WITH THE HEART MAN BELIEVETH

This section of Paul’s argument concerning the efficacy of faith as against works starts at chapter 9 and verse 30 with the ques­tion, ‘What shall we say then?’ He points out that while Jews who followed after the law of righteousness had not attained, yet Gentiles who did not follow the law had attained to righ­teousness; through faith rather than by works. They had accepted the One who to the Jews became a stumbling stone and were experiencing the promise that whosoever believed on Him would not be disappointed. Our reading in chapter 10then pro­ceeds to explain how this happened. The Jew, while genuinely zealous for the law and the ceremonials of worship, had com­pletely failed to understand that God’s righteousness (or, God’s way of doing things) was through faith. Christ was the end of the law, both its goal and terminus, as a means of righteousness.

The righteousness that comes by faith is not difficult either to appreciate or attain to. There is no need for a special effort to bring Christ down - He has already come in incarnation. Neither is there a need to ‘descend into the deep’, because, though He died, He has already been raised from the dead. The provision of righteousness by grace through faith is not a difficult situation that only few may aspire to - it is available to all. But how?

One must believe in one’s heart and then confess with one’s mouth. It is vital to believe that He is God incarnate and then to make this belief public through a confession of faith. Genu­ine belief will inevitably result in speaking about those things believed and how they, and especially He, have made such a difference in our daily lives. The heart is, of course, an important physical organ that works wonders for us. In scripture, it stands as a symbol for things central and pictures the inner man and his thought process, affections, purposes, emotions and will. In physical situations, it may be glad or broken, delighted or remorseful. In spiritual circumstances, it may believe or reject. It stands also for the whole person. Thus, the teaching is that a person must believe the message of faith and be totally committed to it. Those who do will never be ashamed or disappointed.