10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
10 For
“For” explains further verse nine.
with the heart one believes unto righteousness [justification],
The “heart” speaks of faith and the “mouth” speaks of confession. Heart belief has to do with wholehearted conviction. This is more than intellectual assent; it is conviction that involves the entire mind, emotion, and will.
Note the word “unto” in this phrase and the next. The Greek word for “unto” expresses purpose and result. The individual believes for the purpose of being declared righteous. The mouth confesses for the purpose of declaring salvation publicly.
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
“Heart” represents the entire soul, while “mouth” represents the body (a synecdoche). The “heart” (entire soul) is the instrument of believing to justification, whereas the “mouth” is the experience of confession.
“Confession” is primarily outward manifestation of belief. It is an indication of open loyalty to Jesus Christ. Confession is not the cause of salvation but the effect of believing. There is nothing incomplete about our salvation after belief.
Salvation comes to those who acknowledge (confess) that Jesus is God and believe in the resurrection. Salvation is something accomplished by Christ the Messiah.
Ac 4:12, Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
PRINCIPLE:
If a Christian truly believes something, he or she will want to share it.
APPLICATION:
The believer publicly confesses salvation already received. There is a work that proceeds from faith and this faith certainly produces confession. Confession is not a condition of justification but the outcome of salvation. Conviction always produces verbal witness. That kind of belief is too powerful to keep secret. This is why people get baptized as soon after salvation as possible.
The media loves to publish the sins of the saints. News organizations do not emphasize the sins of lawyers. If a dog bites a man, that is not news; but if a man bites a dog, that is news! If a businessman steals from his company, that is not great news; but if a preacher steals from his church, that makes national headlines. It makes headlines because that act is something out of the ordinary for preachers to do. Tens of thousands of preachers do not do this.
