No Shame

Here are some thoughts for this Sunday's second lesson from Romans that were shared with the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Let me know what other thoughts you may have. 

Second Reading: Romans 10:8b-13

 ^8b“The word is near you,
  on your lips and in your heart”
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹because 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. ¹⁰For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” ¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. ¹³For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 

Can it really be that easy? Don’t we have to do this and this and that and be good enough to be saved, to become God’s children? It’s a matter of the heart and the mouth. We believe in our hearts and confess that faith.

Each Sunday, we together confess our faith in the Creed. In that, we are saying “Yes” to Jesus. It’s good that our hearts say “Yes,” for then we will not be put to shame. And, we are telling each other about it. 

What do we do after leaving church? Does the confession of Jesus as Lord stay in the church? If it does, we’re sunk. We have to have it become part of our being, something we share with others. 

Lent has begun. With the foci of pray, reflection and repentance and giving, we have an opportunity to develop our faith life. We can de-clutter our minds and hearts and open ourselves to what God would say to us. “…the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him” (v. 12). 

agnusday