Romans 10:10 kjv
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10 nkjv
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10 niv
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:10 esv
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:10 nlt
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Romans 10 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 10:9 | 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. | Direct preceding context, inseparable nature of belief and confession for salvation. |
| Matt 10:32 | So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, | Confessing Christ publicly is essential. |
| Lk 12:8 | And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, | Public declaration is a mark of true discipleship. |
| Gen 15:6 | And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. | Abraham's faith credited as righteousness, foreshadowing salvation by faith. |
| Rom 4:3 | For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." | Reiteration of faith as the basis for righteousness. |
| Rom 3:22 | the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe... | Righteousness is received through faith in Christ. |
| Phil 3:9 | and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ... | Contrasts righteousness by law with righteousness by faith. |
| Rom 5:1 | Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Justification (being made righteous) is by faith. |
| Heb 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. | Faith is fundamental to relationship with God. |
| Mk 16:16 | Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. | Belief is prerequisite for salvation. |
| Jn 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. | Faith in Christ as the means to eternal life (salvation). |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, | Salvation is by grace through faith, not works. |
| Acts 4:12 | And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." | Exclusivity of salvation through Jesus Christ. |
| 2 Cor 4:13 | Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what is written, "I believed, and so I spoke," | Echoes the connection between inner belief and outward speaking. |
| Ps 116:10 | I believed, therefore I spoke... | Old Testament example of faith leading to vocal expression. |
| Rom 14:11 | For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." | Future universal confession of God's lordship. |
| Phil 2:11 | and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. | Confession of Jesus' Lordship is for God's glory. |
| 1 Jn 4:15 | Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. | Confession of Christ as Son of God affirms relationship with God. |
| Prov 4:23 | Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. | The heart as the source of life's true nature, vital for belief. |
| Matt 12:34 | For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. | Reinforces the connection between the inner state of the heart and outward speech. |
| Jas 2:19-20 | You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? | Emphasizes that true saving faith is more than mere intellectual assent and must result in action/confession. |
Romans 10 verses
Romans 10 10 Meaning
Romans 10:10 teaches that inward conviction of the truth of Christ (believing with the heart) results in a right standing before God (righteousness). This inner belief then finds its necessary expression through outward declaration (confession with the mouth), which is tied to the experience of God's complete deliverance (salvation). The verse underscores the inseparability of true inner faith and its outward manifestation in a believer's life.
Romans 10 10 Context
Romans 10:10 stands within a significant section of Paul's letter to the Romans (chapters 9-11) addressing the situation of Israel, particularly their failure to attain righteousness through the law. Paul contrasts Israel's pursuit of righteousness by works with God's way of righteousness by faith in Christ. Verse 10:9 highlights the specific objects of saving faith: confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection. Verse 10:10 then elaborates on the mechanism and outcomes of this faith, stressing that a true, saving belief originates internally (heart) and manifests externally (mouth), leading to righteousness and salvation. The context emphasizes that salvation is now accessible to all, Jew and Gentile, through this simple yet profound act of heart-belief and mouth-confession, dismantling the barriers of the law for those seeking justification.
Romans 10 10 Word analysis
For (γὰρ, gar): A conjunction indicating explanation or inference. It connects the previous statement in Rom 10:9, providing the reason or ground for how salvation occurs.
with the heart (καρδίᾳ, kardia): Refers to the innermost being of a person—the seat of intellect, will, emotions, and moral decision. It denotes a deep, sincere, and holistic commitment, not merely intellectual assent. This is where true spiritual conviction and trust reside.
one believes (πιστεύεται, pisteuetai): From pisteuō, meaning to have faith, to trust, to be convinced. The Greek construction emphasizes an ongoing state or act of believing that is personal and active, expressing confidence and reliance on Christ.
unto righteousness (δικαιοσύνην, dikaiosunen): Righteousness is a key theme in Romans. Here, it refers to God's act of declaring a sinner to be just, or in right standing with Him, by imputing Christ's righteousness. This is a divine verdict, a forensic declaration of acquittal and acceptance, achieved through faith, not works.
and (δὲ, de): A conjunction used to connect the two parallel clauses, emphasizing their complementary nature.
with the mouth (στόματι, stomati): Refers to the physical organ of speech. It signifies external, public declaration and open acknowledgement. This is the means by which inner faith is expressed outwardly.
confession is made (ὁμολογεῖται, homologeitai): From homologeō, meaning "to say the same thing," to agree, acknowledge, or confess openly and publicly. It implies a willing and decisive declaration, aligning one's words with their inward belief and with God's truth.
unto salvation (σωτηρίαν, sōtērian): This is a comprehensive term signifying rescue, deliverance, and preservation. In the Christian context, it includes deliverance from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin. It encompasses justification (being declared righteous), sanctification (being made righteous), and glorification (final redemption), representing God's complete work of saving.
Words-group Analysis:
- "with the heart one believes unto righteousness": This phrase emphasizes the internal and foundational aspect of salvation. True faith is seated deeply within a person's core being and is the channel through which God's imputed righteousness is received. This spiritual conviction is primary.
- "and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation": This phrase highlights the necessary outward manifestation of inner faith. It implies that genuine heart-belief cannot remain silent but must outwardly declare loyalty to Christ. This open acknowledgment is inextricably linked to the complete, holistic process and experience of salvation. The connection is not one of cause-and-effect as much as one of internal truth naturally expressing itself externally as part of the overall saving experience.
Romans 10 10 Bonus section
The active and passive/middle voices in the original Greek ("one believes," "confession is made") can imply both personal initiative in faith and the divine enablement for that faith and its expression. It suggests that while believing and confessing are human acts, they are responses to God's grace and enabling power. The order—heart first, then mouth—is significant; genuine internal transformation always precedes and gives meaning to outward expression. A confession without a preceding belief in the heart is superficial. This verse powerfully underpins the evangelistic message, providing a clear pathway for individuals to receive salvation through personal faith in Jesus Christ, culminating in a public declaration of Him as Lord.
Romans 10 10 Commentary
Romans 10:10 concisely articulates the two inseparable components of salvation: inner belief and outer confession. It establishes that genuine saving faith originates in the heart—the seat of intellect, will, and emotion—and leads to being declared righteous by God (justification). This spiritual conviction naturally flows outward through verbal declaration (confession), signifying a public alignment with Christ, which is essential for experiencing comprehensive salvation. The verse does not imply two separate conditions for salvation, but rather two facets of the same transforming experience: an invisible inner reality that necessarily produces a visible outward fruit. It is a faith that manifests itself, and a confession that stems from authentic belief. The heart's belief brings right standing (status), while the mouth's confession aligns one with the experience of holistic deliverance (process and outcome).