For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness
The apostle here explains the nature and use both of faith and
confession; as true faith does not lie in the bare assent of the
mind to the Gospel, or any truth contained in it, respecting the
person and office of Christ, so neither does it lie, as not in
the brain, so not in the tongue, but in the heart; it is not a
notional knowledge of things to be believed; nor is it saying
that a man believes; but it is heart work, a believing with all
the heart; such a faith in which all the powers of the soul, the
understanding, will, and affections, are concerned, it is a
seeing of the Son, a beholding of the glory, fulness,
suitableness, ability, and willingness of Christ as a Saviour,
with the eye of the understanding spiritually enlightened; it is
a going out of the soul to Christ, in various acts, such as
venturing into his presence, prostrating itself at his feet,
resolving if it perishes it will perish there; a giving up itself
unto him, determining it will have no other Saviour, leaning and
relying on him, and living upon him; which faith works by love to
Christ, moves the affections, stirs up the desires of the soul to
his name, and endears him and all that belong to him to it. The
use of this grace is, "unto righteousness"; it is not instead of
one, for faith is not our righteousness; nor is it in order to
work out one, for this grace puts a soul on renouncing its own
righteousness; but its use is to receive one, even the
righteousness of Christ, which when it spies, it admires,
receives, lays hold on, and rejoices in looking on itself as
righteous through this righteousness, and so has peace with God
through Christ:
and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
This is to be understood not of confession of sin, though that is
proper and requisite to be made, both with respect to the
participation, and enjoyment of salvation, particularly pardoning
grace and mercy, and to an admission to Gospel ordinances; but of
confession of Christ, as appears from the preceding verse, which
lies in a frank and open acknowledgment of what Christ is in
himself, as that he is truly and properly God, the Son of God,
the true Messiah, the Mediator between God and man, and the only
Saviour of lost sinners, and of our faith in him, with respect to
ourselves, to our pardon, justification, acceptance and salvation
in him and through him; in ascribing the whole of our salvation
to him, and giving him the glory of it; in declaring to the
churches of Christ what he has done for our souls, and in
subjecting ourselves to his ordinances. This confession must be
made both by words and facts, must be open, visible, and before
men; and also real, hearty, and sincere, the words of the mouth
agreeing with the experience of the heart; and such a good
profession made before God, angels, and men, highly becomes all
that believe with the heart. This was the practice of the
primitive saints; yea, all nations own, acknowledge, and profess
the God they worship; and should not we confess our God, Saviour
and Redeemer? Christ himself confessed a good confession before
Pontius Pilate, and is the Apostle and High Priest of our
profession. So to do, makes both for the glory of God, and for
our own real good and advantage. Yea, it is "unto salvation"; not
as a cause of it, for Christ alone is the author of eternal
salvation; but a sincere and well made confession of Christ
points out to all that know us where and from whom we expect to
have salvation; it is what lies in the way, and is to be taken up
by all that believe in Christ, and to be held fast without
wavering until we receive the end of our faith, even the
salvation of our souls.
