The Nugget:
Romans 10:9 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.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
My Comment:
Paul gives two absolute requirements to be saved: (1) Confess with your mouth Jesus as your Lord; (2) Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. The fact that Paul states these requirements in an “if” clause makes these requirements absolute, for if these requirements are not met, you cannot be saved. Note particularly that belief in the resurrection of Christ is one of the absolute requirements. Resurrection in the Bible sense of the word always has reference to bodily resurrection. Souls or spirits are not physical; they cannot die in the physical sense. Therefore, a soul or a spirit cannot be resurrected. Given this understanding of resurrection, it becomes clear that some religious groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and possibly Seventh-Day Adventists who share the same materialist theology that denies conscious existence after physical death, do not meet the salvation requirements stipulated in Romans 10:9-10. It is not wise to associate or be affiliated with any religious group that sides with the Sadducees that Jesus refuted and condemned (Mark 12:19-27).
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1290 for Romans 10:9-10.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1310 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Romans 10:9-10.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Romans 10:9. That if. FS184C, Mt +4:9. Ro *14:11. Mt +*10:32, 33. Mk **16:16n. Lk *12:8. Jn 9:22. *12:42, 43. 1 C +*12:3. Ph *2:11. 1 J 4:2, 3. 2 J 7. confess. or, may confess. FS108B21, Mt +10:32. May confess translates homologēsēs, an aorist tense active voice subjunctive mood verb which means to say the same thing or to be in agreement with God (Lavender NT, fn c). 1 K 8:35. Ps 40:10. Mt +10:32g. Lk 12:8. Jn 9:22. 1 T 6:12. 2 T 2:12. 1 J *4:2, 15. with thy mouth. ver. 10. Pr 14:3. the Lord Jesus. or, Jesus as Lord. Ro 1:4. 8:3. 9:5. 14:9. Mt %+7:21. Lk %+*6:46. 13:35. 23:42. Jn 13:13. +*20:28. Ac +**10:36. 20:21. 1 C **2:8. 8:6. +**12:3n. **15:47. Ga 3:14. 4:4. Ph 2:6, 11. Col 1:16-19. Ja 2:1. 1 J 4:15. and shalt believe. or, may believe. Note the subjunctive mood here. Ro 4:5, 24, 25. *8:34. Mk 16:16. Jn 3:15. *6:69-71. **20:26-29. Ac **8:37. *+16:31. 1 C *15:14-18. Ga 3:22. Ep **2:8. He +*10:39. 1 P 1:21. 3:21. 1 J 5:1. raised him. Ro +4:24. Jn +*2:22. Ac *+2:24. Ga 1:1. 1 P 1:21. from the dead. ver. 7. Ph +3:11n. thou shalt be saved. or, will be saved. Will be saved translates sōthēsē, a future tense passive voice indicative mood verb. Will be saved must be preceded by confess and believe; it is thus impossible to believe after one is saved, as claimed by Calvinists (Lavender NT, fn d). Mk 10:26. Ac 11:14. +*16:31.
Romans 10:10. For with. Lk *8:15. Jn *1:12, 13. 3:19-21. He +*3:12. +*10:22. heart. ver. 8. Ro 6:17. Dt +*6:5. 1 K +*8:18, 48. 2 K +*20:3. 1 Ch 12:38n. Jl +*2:12. Lk 8:15. Ja 2:14-26. believeth. Ro 4:5, 24. 2 Ch +*20:20. Ac 8:12, 37. 11:14. 13:39. +*16:31. Ga *2:16. He +*10:39. 1 J 5:1. unto righteousness. FS63J1, Ge +13:9. Ro 5:1. *9:30. 2 C **5:21. Ga *2:16. Ep 2:8. Ph *3:9. and with the mouth. ver. *9. Ps 40:10. Jn *9:10-34. Ja *2:18. 1 J *4:15. Re 2:13. confession. FS108B21, Mt +10:32. Le 5:5. *16;21. Jsh 7:19. 2 K 5:15. Ps *107:2. Mt +10:32g. Lk 12:8. 23:42. Jn 12:42. Ac +*4:20. 19:18. 1 T 6:12. 1 P 3:21. salvation. FS63J1, Ge +13:9. Is 62:11. Jn **5:24. Ac **4:12. 1 T 4:16.
psm 99.5 exalt ye the lord our god,and worship at his footstool
rom 10.9-10 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that god raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. vs 10 for with the heart man believeth unto right-
eousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
several encouraging cross references on these 2 verses.
1. lk 12.8 also i say unto you, whosoever shall confess me
before men, him shall the son of man also confess before
the angels of god:
2. ph 2.11 and that every tongue should confess that jesus
christ is lord, to the glory of god the father.
3. jn 6.69-71 and we believe and are sure that thou art that
christ, the son of the living god. vs 70 jesus answered them,
have i not chosen you 12, and one of you is a devil?
4. jn 20.28 and thomas answered and said unto him,
my lord and my god.
5. 1 jn 4.2 hereby know ye the spirit of god: every spirit
that confesseth not that jesus christ is come in the flesh
is not of god: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof
ye have heard that it should come: and even now already
is it in the world.
6. 2 jn 7 for many deceivers are entered into the world,
who confess not that jesus christ is come in the flesh.
this is a deceiver and an antichrist.
7. acts 8.37 and philip said, if thou believest with all
thine heart, thou mayest. and he answered and said,
i believe that jesus christ is the son of god.
8. 1 co 15.14 and if christ be not risen, then is our preaching
vain, and your faith is also vain.
9.1 pe 1.21 who by him do believe in god, that raised him up from
the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in
god.
10. jn 1.12-13 but as many as received him, to them have he power to
become the sons of god, even to them that believe on his name: vs 13
which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of god.
11 jn 3.19 and this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
12. ph 3.9 and may be found in him, not having mine own righeousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of christ, the righteousness which
is of god by faith:
13. 1 jn 4.15 whosoever shall confess that jesus is the son of god, god dwelleth in
him, and he is in god.
ph 3.3 we worship god in the spirit, and rejoice in christ jesus,
and have no confidence in the flesh.