Charles Spurgeon Commentary Romans 10:6-9

"But the righteousness which is of faith saith thus, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down:) or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (That is, to bring Christ up from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:" — Romans 10:6-9 (ASV)

Say not in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what says it? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

God's way of salvation, then, is "Believe and live." Believe in Christ; Christ dying, Christ raised from the dead. If you so believe, you are saved. You need not mount to heaven in rapture, nor dive to hell in remorse. As you are, believe and live.

This is the way of the righteousness of God.

Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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.

There is the gospel in a nutshell. What a very simple way it is: to believe these great facts about the Lord Jesus Christ—really to believe them so that they become practical factors in your life. This is the entire way of salvation.

Christ does not need to be fetched down. He has come. He does not need to be fetched up. He has risen from the dead. The work is finished.

What you have to do is to believe in that finished work, accept it as your own, and you shall be saved.

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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.

What a wondrous way of salvation—so near—so close—to us! What an expression that is—"in thy mouth." We must absolutely put it out of our mouths. God has put the bread of life so near us that it is in our mouth. We must reject it as a man would reject food, if we perish. But, Oh! for grace to receive it, to live upon it, to believe Christ, to trust him and so to be saved!

Speaks in this way, Do not say in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 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 preach; That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

Oh, what a blessedly simple plan of salvation is here revealed!

If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. The apostle says this plan of salvation is so near to people that it is in their mouth.

When anything is in your mouth, how can you make it your own? Why, by swallowing it. And so near is the gospel to everyone that they have, as it were, only to drink it down to make it their very own.

It is not up there on the lofty heights, nor down there in the depths of the abyss, but it is here, wherever Christ is preached and wherever His Word is read.

Oh, sinner, the Word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart; then, do not put it away from you, but hold it fast forever!

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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 10:6–9)

How very simple! No climbing, no diving, no imagining, no long reckoning of the understanding, no strangling of the mental faculties. It is simply to believe God's testimony concerning his Son, and you will be saved.

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up CHRIST again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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.

How simple is the divine plan of salvation—confess Jesus Christ believing in him; or, in the other order, believe in Jesus Christ and then acknowledge your faith, for so it is written, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,—baptism being the way of confessing the faith which you already possess.