The Righteousness of Faith: Confess With the Mouth, Believe in the Heart (Romans 10:5–9)

Rom. 10:5. For Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which does those things shall live by them.

In verses 5-8 the Apostle, from those very Books of Scripture wherein the Law is depicted, proves also that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes,”—that is, that full and perfect fulfillment of the Law and attainment of that for which the Law was given comes only through faith in Christ the Lord, wavering not at all. The first passage he takes from the book of Leviticus Lev. 18:5, where briefly but fully is shown what the Law righteousness requires: “the man which does those things shall live by them.” God Himself said this through Moses when, pointing to the impiety of the Egyptians where the Israelites lived, and the Canaanites to whom they were being brought, He threatened with dangers and forbade contact with either, yet strictly required that they fulfill only His commandments and judgments. “I am the LORD your God. Wherefore you shall keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.” Lev. 18:5. Those peoples for their impiety and wicked life shall suffer punishments, but you shall live—safely and securely Lev. 18:25. When He said: “all,” He left no room for any exception: fulfill all, and you will be righteous according to the Law’s righteousness—and live. The Apostle makes no comments, but only by the words of the Law itself shows what the Law’s righteousness requires, “showing wherein consists legal righteousness and how it is acquired. In what does it consist and how is it acquired? By fulfillment of the Law. One cannot become righteous according to the Law except by fulfilling all the commandments” (Holy Chrysostom).

Thus the Law speaks of legal righteousness. Yet its determinations of righteousness are not limited to this; there are in it such indications about it as are unthinkable and cannot actually occur if faith does not arise. In Deuteronomy, in the concluding speech to the people, God says through Moses that if he observes all His commandments, it shall be well with him; but if not, trouble after trouble shall befall him. Yet if he, in God’s wrath, turns again to Him, he shall again be taken in mercy, and even if scattered to distant lands, he shall again be gathered to the inheritance of the fathers. For by these afflictions “the LORD your God will circumcise your heart…to love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul” Deut. 30:6. Thus guarding faithful adherence to the Law by threats, God then removes all excuse for not fulfilling it which anyone might make because of difficulty in knowing the Law or the burden of the Law itself, imposed like a yoke. Also see Deut. 30 for the full context.

See also Deut. 30. “For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not hidden from you, neither is it far off…But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.” In these words one thing is pointed out that was before the eyes, and another that was to be as a promise. The first is that the word of the Law is near; the second is that the word of the commandments is in the heart. This is a special and most important moment in receiving the Law. The Law, written on tablets and parchment, though near, so that the eye sees and the hand holds its letters; yet it is still outside. The Prophets set it forth more clearly, when they foretold of the New Covenant, in which the Laws shall be written not on stone tablets, but on hearts Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:26. For us, the Apostolic Spirit saw a foreindication of that which in full meaning was fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord. Holy Paul refers this entire passage to the establishment of the New Covenant. See also Deut. 30:10, Deut. 30:11–14.

Rom. 10:6-8. But the righteousness which is of faith speaks on this wise, Say not in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?…that is, the word of faith which we preach.

Before he said, as Moses writes of the righteousness which is of the Law. Now he says: “the righteousness which is of faith speaks on this wise,” as if righteousness itself speaks, being personified. But about that righteousness which is of faith, thus speaks Moses or God through Moses. The Apostle speaks precisely of what was foretold, as it is fulfilled. How is the New Covenant with all its Laws written in the heart? They believe in the Lord, are renewed by baptism, receive the Holy Spirit, and this Spirit writes the new Laws in the heart. The beginning of all is faith in Christ the Lord. All is in Him, and he who believes in Him fully and sincerely has in himself already all the New Covenant and the new commandments. He who speaks of receiving the Lord by faith speaks also of writing in the heart the new Laws. This is what the Apostle does.

In that passage whence the prophecy cited is taken, it is said: Say not, Who shall ascend into heaven, to take the commandment thence and bring it to us? Why? Because it is already brought, uttered, and written. Holy Paul says: Say not, Who shall ascend into heaven, that Christ be brought down, so that with receiving Him by faith you might have inscribed in your heart the new Law? Why? Because Christ has already come, the Only-Begotten Son of God has been incarnate, and everyone receiving Him by faith receives also the new Law with Him and in Him.

The second question in the passage cited stands thus: Say not, Who shall descend into the deep. Holy Paul cites this in its fulfillment thus: Say not, “Who shall descend into the deep, to bring up Christ again from the dead?” He is already raised, has risen. The sea is also called the deep, ἄβυσσος. The edge of the sea in distance is another shore, and its edge in depth is the bottom, which is so far that one involuntarily thinks there is an abyss. Having this in mind, the Apostle said: Say not, Who shall descend into the abyss, to bring up Christ from the dead? He has already come out of it, as Jonah, who prophetically sank into it.

In the prophetic passage, further it is said: “The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart” Deut. 30:14. Holy Paul repeats these words, applying to them a fulfillment interpretation: “that is, the word of faith, which we preach.” The word of faith is near, listen and believe; and the whole Law you shall then find fulfilled in yourself: for you shall have the end of the Law—Christ.

Thus by the prophecy cited the Apostle proved that the end of the Law is Christ, both because in Him that which was indicated in the Law is fulfilled, and because in Him the Law itself is fulfilled and that for which the Law was given. The Law was given for righteousness; and whoever believes in Christ becomes righteous—because in Him and through Him he receives grace that transforms the heart and fills it wholly with holy feelings and dispositions, wherein fulfillment of the commandments comes forth as a natural fruit. If fulfillment of the Law is impossible in another way, then he who does not receive faith in Christ destroys that very thing which the Law desires. Is it not evident that such zeal is not according to knowledge?

The Apostle’s thought is that faith is all-embracing, and all is accomplished within, having no need for a variety of actions and expressions: you believed in the heart, and you are righteous. Yet this does not mean that the work of faith is as easy as a feather lifts on a breath. Faith is an inward action; but for that very reason it is harder than outward deeds. The movement of faith is a complete reconstruction of all that is within. That which undergoes reconstruction is the old and deeply rooted. One must remove this—there is the struggle. Faith, when it says “I believe,” is a single, momentary action; but reaching this does not always happen in one minute. Faith is the greatest struggle, root and foundation of all struggles. The Apostle says: “Say not in your heart,” who shall bring Christ down to earth and who shall raise Him from the dead. But how many questions this raises in the hearts of those hearing it? The Apostle says: allow not these questions.

Holy Chrysostom gives another shade to the same thought: In proving that this path is easy and short, he does not give the impression that it is unworthy of attention. The Apostle dwells on it, “say not in your heart.” As virtues displayed in deeds are opposed by neglect and weakness, so in the matter of faith arise thoughts that trouble and weaken the heart of many, and to repel them the soul must be most alert. The Apostle reveals these very thoughts. He proved that Abraham needed an exalted soul, receiving what is above hope, and not scandalized by what is visible. So he proceeds here, proving that we need a philosophical mind, a strong will, and one seeking heavenly things. He did not say simply, “say not,”—but “say not in your heart”; that is, do not even waver in thought. See you what is the distinctive property of faith—leaving all earthly reckoning, to seek what is above nature, and, casting aside the aid of reasoning, to accept all, relying upon the almightiness of God?

Rom. 10:9. That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

The force of these words is: “you shall be saved.” It has been mentioned about the word of faith in the mouth and in the heart, and what exactly is the object of this word; now it is only added that if thus it be, you shall be saved. This answers the final word of the passages cited: for the passage which relates to the Law concludes with the word: “shall live,” and that which speaks of faith concludes with the word: “this is your life” Deut. 30:20. To live through something, or to have life through it, is to be saved. This is the final application of the predictive discourse, or the last final stroke in the fulfillment of the prophecy.

That Holy Paul speaks specially of confessing with the mouth, and specially of believing in the heart, and that he first sets forth confessing with the mouth, and after it belief of the heart—he does this in application to the passage cited above. In essence, all is from heart faith. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks: and confession comes from faith established in the heart. Indeed it is impossible without such faith; and if it sometimes occurs, it has no significance in bringing about salvation. But faith, when living and fervent, cannot be hidden in the heart without being manifested, but comes forth of itself both in word, in look, in motion, and in deeds. Thus faith and its confession, in their truth, are inseparable. And the Apostle’s attention is all directed to faith, and, adding confession, he did not mean to indicate something separate, but the same faith.

The object of confession is the Lord Jesus: “if you shall confess…the Lord Jesus.” It can mean: if you confess the Lord Jesus as He is in truth, that is, the Son of God and God incarnate; or directly: if you confess Jesus as Lord, that He is Lord God. By this there is affirmed as a necessary condition of salvation—the confession of the Godhead of Jesus Christ. The object of heart faith is the resurrection of Christ. Why thus? Because from belief in this began and begins faith, and on this all the subsequent structure of faith was based and is based. That Jesus, called Christ, was crucified and died on the cross, was evident to all and known to all. And Apostolic preaching did not conceal this, but on the contrary, displayed it as its first point; but did not stop there, but always added: died on the cross, but also “rose and lived.” Rom. 14:9. From this point faith began and was conditioned by it: for if He had only died, who would have believed? The Apostles always depicted faith in the resurrection as the foundation of faith in Christ and of salvation 1 Cor. 15:14.

And by these objects it is clear that the Apostle does not separate faith and confession, as if it were possible to confess the Godhead of Jesus Christ without confession of His resurrection, or to believe in His resurrection without faith in His Godhead, without harming the work of salvation. Both are inseparable: for that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God is evident from His resurrection, as the Apostle said at the beginning Rom. 1:4; and faith in His resurrection directly leads to confession of His Godhead also. Wherefore this passage by its meaning can be read thus: if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

The Apostle said: “God has raised him,”—for the weakness of those hearing, so that the thought should not arise, how is resurrection possible, and cut short the course of faith. By setting: God raised Him—he removes all wavering about possibility: for it is the common faith that all things are possible for God. Holy Chrysostom says: “That Christ is Lord is evident from the resurrection, as the Apostle said also at the beginning of the Epistle: ‘declared to be the Son of God with power…by the resurrection from the dead’ Rom. 1:4. And that the resurrection is not a difficult work is proved even for the ignorant by the power of Him who raises.” That the Risen One is God, the Apostle just said, commanding to confess Jesus Christ as Lord. He who is Lord is able to rise Himself. If it be said that God raised Him, it is only to show the inseparability of Him with God the Father. For the Son of God and God became incarnate, not leaving the bosom of the Father, and when raised by the Father, participated in this action of His and Himself. The actions of God are inseparable—they proceed from the Trinity. And the resurrection of Christ is the work of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Thus when you believe and confess so that Jesus Christ is Lord, God incarnate, who died and rose for our salvation, you shall be saved. But how is this accomplished? The answer to this must be drawn from all the foregoing. It is an inviolable law that without fulfillment of the commandments there is no salvation. “If you will enter into life, keep the commandments,” Matt. 19:17 says the Lord. And again: “Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 7:21. Consequently, if salvation, which is also entering into the Kingdom and life, is conditioned by confession and faith in Christ and the resurrection of Christ the Lord, we must suppose that it is so because with this is inseparably joined the fulfillment of commandments or the will of the Heavenly Father. So it is indeed. Let us recall what was said before about the nearness of the Law. Holy Moses said: the law is near to you, because it is written and lies before your eyes; and though he added that it is also in the heart, this was only a promise, whose fulfillment the Prophets later indicated in the future coming of the Promised One, at which all the law and all the commandments shall be written not on paper, but on the heart. So it happens. He who receives the Promised One that came by faith clings to Him, and he that clings to Him becomes one spirit with Him 1 Cor. 6:17. His Spirit is the aggregate of all holy feelings, dispositions, and strivings required by the commandments and constituting their fulfillment. Consequently, by faith clinging to Christ the Lord, one bears in himself the fulfillment of all commandments, and is thereby saved. Or thus: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved,” Mk. 16:16 says the Lord. But whoever is baptized into Christ is clothed in Christ Gal. 3:27. Christ is all that is holy and righteous. Consequently, he that believes in Christ bears in himself holiness and righteousness, which are the fulfillment of the commandments, and is therefore saved. Or thus: he that is baptized into the Lord into His death is baptized, so that, as Christ rose from the dead in the glory of the Father, so he also should walk in newness of life; renewed life is holy and righteous life, walking in all God’s commandments. Consequently, again he that believes is saved because he has the fulfillment of all commandments. Or thus: he that believes and is baptized is born again by the Holy Spirit to new life and becomes a child of God, not in name only, but essentially, because he is made godlike, that is, holy, as his Parent—the Trinity—is holy, and in this has salvation. In whatever way you touch faith in Christ the Lord, from all you will come to the one conclusion, that whoever truly believes is saved; but because through the dispensation of faith he becomes a fulfiller of all the commandments, which he bears inscribed in his heart, in holy feelings and dispositions, built there by the Holy Spirit.