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by Nathan Buck

I chuckle a bit every time someone tells me their faith is "private." I chuckle because it is impossible for someone's faith to be private. Someone's religion may be hidden or they may not talk about it, but their faith - what they believe - is evident in every conversation, every action, and every life decision.

Today's blog post is simple. Read Romans 10:5-13. Think about what Paul is saying for a moment.

If you read carefully, you will see that Paul is explaining the difference between religion and faith. He is explaining the difference between a living and active relationship with God, and a set of religious activities and statements that are supposed to make us Godly.

He quotes the book of Deuteronomy and shows that from the beginning of God's story with us, it has been about relationship with God and trusting God with our whole heart and our whole life. No one could climb up to heaven and get some magic potion to make us right with God. No one could go across the sea, or to the depths of hell (often thought to be in the ocean by early Jews), and get the secrets to living a perfect life with God. The commandment was always to believe God, trust Him, and follow His teachings. Simple, straightforward faith, which then redefines how we live.

Notice the promises toward the end of this passage:
Vs. 9-10 - Believe with your heart, declare with your mouth, and you will be saved.
Vs. 11 - No one who believes will be put to shame.
Vs. 12 - God richly blesses ALL who call on Him.
Vs. 13 - EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

This is not a magic formula or some mysterious code. Plain and simple, it shows that what we truly believe in our heart spills out into our life and redefines how we live. So, there is no such thing as private faith, since we show what we believe in everything we do. The question is, are we showing that we believe in Jesus, or something or someone else?

Don't dismiss that question too quickly. Be honest with yourself, and look carefully at the way you choose to live. Are you walking with Jesus, trusting Him and allowing your life to show Him more clearly? Are you able to trust those promises Paul lists at the end of this passage? If you asked a non-believing friend, would they say your life reminds them of Jesus? If not, re-read the passage, and ask God to show you in His Word, what you need to do about that, or what beliefs you need to let go of, in order to trust Him more. God bless you as you examine what you really believe, by seeing how you really live.

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