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8"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:8b-13 NRSV)
Our Lenten Journey begins, dear Friend. Forty days of preparation, repentance, new birth, new life, and the joy of the eternal gift, which is life with the Lord.
This passage comes from the hand of the Apostle Paul from the pages of his letter to the believers in Rome in what is also known as The Gospel According to Paul, for he tackles serious theological issues and needs for each believers. Paul had Jesus' heart, and his desire was for all people to come to know Jesus and away from sin. And that included his own people, the Jews as is evident in chapter 9. In this brief passage Paul says that if we know the word of God and if we keep it near to us and on our lips and in our hearts, we, too, should have the desire to win the world for Jesus. Paul stresses that we should confess with our lips and confess with our heart that Jesus is Lord, we're in! And we should be so blessed by that, and excited about that, that we tell others about it. It became my life's calling; to tell others about Jesus and to try and win the world for Jesus. In no way am I a perfect man; far from it, but I am a forgiven on a daily basis sort of believer, but the joy of the Lord is my strength. The Chapter of the Lost in Luke 15 inspired me during my ministry. The Lost Sheep. The Lost Coin. The Lost Son. All great stories of how God loves and welcomes the lost.
As we start our Lenten Journey, we should take seriously our need for repentance. Repentance means to sincerely turn around and away from whatever sin we commit. Confession is the verbal act of contrition, and while not a sacrament like the Catholics, it is still a serious act. A while back I shared about Martin Luther, the German monk who frustrated his fellow monks by spending hours of reflection while in the confessional (the little booth where a priest sits on one side and the confessor on the other. The booth has a separation between the two to provide some anonymity. My darling bride raised a Catholic tells of the frustration of her priest when she would take some time in trying to remember her sins (i.e. "I fought with my brother; called my sister a silly name...") and the shock was when her priest told her by name that she had no sins and to say one Our Father, and two Hail Mary's.
Sin is "missing the mark," as in archery and not hitting the dot in the target. Sin meant something you said, thought, or did, against God or against someone else. Sin is so serious that the Bible says "the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23); and shows how for every sin there was a ritual and pattern to follow in offering an animal to take our place to die for that sin committed. And when Jesus came, He became the sacrificial Lamb, Who took our place on the cross.
This passage invites us into a deep and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The steps are straightforward: confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Through this confession and belief, we are saved. There is no need for complicated rituals or barriers between people—whether Jew or Greek, rich or poor, there is only one Lord who welcomes all.
Lent is an opportunity to reflect on this gift of salvation and to recognize how closely the word of faith is to us. The gospel is not something we have to search for in distant lands or high places. It is near, close enough to be a part of us, to dwell within our hearts, and to be proclaimed through our words.
This season of Lent challenges us to look at our faith and see whether we have truly confessed Christ as Lord in our hearts and with our lips. Do we believe the resurrection power of Jesus is at work in us? And if so, are we living out that faith with courage, sharing the good news that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved"?
The simplicity of this message is beautiful and life-changing. It is available to everyone, regardless of background, status, or past mistakes. Salvation is not about earning our way to God, but responding in faith to the invitation He offers to all.
PRAYER: Loving God, as we journey through this season of Lent, we come before You in humble gratitude. We thank You for the gift of salvation, which is always near to us. Help us to truly confess with our lips that You are Lord, and believe with all our hearts in Your resurrection power. May this season be one of deep reflection, transformation, and renewal. We ask for Your guidance as we grow in faith, sharing Your love with others and drawing closer to You each day. This we pray in the strong name of Jesus, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Take a moment to reflect on the simplicity of the gospel message. Have you confessed Jesus as Lord? Do your actions reflect that belief? Consider sharing this message of salvation with someone close to you, and take a step of faith in living out the truth that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
