Romans 10:8-13 on Salvation

By Michael W. Gardner

Rom 10:8-13 But what does it say? "The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart"; that is, the Word of Faith which we proclaim; (9) Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. (11) For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame." (12) For there is no difference both of Jew and of Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call on Him. (13) For everyone, "whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

If you think this passage in Romans is saying that faith is all that is necessary to be saved you are wrong.  In order to believe that you would have to rip Acts 10:48, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16 and 1 Peter 3:21 out of my Bible.

Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they begged him to stay certain days.

Act 2:38 Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ to remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Mar 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.

1Pe 3:21 which figure now also saves us, baptism; not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ;

The Bible is the inspired word of God and does not contradict itself.  2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 does not start out “Some scripture” it says “All scripture”.  You must not embrace only those scriptures that give you special comfort or try to get the Bible to justify your personal belief system. If you do, God will let you believe a lie to your damnation. ("And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, (12) so that all those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, might be condemned.  2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

Romans 10:8-13 is part of a discussion that started back in Chapter 3 verse 21 of Romans and continues through the remainder of the book.  It is all about the fact that salvation cannot be earned but is ours by grace.  Read James 2:14-24 to get a better understanding between belief and a believing faith. 

Jam 2:14-24 My brothers, what profit is it if a man says he has faith and does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and if one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them those things which are needful to the body, what good is it? (17) Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself. (18) But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works. (19) You believe that there is one God, you do well; even the demons believe and tremble. (20) But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (22) Do you see how faith worked with his works, and from the works faith was made complete? (23) And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." (24) You see then how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

 Make sure you catch this last part, it is not that faith does not save, it is that there is more to the process than faith alone.  Abraham had faith but had he not obeyed God do you think it would have had anything to do with righteousness?  Abraham's act of faith completed his faith.

At this point in Romans the discussion quoted above has Paul talking to the Jews.  In verse 8 of Romans 10 Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:14 where Moses was telling the people that they knew the doctrine.  “The word is nigh thee…” what is near you is easy to grasp and understand.  It was so well know by them that it was “in your mouth” or part of their common language and “in your heart” in that it was constantly being considered and meditated.  Paul knew Moses was not talking about the gospel so he says “that is” to show that he is using the quote to illustrate the readers knowledge of the gospel.  What gospel?  The “Word of Faith which we proclaimed” and what is that but that we must believe, repent, confess and be baptized to be saved.  That is what the apostles were proclaiming at every opportunity.  Here he is talking to the Jews and in the next five verses he makes the powerful point that they must have believing faith in Christ to accept the gospel they know because it has been proclaimed so thoroughly to them.  Through that faith they will repent.  It is through that faith that they will confess (Rom. 10:9) and it is through this faith that they will be saved through Baptism just like Noah was saved by acting on his faith and entering the Ark we are saved through Baptism when we act on our faith (1 Peter 3).

Baptism is no more or less important than believing faith.  Repentance is no more or less important than Confession.  Taken as a whole each is necessary but if Noah, believing in God and having faith that God was going to destroy the world, had not entered the ark he would have been lost.  This act of obedience is the point that Peter is making in the third chapter of First Peter.  Hearing is required, believing is required, Confession is required and Baptism is required but more importantly, obedience is required.    We can have faith but if we do not act on it with obedience we are just as lost spiritually.  For that reason we can say that it is Baptism that is necessary for salvation.  Baptism is obedience, baptism is an act of faith, baptism completes our faith and is required for salvation.   Each part of the process saves us, that is true and it is equally true that all of it together is what saves us and it is total and complete obedience to the will of God that saves us.  And since we all have all sinned and fallen short it is the grace of God that saves us.  Stop on any one part alone and you miss the big picture.

What Romans 10:8-13 is saying is that if you believe, you will naturally obey God.  So if you believe and that leads you to confess (which is the foundation of the Church) and that leads you to completing your faith through Baptism what is it that saved you.  Since it started with faith then it is correct to say that it was the faith that saved you.  Not by itself for that denies the rest of the scriptures but it saves you by leading you through the process of conversion and salvation.  Can't you see this in verse 10?  Belief takes you to being righteous and confession leads you on to salvation.  So in verse 13 what is it that is the "call" that will save you.  Could it be baptism?  1 Peter 3:21 says it is not about the water but "the answer of a good conscience toward God".  Answer to what, a call?