Romans 10:8 … The Word in your Heart (05/12/17)
“The Word is near you;
on your lips and in your Heart.”
~ Paul (Romans 10:8)
As Paul rarely (if ever) knew, The Word of God is only on our lips when what flows from our lips comes from the Heart – untainted by need or fear, unblemished by want or manipulation, unmarred by passive-aggressive whining or aggressive critique, unstained by arrogance of belief or certainty of epiphany …
Indeed, far more often than not, words do not carry anything but the thinly veiled & thickly selfish pinings of the quivering ego. And indeed, far more often than not, it is deeds and deeds alone that most fully broadcast the Way of the Heart.
And Jesus comes right out and says as much in John 13 – comes right out and says that the only way to attain his version of Salvation is to put selfless Love into practice (see John 13:15-17, also Matthew 7:21-24, Matthew 24:12-14, along with almost every single one of his parables in the Gospels).
And even more evidence that Paul just “didn’t get it” is found in the very next verse (Romans 10:9), when he says “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” – a theology that directly contradicts the “Good News” of Jesus Christ (see Mark 10:18, John 5:41, John 12:44 et al); a “Gospel” that quite clearly noted A) that Heaven was not some post-mortem paradise, but was rather already right Here & right Now – already fully “at hand” in every moment of every sentient being’s life (see Matthew 10:7) — and B) that attaining entrance into this glorious State of Being was possible only by persistently & actively & humbly giving selfless Love to others (see Matthew 24:12-14), especially our enemies (see Matthew 5:43-48) &/or the downtrodden in our communities (see Matthew 25:35-40).
Amen … Let it be so.
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