Confess and Believe

The next stop along the "Romans Road" gospel presentarion is Romans 10:9-10, which says, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Concerning faith, Paul says, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach)" (v. 8). Referring to Deuteronomy 30:14, he tells us that salvation is near. It is "in your mouth and in your heart" (v. 8a). The "word of faith" (v. 8b) is all around you. It is readily available. All you have to do is believe on the Lord Jesus with all your heart. It is that simple.

What is the way of salvation? "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (vs. 9-10). Salvation and righteousness are appropriated by confession and faith.

Paul speaks first of confession, which is "with your mouth" (v. 9a), then of belief or faith, which is "in your heart" (v. 9b). In verse 10, however, he mentions them in reverse order, which is actually the chronological order of redemption. First, "with the heart one believes" resulting in "righteousness" (v. 10a); and second, "with the mouth confession is made" resulting in "salvation" (v. 10b).

When you place your faith in Christ, or "believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead" (v. 9b), He imputes His righteousness to you (v. 10a). At that moment you are declared righteous (justified) and you are made righteous (regenerated). When you confess Him as Lord and accept the provision Christ made for your forgiveness (v. 9a), you are saved (v. 10b).

Note that there are two truths here that must be believed in order to be saved. First, that Jesus is Lord (v. 9a); and second, that God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 9b). These truths are paramount. These truths must be believed with all your heart. Paul is speaking of a deep, personal, abiding conviction, without reservation. Do you so believe? If so, God will change your life dramatically and make you like Christ.

Paul is speaking not only of Jesus as Savior, but of Jesus as Lord. That means, when you come to Jesus for salvation, you come to Him as Lord. Scripture does not separate the two. Lord is from the Greek word kurios, which signifies sovereign power and authority. In the book of Acts, Jesus is twice referred to as Savior but ninety-two times as Lord. In the entire New Testament, He is referred to some ten times as Savior and some seven hundred times as Lord. When the two titles are mentioned together, Lord always precedes Savior. Even if, as some contend, Lord were simply a synonym for God, the very term God by definition includes the idea of sovereign authority, that is, of lordship (John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1988).

"Confess" (v. 9a) means to speak the same thing, or to be in agreement with someone. You are to "confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus" (v. 9a), or that Jesus is Lord. It is essential. You must also "believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead" (v. 9b). The two go hand in hand. When you understand this, then "you will be saved" (v. 9c). When you believe this, the Lord Jesus changes your life. Not only does He save you, He makes you into His own image. Amen.