Whosoever

Many people confuse Romans 10:9–10 with conditioning the reception of eternal life on verbal confession to affirm the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. This position does not allow for secret believers (contrary to John 19:38). The believer should proclaim their faith to receive blessings and avoid temporal wrath; however, they receive eternal life by simply believing Christ for that gift.

Saved From What?

Out of context, the reader is left to wonder in what sense the person is saved. In context, Paul is discussing the state of national Israel. While they had rejected Christ and become hardened against the truth, their blindness will not last forever. At the fullness of the Gentiles, all of Israel will be saved, or delivered from destruction during the Tribulation (11:25–27). Paul quotes Isaiah 59:20, in the context of the Redeemer vanquishing the enemies surrounding Israel. This final victory results in a spiritual renewal.

Paul begins Romans by announcing his gospel as empowering salvation for believers. God offers an escape from His present outpouring of wrath. Those justified can find the fullness of life by expressing faith (1:16–18).

Salvation in Romans is again connected with deliverance from wrath in 5:9–10. Faith alone has justified the reader. Now, a future salvation depends on abiding in Christ for His life.

Similarly, Paul remarks in 8:13 that premature death results from living in the flesh while submitting to the Spirit the believer can extend the quality (perhaps even duration) of their physical life. Deliverance from God's wrath through the Spirit means applying Jesus' life now in our daily experience of faith.¹

In Romans 10, Paul starts by encouraging the readers to keep essential truths in memory, in their mouth and heart, echoing Deuteronomy 30:12. Faith alone is the vehicle to receive righteousness, but only faith with open confession brings deliverance from temporal wrath. The reference in 10:13 to Joel 2:32 shows, again, a parallel to Israel's temporal deliverance in the Tribulation as a type of salvation now available to all believers.

Order in the Salvation

Significant in the passage is a logical sequence in Romans 10:14–15. For someone to call upon the Lord, they must first already believe in Him. To believe, they first need to hear about Him from a preacher! Thus, confessing to the Lord is only for believers.

Implicit in 10:9–10 is the knowledge Christ has risen and ascended to hear their call. If Jesus is still deceased in Sheol, then He certainly is not making intercession for anyone (Hebrews 7:25). Someone could potentially receive eternal life without knowing of Jesus' resurrection. However, they need to know of His living power to affect their sanctification.

Application Today

Romans 10:9–10 is a popular call-to-action hook at the close of sermons. These presentations should show the text is not offering eternal life itself. Of course, the immediate response to any new believer should be active involvement in a local community. Someone may for a time feel a semblance of comfort in a private faith. However, only a lively and visible faith avoids God's discipline.