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Today's Pathway: Romans 10:9-10 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Yesterday we concluded with verse 8 that said that God's Word was nigh, even in the mouths and hearts of the Jews. Today in verse 9 he explains what men should do with that Word that is in their mouths and hearts. The first thing that Paul mentions is to use the mouth to confess the Lord Jesus. The word "confess" literally means "to say the same thing". In other words, confession means to agree, and in this case, to agree with what God said in His Word. What are we agreeing about? That Jesus is the Messiah. In the Old Testament, which was the Word that the Jews at that point had, the Messiah is portrayed as the God-man (Isaiah 7:14); the mighty God (Isaiah 9:6); the sinner’s Substitute and Savior (Isaiah 53:5-6); the eternal King (Micah 5:2); and the "Lord our righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:5-6). It is important to note that this confession was to be made "with thy mouth". One of the things that needs to be confessed is that Jesus is Lord. The "Lord" is the one who is "supreme in authority". To say that Jesus is Lord is to acknowledge Him as God. There was, and is, often a price to be paid for stating publicly that you agree with the Bible about Who Jesus is. John 9:22 states that the parents of the man born blind who was healed by Jesus were afraid of the Jews because

"the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue".

The second thing Paul mentions is to use the heart to believe. This is a sincere belief because Paul specifically says that this belief takes place in the heart. True faith is an internal matter of the heart. It is not just a matter of intellectual assent, although we must believe the facts of the gospel as God has revealed them in His Word. These facts include that we have sinned and thus stand guilty before God; that God sent Jesus, His eternal Son, to take on human flesh and die as our substitute on the cross; and that God raised Jesus bodily from the dead, thus showing that He accepted Jesus’ death as a satisfactory offering. However, saving faith takes these things to heart and responds to them. This is when a man "calls upon the name of the Lord" for salvation (Romans 10:13).

It should be noted that salvation is received by faith, and not by public confession. The Bible says we are saved "through faith", not through faith plus a verbal expression of that faith, for that would be adding works to grace. If one believes in His heart, then he is saved. According to verse 10, when a man believes he receives the righteousness of Christ, and when he confesses he shows to the world that he is truly saved. Robert Haldane explained it this way,

"A person becomes righteous by believing God’s record concerning His Son. But the evidence that this faith is genuine is found in the open confession of the Lord with the mouth. Confession of Christ is as necessary as faith in Him, but necessary for a different purpose. Faith is necessary to obtain the gift of righteousness. Confession is necessary to prove that this gift is received. In saying, then, that confession is made unto salvation, the apostle does not mean that it is the cause of salvation, or that without it the title to salvation is incomplete. When a person believes in his heart, he is justified. But confession of Christ is an effect of faith, and will be evidence of it."

Have you believed in your heart? If so, have you confessed Christ with your mouth?