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Believe In Your Heart

Rom. 10:9-10

“... and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness ...”

Believing in your heart is a rather antiquated expression. We don’t really use the heart to locate the center of our belief these days. We now know that belief is a product of thinking, and thinking is done with the brain.

But we still use the word believe to describe things we trust are real even if we can’t always see them. People talk about believing in Bigfoot, aliens, or the perfect wave just as much as talking about believing in love, life and liberty. Some people say believe; some people say think; and some people say feel to describe the same realities.

But believing that God raised Jesus from the dead has bigger implications. Paul says that belief leads to righteousness or right standing before God. It’s more than a mere mental assent; it's a belief that requires a commitment of our entire life to it.

Belief is a common word in the Bible. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists. John 3:18 says "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." John uses that word a lot in his writings. He quotes Jesus in John 14:1 as saying, "You believe in God; believe also in me."

Jesus tells Thomas in John 20:27 to “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” So sometimes belief is based on touch and our senses as well as faith.

But the ultimate use of the word for John is found in John 20:31 where he writes, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” The simple truth is that you cannot become a follower of something that you do not really believe in.

The ultimate decision we must make is whether we really believe that Jesus is the Messiah. If we come to hold that belief, then all the rest will work itself out as the Spirit directs our life. Do you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead?