Romans 10:6-9
‘Do not say in your heart: “Who shall ascend into Heaven…, to bring Christ down from above?”! Or “Who shall descend into the deep…, to bring up Christ again from the dead?”!… 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!’ Romans 10:6-9.
Calvin comments: “‘Do not say in your heart: “Who shall ascend?”‘… The words ‘Heaven’ and ‘the Abyss’…suggest places which are…remote…for man to reach. Paul applies these words to the death and resurrection of Christ…. Paul mentioned those (places) which are most hidden from our sight, and yet are visible to our faith…. Acknowledge that his allusion to the words ‘Heaven’ and
‘Abyss’ is elegant!…
“The assurance of our salvation, lies on two foundations — viz. our realization that life has been gained for us; and death has been conquered. Paul therefore teaches us that our faith is supported by both of these, through the Word of the Gospel. For Christ has swallowed up death by dying, and by rising again He received life into His power. The benefit of Christ’s death and resurrection, is now communicated to us — by the Gospel…. ‘Who shall descend into the deep?’ — means ‘Who knows whether the everlasting destruction of the soul accompanies the death of the body?’ Paul teaches us, that both of these doubts are removed by the righteousness of faith (in Christ)!
“The first doubt, would draw Christ down from Heaven; and the other would bring Him back again from death. Christ’s ascension into Heaven ought to establish our faith in eternal life is such a way — that to doubt whether the inheritance of Heaven is prepared for believers in whose name and for whose sake Christ has entered Heaven, is almost to drag Him down from this possession of Heaven!… Since He underwent the horrors of Hell in order to deliver us from them — to doubt whether believers are still exposed to this misery, is to make His death void and indeed to deny it!…
“‘If you shall confess with your mouth (the Lord Jesus…, you shall be saved!)’… The Apostle’s allusion to the word ‘mouth’ in this manner, was appropriate. When the Lord sets His Word before our face, He is without doubt calling us to make confession of it. The Word of the Lord ought to bring forth fruit wherever it exists; and our confession of the Word, is the fruit of the mouth….
“Paul’s express mention of Christ’s resurrection…is..taken to imply that…by His resurrection He completed the whole work of our salvation…. The victory over sin, death and Satan — was procured by His resurrection. From this also came righteousness, newness of life, and the hope of a blessed immortality…. Paul requires not merely a historical faith, but includes within the
resurrection itself the design of Christ’s rising. We must remember the purpose for which Christ rose again! It was the Father’s design in raising Him, to restore us…to life!”
Calvin says in his Institutes III:11:14-17: “The righteousness of faith consists in believing that Christ died and rose again…. ‘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!’ (Romans 10:5-9).” If you believe God resurrected Christ, you shall be saved! Do you so believe?
