Romans 10:8: But What Does It Say? "The Word Is Near You, In Your Mouth And In Your Heart"

Romans 10:8
[8] 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); (ESV)

The message of faith is what we need. In the previous two verses Paul used a hypothetical exaggeration to make a point. He asked whether we should go to Heaven to bring Christ down. Or should we go to the grave to raise him up? No, these absurd thoughts are not the way of receiving the righteousness of God.

The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. We could search the whole world and miss a relationship with it's creator. Many people have done that. In fact, those who search the world but do not find the creator are typically worshiping the things of the world instead of the one who made them. Paul makes that point clear in Romans 1:18-25.

The message is not far. The message is near, even in our mouth and in our heart. The issue is not that mankind is without the message of God's salvation. The issue is what he has done with that message. The message that Paul willingly laid down his life for was a message that we are made right with God by placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

This word of faith that Paul mentions in the last part of this verse is the message of the Gospel. It is not a magic formula whereby we make demands of God and he has to perform for us because of our faith. That is what the false prosperity gospel preaches. Rather, this word of faith is our complete dependence upon Christ for our salvation. Faith is the way we access what his word declares.

Are you still looking for a relationship with God? Look no further. Place your faith in Jesus Christ. His shed blood was for the forgiveness of your sins. Repent of your sin and receive your eternal life.

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