Faith and Equality
Hey – we want you with us as things are changing majorly in this ministry come early 2022. If you want to join our group of believers in a really important approach to the faith, and to be founding members, we NEED to have you send us an email with your name and state or country of residence. Simple as that.
Now, as people would have it, some want me to be a respecter of persons. They want me to say to them, “ah, not you. You are special. You don’t need to send an email because you are, well, you! You are so important that we’ve got you covered.” Let me state something here and now – I detest special treatment of anyone. I hate inside tracks and the attitude of entitlement that comes with it. It’s a country club mentality, and if God is no respecter of persons I’m certainly not going to be. Nor do I want to be apart of a group that is. All are one. All are equal. None are entitled in any way – and I don’t care if you are my mom, if you want to be part of the founding members of the group – email me with your name and state of residence.
The Importance of Authenticity
I was recently asked to perform a wedding. It is one of the last I will ever do as I find doing them outside my purview as a simple teacher of the word. In any case, at the planning level of this particular wedding, there was some repeatedly expressed concern about my appearance. There was going to be a heavy presence of LDS folk there and the worry was I would be viewed or misinterpreted by dress, hair and beard. I understand these concerns because this is the mindset of Man – how do things look on the outside, how do they play, and sound.
When I was LDS the look of everything was everything as it is with all corporate approaches to things, clubs, and other echelons based in appearance and power. When I came to know Jesus, the look of my heart became more and more apparent over the years, and I find myself very comfortable with the look of my person today, and words of my heart, when compared to the contents of my heart. I have arrived at a consistency between the two. A consistency which I suggest is honorable to the living God who made me (my inner person) and gave me the freedom to them reflect what I feel and believe in my external presentations. When the heart and the external looks and words are inconsistent with each other, I believe that that is a form of hypocrisy.
Romans Chapter 10: Confession and Belief
When we get to Romans chapter 10, Paul writes two verses that are profound. He says at verse 9-10:
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Paul makes it clear (for the Jewish reader to whom he was writing) that the “righteousness which is of FAITH” (which makes salvation a reality) is reached ONLY by and through belief (from the heart) that Christ was raised from the dead” AND that “confession (or the profession) from the mouth that “Jesus is Lord” is made unto salvation.”
I want to try and wrangle this passage together in an effort to keep these directives from becoming rote in the lives of believers as zealous souls try and make people confess things to be saved or to recite a sinners prayer as a means to rack up salvation experiences. First, I would suggest that Paul is not laying out a prescription here for salvation but instead a description, meaning that those who truly believe in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead would naturally confess this with their mouths. Religion makes it a prescription, like dress codes and water baptisms, God was continuity, reality, authenticity and genuine reflection between heart and mouth.
Natural Expression of Faith
In my estimation it would be rather unusual for a person to truly believe and receive Jesus (from the heart by faith) and to not speak of it. It’s possible, and scripture proves it, but unique. It is not by mistake that here in Romans 9 and 10.
Heart and Mouth: Two Parts, Two Actions
Paul uses two different areas of the human makeup to describe two different actions, which bring about two different results. Therefore, confession alone is meaningless – the heart believes (that God raised Him from the dead) unto righteousness – and the mouth reveals – confesses – the heart's belief unto salvation. Again, Paul addresses two parts of a human being, saying: “For with the heart” and “with the mouth.” The heart and the mouth.
We know from the Word that the heart is synonymous with the “seat of our thoughts” – it is our beliefs, our feelings, emotions, and thoughts gathered up into the heart in “convictions.” I would add that the human heart contains elements of the mind. And then in relation to our mouths, we know that it typically reveals the contents of the heart. So, for a true Christian, the two are wholly interrelated. But again, for others, they might not be. The heart may be focused on one thing while the mouth speaks another.
Belief and Confession
Then, Paul pairs two more words – first, heart and mouth and then: “Believeth and confession.” So again, in the human heart true beliefs exist – that is what God examines. Within each of us, in our hearts, the truth lies. Therefore “it is the heart that believes unto righteousness.” This is another way to say that we are made righteous by faith in the heart on Him who provided us the Good News.
And then, with the mouth of a genuine Christian speaking the contents of the heart, “confession is made unto salvation” not because confession of Christ alone saves, but because the confession is expressing the contents of the heart which trusts in His death, burial, and resurrection. That is why the two are mentioned by Paul. The heart believes unto righteousness and because the mouth speaks the contents of the heart, then confession is made unto salvation.
Righteousness and Salvation
Then he pairs two more words relative to our being saved, saying that when a person believes Jesus was raised from the dead (it results in one thing), and when we confess that He is Lord, (that it results in another). So he says “Righteousness” (which is a product of the believing heart) and “Salvation” (which is the result of the confessing mouth). Again – and putting it all together, Paul explains: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Again, is it possible for a person to confess Jesus as Lord and for him to not be saved? Of course. Because the heart would not truly believe unto righteousness. Here’s the deal – the Greek word for confess (and profess) is HOMOLOGEO. With HOMO meaning “the same” and LOGEO meaning “words.” So, to “homologeo” (to confess) unto salvation, it means “the mouth speaks the same words that the heart believes.” Which plainly states that there would be no hypocrisy between the state of the heart and the contents of the mouth in a person who was truly saved.
So, back to the first question – “Is it possible for a man to confess Jesus as Lord and for him to not be saved?” Absolutely. And we have scriptural evidence for this in Matthew 7:23 where we read a familiar account as Jesus says: “Many will say to me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” And then will I profess unto them, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Where Jesus says: And then will I “profess” unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” The Greek word for “profess” here is homologeo. His mouth will say the same words from His heart. Because He, and God, are consistent. They say what they are. But where Jesus said, “many will “say” to me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not done many, many wonderful works in thy name,” the word is NOT “homologeo” but “ereo,” which means they were speaking just words, but not the same words that were in their heart! I want my mouth to say exactly what my heart believes. Homologio.
A Life of Consistency
Life – in every way – to reflect exactly what my heart enjoys – therefore I want to live a homo life – a life of the least contradiction. A life of continuity. A life of what you see and hear from me is what is truly from me – no alteration, obfuscation, hypocrisy or deceit. My water baptism was an outward expression of my inward heart. My tattoos are an outward expression of what is on my mind. My clothing is a reflection of what I think of this world's fashion. My hair and beard show allegiance to other men I admire who came before me – Samson, Elijah, John the Baptist.
Personal Expressions
After years of religious inculcation, social demands and corporate expectations, I can finally and openly announce myself – homo – consistent and the same.
Acceptance
Live with it.
