Explanation of Rom_10:9-10.
2. Explanation of Romans 10:9-10.
Let us examine another portion of Scripture used to support the practice of "coming forward" in a church to receive Christ as Savior.
"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. (9) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."- Romans 10:9-10
These two verses, along with Matthew 10:32-33, are the most widely used in support of asking people to walk to the front of a church to receive Christ as Savior.
Let us examine the context surrounding Romans 10:9-10. One scholar has correctly pointed out that these three Chapters are speaking primarily concerning the Jewish nation and the Jewish people. Romans 9:1-33 is speaking of Israel in the past, Romans 10:1-21 is concerning Israel in the present (during the Church Age) and Romans 11:1-36 deals with their future.
Romans 9:1-33 recalls to Israel the REASON they were rejected as a nation,
"Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone" (32) Romans 10:1-21 is the remedy for their rejection, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth" (Romans 10:4). The future result is that, at the end of the 7-Year Tribulation Period, Christ will return to establish the Kingdom and...
"so all Israel (nationally) shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away the ungodliness from Jacob." (Romans 11:26).
2 Timothy 3:16 informs us that
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
If God is the inspiration of all Scripture, it is certain He is not going to contradict Himself. In Romans 10:9, the Bible states that if one has believed and confessed Christ, he is saved. If this confession were a work we had to do for salvation, this would definitely contradict every other Scripture that states you have eternal life by faith alone.
Remember, confession is definitely a work you do with the flesh. Let us look at some verses in Romans that would be false if the "confession" in Romans 10:9 was essential for salvation.
Romans 3:22... "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference."
Romans 3:26..."To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
Romans 3:30..."Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision (Jews) by faith, and uncircumcision (Gentiles) through faith."
Romans 4:5..."But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Romans 5:1... "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 9:32 ..."Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone." The reason that Christians cannot boast in themselves about their salvation; they did not do any good works to receive it.
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." - Romans 3:27 The capstone of all texts that prove that salvation is either by grace or works is,
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" - Romans 11:6
A. Consider The Conditions:
Consider Romans 10:9 in its setting. The Jews, nationally, had rejected Christ as the Messiah. For an individual to accept Christ and confess that He was the Messiah would mean loss of friends, respect, position, and would bring persecution and possibly, even death. The account of Stephen and his testimony shows that his professing Christ as Savior resulted in his death. First, they accused him of blasphemy by bribing men to say so,
"Then they suborned (bribed) men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law" - Acts 6:11; Acts 6:13 Secondly, they arrested him and brought him before the council (Sanhedrin, the Jewish court of law),
"And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council" - Acts 6:12 Finally, they killed him, for they could not stand his testimony concerning Christ,
"Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, (57) And cast him out of the city, and stoned him... (58) and Saul was consenting unto his death" - Acts 7:57-58; Acts 8:1 Saul (Paul) persecuted many who confessed Christ, whether male or female,
"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem" - Acts 9:1 After Paul's salvation, he testified of the great persecutions he received of the Jews for confessing Christ,
"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (8) Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; (9) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (10) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." -2 Corinthians 4:8-11.
"But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, (4) In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings."- 2 Corinthians 6:4-5.
"Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep" (25) "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one"(24) - 2 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 11:24. At this time, for a Jewish person to accept Christ and then publicly confess Him, knowing the persecution sure to come, you can rest assured that he was saved; as Romans 10:9 attests,
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, (not just that He was a good man) and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Many translate "confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord." In the 3rd Century B.C., a Greek translation was made from the Hebrew. It is known as the Septuagint. In the Old Testament the Hebrew "Jehovah" is God. So, whenever they came to "Jehovah," they used the Greek word, "Kurios," meaning "God," which is translated as "Lord" in Romans 10:9. In other words, the first phrase of Romans 10:9 could read: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth that Jesus is GOD." This verse separated the professors from the possessors. There were some who were naming Christ as Lord, but did not really believe He was the Messiah; or, God in human flesh.
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (21) 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? (22) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" - Matthew 7:21-23.
These were not persecuted for their confession, because their confession of the Lord did not include that He was the Messiah. In the time Romans 10:9 was written, those who confessed the Lord Jesus were confessing him as "Jehovah" God, as evidenced by their believing God had raised Him from the dead. Anyone who confessed this would probably face death. The "thou shalt be saved" is not intended in the Greek to reveal a condition for salvation by confessing and believing; but a definite fact that no one facing death would confess Christ as their Messiah, unless they were saved. This is substantiated further by Romans 10:10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The word "made" is the Greek word "HOMOLOGEO" and means "acknowledgement by confession in the attitude of giving thanks." (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance).
Why would a person give thanks for something they have not already received? They were giving thanks for Christ's righteousness that God gave them for believing.
"For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the right-eousness of God in him." - Corinthians 5:21.
"For if by one man's (Adam's) offense death reigned by one; much more they (the believers) which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ"- Romans 5:17.
Php_3:9 could speak no clearer,
"And be found in him (Christ) not having mine own righteousness which of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."
B. Romans 10:10 Contains a Two-Fold Doctrinal Truth.
Every Bible student knows there are two justifications in God's word. One is positional justification and the other is practical justification. Our positional justification; or, eternal life by faith alone, is found in Romans 5:1.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This is justification in God's eyes. The Christian's practical justification is before man. Many people lead very good lives, but that does not mean they are Christians. People cannot look into a person's mind and see if they have faith in Jesus Christ, and are a Christian. Only when a Christian confesses their faith in Jesus Christ does a lost person justify them as being a Christian. Romans 10:17 explains, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." This is comparable to the contrast found in Romans and James. Romans shows that man is justified in God's sight by faith without works. James points out that for men to know we are saved, we must show them by our works, which includes confessing Christ. This is justification in man's eyes.
God does not need our confession to know we are saved as God looks where man cannot see, upon the heart. Simultaneously, upon belief in Christ as Savior, God imparts the salvation He has promised,
"Verily, verily, I ay unto you, he that believeth on me hath ( right now ) everlasting life" - John 6:47
Some Christians have an erroneous idea to excuse their lack of witnessing for Christ. They say, "People will just see Christ in me by the way I live." This is not true and the last of Romans 10:10 verifies this. By not confessing Christ and just living a good life, you receive the glory, not the Lord.
Romans 10:10 states, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The first part of the verse...
"...with the heart man believeth unto righteousness..."
...is our justification before God. The righteousness spo-ken of here is Christ's righteousness placed to our account, with our sins (past, present, and future) placed to His account, paid for by His death and resurrection.
2 Corinthians 5:21 explains,
"For he hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God in him (Christ)."
Therefore I am,
"...found in him (Christ), not having mine own right-eousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."- Php_3:9. This is our salvation, our everlasting life, our position in Heaven, and our justification in God's eyes.
Now, the last part of Romans 10:10.
"...With the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Notice the word "MADE". It is the Greek word "homologeo," and is defined by Strong's Concordance as "Acknowledgment by confession in the attitude of giving thanks." In Romans 10:1-21 a we are saved and justified in God's eyes. Now, in Romans 10:10 b, we are giving thanks and confessing our faith to someone else. Our mouth confession is made unto salvation in the eyes of the one I am witnessing to. You can't confess to something you don't already have! The summary of Romans 10:10, literally explained, is this:
I believe that Jesus Christ died for me;
I am so grateful that I am going to Heaven on His (Christ's) righteousness; And that my sins were completely paid for on Calvary. That is why I confess to others; because I want them to know they can have a home in Heaven the same way I can. This is our practical justification in man's eyes, to which the last part of Romans 10:1-21 has reference. Romans 10:10 has nothing to do with the coming to the front of the church. Believing is our position before God, our salvation. Confessing is our position before man, our service.
"So then faith (others to believe) cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." - Romans 10:17 The only way others can know I am a Christian is by my confessing Christ as my personal Savior. Then, if I want people to believe my testimony, I must live so that my life will substantiate what I say. When one makes a study of the Book of Acts from Paul's conversion on, you will find Paul witnessing to the lost, not the saved! Romans 10:9 has nothing to do with coming to the front of the church to be saved. We are to confess openly to the lost that we believe that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected for our sins. We, then, will be justified as being saved by those we have witnessed to; hoping they will receive Christ, also by faith, and be saved. This is the Christian's practical justification, of which Romans 10:9 is speaking.
Salvation is God's provision for my position, or just-ification, before Him, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." When I confess Christ, bystanders do not see a self-righteous person, but see Christ as the reason for my leading a separated life. Then Christ receives the glory.
"And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." In whose eyes? Man's eyes, of course! My life alone will not lead others to Christ for I must confess Him as the reason, "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" - Romans 10:14