BUT WHAT DOES IT SAY: alla ti legei (3SPAI):

"It" refers to the personification of "Righteousness based on faith" (v6).

THE WORD IS NEAR YOU IN YOUR MOUTH & IN YOUR HEART (Dt30:14): eggus sou to rhema estin (3SPAI) en to stomati sou kai en te kardia sou:

Paul take a passage from the OT...

"But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it." (Deuteronomy 30:14)

Instead of having to go to great lengths to achieve righteousness by the law, we can immediately receive righteousness by faith, by trusting in the word of the gospel. In other words, men do not have to ascend or descend to find it, because God’s way of salvation had already been clearly and abundantly revealed. His chosen people had been engulfed in and surrounded by the word of faith that Paul was now preaching. Even under the Old Covenant men could claim God’s grace simply by receiving it in faith.

Much of western society today is like the Israel of Paul’s day. Although most unbelievers have a limited and often distorted concept of Christianity, they have a general idea of its claims and have access to Bibles, churches, and Christians—through which they could easily discover the gospel if they honestly desired to. Tragically, however, men still choose works righteousness and “suppress the truth in unrighteousness...” (Ro1:18-20).

THAT IS THE WORD OF (the specific) FAITH WHICH WE ARE PREACHING: tout estin (3SPAI) to rhema tes pisteos o kerussomen (1PPAI): (17; 1:16,17; Isaiah 57:19; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 10:43; 13:38,39; 16:31; Galatians 3:2,5; 1 Timothy 4:6; 1 Peter 1:23,25)

(the) faith (see study of "the faith - pistis")

The idea of "confess" is yes to do so with one's lips but to validate such a confession with one's life (behavior). Thus one can confess Christ with the mouth, and confess Him through righteous behavior. In Titus 1:16 we confession with one's mouth but refutation or denial with one's behavior, Paul recording that...

They profess (present tense - their habitual practice) to know God, but by their deeds they deny (say with their behavior and lifestyle that they do not know Jesus or are in any way related to Him) Him, being  (present tense - continually) detestable (root word means to "stink"!) and disobedient, and worthless (their deeds are rejected after examination = their works do not stand God's test of deeds wrought by abiding in the Vine, Christ Jesus) for any good deed. (see notes on Titus 1:16)

We are to confess Christ “before men.” This emphasizes the public character of the confession, and its meaning cannot be avoided. When we confess...the Lord Jesus, we are agreeing with what God says about Jesus, and with what Jesus says about Himself. It means we recognize that Jesus is God, that He is the Messiah, and that His work on the cross made the only way of salvation for mankind. If the heart truly believes, the mouth will be eager to confess. Confession is not merely a human work, it is prompted and energized by God, subsequent to the act of believing but inseparable from it. Again, confession is characteristic of true faith; it is not an additional condition of salvation.

C H Spurgeon has a devotional entitle "Mouth Confession, Heart Belief" from "Faith's Checkbook", writing that...

THERE must be confession with the mouth. Have I made it? Have I openly avowed my faith in Jesus as the Savior whom God has raised from the dead, and have I done it in God’s way? Let me honestly answer this question.

There must also be belief with the heart. Do I sincerely believe in the risen Lord Jesus? Do I trust in Him as my sole hope of salvation? Is this trust from my heart? Let me answer as before God.

If I can truly claim that I have both confessed Christ and believed in him, then I am saved. The text does not say it may be so, but it is plain as a pikestaff and clear as the sun in the heavens: “Thou shalt be saved.” As a believer and a confessor, I may lay my hand on this promise and plead it before the Lord God at this moment, and throughout life, and in the hour of death, and at the day of judgment.

I must be saved from the guilt of sin, the power of sin, the punishment of sin, and ultimately from the very being of sin. God hath said it: “Thou shalt be saved.” I believe it. I shall be saved: I am saved. Glory be to God for ever and ever!

In view of the fact that "Lord" (kurios) is used over 8,600x in the Septuagint to translate the name of Israel's God (Yahweh), it is clear that Paul, when using this word of Jesus, is ascribing Deity to Him.

We can never forget all that it meant to say that Jesus Christ is Lord. "If a man called Jesus kurios he was ranking him with the Emperor and with God; he was giving him the supreme place in his life; he was pledging him implicit obedience and reverent worship." (Barclay)

A T Robertson on Jesus Christ is Lord: "No Jew would do this who had not really trusted Christ, for Kurios in the lxx is used of God. No Gentile would do it who had not ceased worshipping the emperor as Kurios. The word Kurios was and is the touchstone of faith."

Lord is from kurios, which signifies sovereign power and authority. In the book of Acts, Jesus is twice referred to as Savior but ninety-two times as Lord. In the entire New Testament, He is referred to some ten times as Savior and some seven hundred times as Lord. When the two titles are mentioned together, Lord always precedes Savior. And even if, as some erroneously contend, Lord were simply a synonym for God, the very term God by definition includes the idea of sovereign authority, that is, of lordship.

Regarding belief, it is important to emphasize that mere intellectual agreement with the facts of the Cross and the Resurrection is not necessarily faith that saves. Faith alone saves but the faith that saves results in a changed heart obedience.

Robert Haldane explains genuine faith as follows...

A person becomes righteous by believing God’s record concerning His Son. But the evidence that this faith is genuine is found in the open confession of the Lord with the mouth. Confession of Christ is as necessary as faith in Him, but necessary for a different purpose. Faith is necessary to obtain the gift of righteousness. Confession is necessary to prove that this gift is received. In saying, then, that confession is made unto salvation, the apostle does not mean that it is the cause of salvation, or that without it the title to salvation is incomplete. When a person believes in his heart, he is justified. But confession of Christ is in effect of faith, and will be evidence of it at the last day. Faith which interests the sinner in the righteousness of Christ is manifested by the confession of His name in the face of danger. (Source Unknown)

THAT GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD: hoti o theos auton egeiren (3SAAI) ek nekron:

A bedrock truth of Christian doctrine (1Co15:4, 14, 17) and the central thrust of apostolic preaching (Ac2:31-32 3:15 4:10 10:40). Christians believe not only that Jesus lived but also that he still lives.

Scripture never approves, much less commends, contentless faith, a “faith in faith” as it is often described. Paul here specifies two truths that must be believed in order to be saved. The first is that Jesus is Lord, the second that God raised Him from the dead.

YOU SHALL BE SAVED: sothese (2SFPI):

Following the order of v8, which quotes Dt30:14, Paul speaks first of confession, which is with the mouth, and then of faith, which is in the heart. In v10, however, he mentions them in reverse order, which is the chronological order of redemption. First, with the heart man believes and is granted righteousness; second, with the mouth he confesses and is granted salvation.

Read the following devotional by F B Meyer entitled "The Assurance of Salvation" from his daily devotional, Our Daily Walk...

SALVATION IS a great word. It is conjugated in three tenses: The Past Tense. We saved at the moment when we first trusted Christ.

This salvation is a distinct and definite matter, which is ours at the moment we exercise simple faith in Jesus. "Being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom 5:9).

The Present Tense. "To us who are being saved, Christ is the power of God," such is the accurate rendering of 1Co 1:18. We are being saved perpetually from the love and power of sin. The disinfectant of Christ's Presence is ever warding off the germs of deadly temptation. The mighty arm of the Divine Keeper is always holding the door against the attempts of the adversary. The water is always flowing over the eye to remove the tiny grit or mote that may alight. "We are being saved by His life" (Rom 5:10).

The Future Tense. We are being kept by the power of God unto a salvation which waits to be revealed in the last time (1 Pet. 1.). Salvation is a great word. It includes the forgiveness that remembers our sin no more; deliverance from the curse and penalty of our evil ways; emancipation from the thrall of evil habit; the growing conformity of the soul to the image of Christ, and the final resurrection of the body in spiritual beauty and energy, to be for ever the companion and vehicle of the redeemed spirit.

PRAYER Oh blessed Spirit of God, we pray Thee to give us the assurance of being the children of God, the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty; and so prepare us for the glory to be revealed to us, and for that great hour when the whole creation, which now groans and travails in pain, shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. AMEN.

Our Daily Bread has the following story entitled "If I Tell The World" relating to confession of Christ...

At the close of an evangelistic meeting held by D. L. Moody, a Norwegian youth stood up to testify of his faith in the Lord. He wanted the congregation to know that he had been saved, but he had difficulty speaking English. Haltingly he managed to say, "I'm up here because Jesus wants me to be a witness. He promised that if I tell the world about Him, He'll tell the Father about me!"

Moody later remarked, "That boy's testimony went straight to the heart of everyone present. 'If I tell the world'--yes, that's exactly what the Bible means when it says we must confess Christ!"

Our Lord does not want us to be silent disciples. He encourages us to witness boldly to others about His grace. Scripture provides eloquent proof that we are to be vocal about our standing in Christ. Romans 10:9 states, "Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus." And verse 14 asks, "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?"

If you love the Lord, it's your duty to witness to others. Maybe all you need to say to someone is: "Jesus means so much to me. I wish you knew Him too!" You will be surprised what such a simple, straightforward testimony can accomplish. Determine today to "tell the world." --HGB

I'll tell the world that I'm a Christian--
I'm not ashamed His name to bear;
I'll tell the world that I'm a Christian--
I'll take Him with me anywhere. --Fox

If your faith in Christ is worth having, it's worth sharing
 

In his book Our Daily Homily, F B Meyer concludes that in Romans 10:9...

Salvation is evidently to be taken in its most extended meaning. It stands even more for the deliverance of the soul from the love and dominion of sin than for the removal of its justly incurred penalty. That we should be pure in heart, holy in thought, consecrated in life, with all the range of our nature controlled by his indwelling Spirit — such is the Divine intention with respect to us, as suggested by this deep, great word Salvation. But there are two conditions, on our compliance with which this saving power is realized.

We must confess Jesus as Lord. — Throughout Scripture there is a close connection between Christ’s Royalty and his Saviorship. “Behold, thy King cometh to thee, ... having salvation;” “Him hath God set forth to be a Prince and a Savior.” “Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, ... made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually.” We shall never know Christ as a Savior from inbred sin until we have definitely and absolutely enthroned Him in our hearts. A physician is not content with healing outbreaks of disease and fever when they occur; but claims leave to examine all the arrangements of the house, so as to deal with the sources of the mischief.

We must also steadfastly believe in the Resurrection. — The risen Lord, sitting at the right hand of God, in all the vigour of an indissoluble life: still working in the world, and energising the hearts of his own entering to indwell, to fill, to unite with his own eternal life — such is the vision offered to our faith. Let us look away to Him with a persistent, unwavering gaze, until sin ceases to attract us, and Satan finds a Stronger in possession.

Refers here to righteousness of God which is judicially reckoned to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

AND WITH THE MOUTH HE CONFESSES RESULTING IN SALVATION: stomati de homologeitai (3PPPI) eis soterian: (9; 1 John 4:15; Revelation 2:13)

MacArthur writes:

Righteousness has to do with what we become, and salvation has to do with what we escape. The first has to do with the eternal life we receive but do not deserve, the second with the eternal punishment we deserve but do not receive. The first relates to entering into blessedness, the second relates to escaping cursedness.

Another contrast between the two verses is that, whereas v9 is a personal invitation to believe, focusing on the individual (you), v10 presents gospel truth concerning man in general.

Our Daily Bread has the following story entitled "Highway to heaven"

Under the headline Car Lover Buried In Corvette, the newspaper column opened with: "If there is a highway to heaven, George Swanson may get to the Pearly Gates in style. He was buried in his white Corvette." His wife Carolyn said, "A lot of people say they want to take it with them. Well, he took it with him."

Yes, there's a highway to heaven, but you can't travel it in a Corvette after you die. You must get on this highway while you are alive, and you get on it by placing your trust in Jesus Christ.

In Romans 10:1-13, Paul declared that the road to heaven is not difficult to find nor to access. It is right in front of us in the Word of God. Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn. 14:6). He died for our sins, broke the power of death by His resurrection, lives in heaven as our Advocate and Intercessor, and places on the highway to heaven all who trust Him as their Savior and Lord.

Whether or not you're buried in a Corvette makes no difference. The highway to heaven starts on this side of death, and the entrance is easy to find. The Bible says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). Are you on the right road? --HVL

There aren't many ways into heaven;
God's Word says there is only one:
Confessing Christ Jesus as Savior,
Believing in God's only Son. --Sper

To get to heaven, you must go by the way of the Cross.