Romans 10:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

NIV: If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

NASB: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

CSB: If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

NLT: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

Romans 10:9–10 are two of the great salvation-related verses in the entire Bible. It's important to understand their context in this chapter.

Paul has just concluded quoting from Deuteronomy 30:11–14. There, God says to Israel that His command for them is not hidden or far away; it is already in their mouths and hearts. Paul has written that this is true, as well, for the "word of faith" in Christ. This "word of faith" is a reference to the gospel: the message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This message is near Israel's mouths and hearts.

Now Paul clarifies what this word of faith is; he explicitly describes what the Jewish people of his day should welcome into their mouths and hearts. He writes that instead of seeking to become righteous by following the law, they should confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord. He is the Messiah. Also, they should believe in their hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. If they do those things, they will be saved, Paul writes.

We should not necessarily take these two conditions as Paul's final statement on the plan of salvation or how to become a Christian. He has been clear that faith in Christ, including Christ's place on the cross as our substitute in the payment of our sin, is the key to being declared righteous by God. These two conditions—belief in Christ's resurrection from the dead and a verbal confession of His place as Lord of all—appear to serve as evidence that our faith is in Christ. Anyone who trusts in Christ for his or her salvation is sure to agree that Christ is Lord and that He was raised from the dead. That person will be saved, Paul writes.

Romans 10:5–13 explores how Israel's people have, for the most part, rejected God by refusing to trust in Christ. Instead of waiting for some new truth to fall from heaven, or float up from the abyss, they ought to recognize that truth has already been given. All who confess Christ as Lord, and believe in His resurrection, will be saved. This is true for both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul's heart is broken for his people, Israel. He prays they will be saved through faith in Christ. Their enthusiasm for God is made useless by their attempt to be made righteous by their own law-keeping instead of by faith in Christ. What, then, is required to be saved? One must confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. The same is true for both Jews and Gentiles. God waits patiently for Israel to turn and believe.

Romans 9 concluded with Paul's declaration that Israel has stumbled over the stumbling stone of Christ. Romans 10 describes Paul's heartfelt prayer that Israel would be saved, despite her commitment to saving herself through works. Why have the Israelites not confessed the Lordship of Jesus and believed in the resurrection? It's not for lack of hearing and understanding; they are disobeying the gospel. Paul will insist, though, in the following chapter, that God has not rejected Israel. He still holds out His hands to her, offering salvation through faith in Christ.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.