[9] …because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9–10)
I can see where some brothers and sisters in Christ might question whether this passage really reassures us in our faith. Still, this passage is meant to reassure us.
Those struggling with this passage often feel like it places the weight of our salvation on our shoulders. We must publicly confess our faith in Jesus as Lord. We must believe in our hearts that the Father resurrected Jesus. Stated this way, both the public confession and personal faith do feel like our good works.
However, the Apostle Paul also teaches that we are by nature powerless to believe in and confess Jesus as Lord. This is only done by the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)
If you’re still struggling with this passage, think about Junior Confirmation. Through catechesis, students are brought to the point where they publicly confess what they believe in their hearts. However, this is “confirming” what God did in baptism. In baptism God forgave their sins, created saving faith and gave the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
As such, the statement of faith in confirmation is reliant upon the work of the Holy Spirit.
The bottom line: When we verbally confess what we believe in our hearts about Jesus, we are giving evidence of God’s work in us. This is why our faith is reassured by such confessions.
(A Second Look devotions are written for the congregations of the Ohio District LCMS.)
Kevin Wilson 360 