly believed, it looks for a way to be expressed. This inextricable connection between believing and professing is very important. First, we recognize believing, as such (with the heart). That means, believing without professing does not exist. Secondly, it also explains why GOD (out) calls a person. Not for the Good News Message to be kept to himself, but that it be professed. And in this way, it will be heard by others. For faith (believing) is from hearing the Word (Rom.10:17).

He who is believing in Me, according as the scripture said, out of his bowel shall gush rivers of living water.” -John 7:38-

 

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