For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of law: “The man who does these things shall live by them.” 
But the righteousness of faith SPEAKS in this way:
“Do NOT SAY in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 
But what does it SAY?
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”
—that is, the WORD OF FAITH which we are preaching, that if you CONFESS with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he CONFESSES, leading to salvation. 
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.”
Romans 10:5-11

The Word of Faith actually does something. It confesses. It declares. It opens its mouth and lets the truth fly out loud. It’s not called the “thought of faith,” because the whole point is about saying and speaking it, not merely thinking it in some quiet mental corner. 

Paul’s immediate context here is all about righteousness and salvation. He points out that the Jews simply didn’t have the knowledge of God’s righteousness. Sure, the Old Testament had been talking about faith the whole time, but they disregarded it and tried to get righteous by their own sweat and effort instead.

Faith, in its most foundational definition, is just a mental assent to God’s word and promise. But in the Bible — take Abraham as the classic example — it was always a faith that spoke. It was spoken with bold confidence as if it were already true before it ever happened. Because of God, Abram called himself the father of many nations long before the son of promise ever arrived. 

God created us with a body, after all, and that body comes with a mouth. He didn’t design us to agree with the truth only in our heads; He wants us to speak it, sing it, declare it, and let it ring out. This is exactly what James is getting at when he says faith without works is dead. Speaking faith is honestly the smallest work you could possibly do — it’s the bare-bones minimum. It’s like Jesus’ parable about the money bags: the master told the last servant who hid the cash, “At the very least, you could have put my money in a bank and gotten interest.” Your words are that minimum deposit on the promise.

Faith is a mental agreement with everything God has commanded and spoken, whether it’s a historical fact or a sparkling promise of healing. But in the context of a promise — especially the gospel — you’re agreeing about something God has already promised, and in the gospel you’re agreeing it has already happened and been given to you. So in the gospel, faith often gets spoken in shorthand: Faith isn’t my love for God — it’s God’s love for me. Faith is confidence in God’s promise, not our ability. Faith is receiving God’s free supply by grace, not our performance. And faith is God giving to us, not us giving to God. 

Paul now expands on what faith really means when it comes to righteousness. The first thing faith speaks is to avoid saying the wrong thing altogether. He gives a crystal-clear example: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up into heaven?” or “Who will go down into the abyss?” The point is simple. Since righteousness is freely given in the gospel, you don’t have to do a single thing to earn it. Jesus, as our Savior, was the Father’s plan from the start. By His own choice He went down, did all the hard work, and by the power of God He went back up. In the context of righteousness accomplished by Jesus, the first thing for faith to speak is a firm “Nope!” to any claim that you did something to make yourself righteous, healed, famous or rich. 

Next, Paul shows that faith has plenty of positive things to say. Because the gospel is already finished, faith isn’t just silent mental assent anymore — it’s a living Word of Faith that must be confessed out loud. Why the upgrade from heart to mouth? Because God did something massive for you, and you’re simply called to receive it. The smallest, bare-bones work to authenticate that faith is to open your mouth and declare it. That’s why Paul says you believe in your heart (leading to righteousness) but you also confess with your mouth (leading to salvation). This combo is what saves you. 

The biblical principle of first mentions takes us right back to Abraham. He believed and confessed he was the father of many nations before it ever happened, and by that spoken faith God freely credited righteousness to his account. Abraham didn’t work or earn it; it was pure unmerited favor. Think about it. He had to introduce himself as the Father of many Nations to his neighbors before he ever saw the promise fulfilled. Abraham is praised for his faith, and he’s the father of it all. His very name was a Word of Faith declaration! As true children of Abraham who claim to have faith, we also must live this Word of Faith lifestyle. 

The Bible shows the children of faith who followed Abraham also lived a “Word of Faith” that confessed and declared confidence in all the good things God promised. David’s Faith Spoke in front of the giant and crowds: “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Samuel 17:46 NIV). The Hebrews had a Word of Faith to the King of Babylon: “Our God will deliver us.” Joshua’s Faith Spoke: “Sun, be still.” Peter’s Faith Spoke this way: “What I do have I give to you: Walk, in the Name of Jesus.” There are many ways to say a Word of Faith. Like a child, a simple “thank you” or praise is all that’s needed for Faith to speak.

Abraham’s own Word of Faith was rock-solid confidence that God would perform all the good things He promised: healing, miracles, fame, riches, and every blessing. Galatians tells us the gospel was preached to Abraham — and that gospel was all about making him famous, rich, overly healthy, and powerfully blessed. God didn’t promise those things for Himself; He promised to do them for Abraham. Abraham believed God would make it happen, and God declared him righteous for believing every bit of that health, wealth, and fame. According to Paul, Scripture calls this the “gospel,” and the same gospel is now given to us through Jesus Christ. Through Abraham, God showed Himself as the Savior of the whole man — body, soul, and spirit. God is pleased when we look to Him as total Savior, and the more we ask for (health, wealth, favor), the more He supplies and the more He is glorified. Less glory for God means… well, less glory. 

The Word of Faith is this unshakable confidence in God’s word and promise. Faith sees what God promised as already given and deposited into our accounts, so it speaks, knowing the reality has already been set in stone. It’s like a parent who buys the exact gift their child has been wanting, wraps it, and places it right on the bed. The parent says, “I got you something special — it’s already on your bed.” The child’s eyes light up and they scream “Thank you!” because even though they haven’t unwrapped it yet, they know it’s already theirs. 

Vincent Cheung nails this in “Adventures of Jesus Christ,” echoing an illustration similar to what F.F. Bosworth taught in “Christ the Healer,” but with a sharper focus on the “already done” aspect. He writes, “When God tells you that a miracle will happen, believe it. When God promises to do a thing for you, accept that he will do it… The Bible says many things that are more than promises, but it tells you that something is already done. Imagine if I say to you, ‘I have put a present in your room.’ And you answer, ‘Well, you will do it if you want to.’ Would that not be silly? I told you that I have already done it, and that the present is already in your room, but you answer as if it is not yet done, and that you are not sure if it would happen at all. Again, it is like you think I have not said anything. It is like you are calling me a liar.” 

Yet some people still doubt that Jesus will forgive or heal them. That’s like the child saying, “I don’t believe you put a gift on my bed,” even though it’s sitting right there. It’s insulting — you’re calling God a liar after He’s already done it. Others try to sound humble: “Okay, I believe when you’re dead it’ll be in your will,” or “I’m not worthy to accept it.” None of the excuses work. All of them expose unbelief. 

Faith in your heart is how you know it was for you. You’re not saved by asking God to save you; you’re saved by confessing with thanksgiving that Jesus has already forgiven, healed, and prospered you. Peter told the crowd at Pentecost to “repent” and be saved — he didn’t say “ask to be saved.” Because forgiveness and righteousness have already happened, you repent knowing it’s finished. To ask God to forgive you and credit Jesus’ righteousness is like asking Him to re-crucify His Son. Faith receives something God has already given. 

There’s a reason the New Testament commands us to always give thanks, always sing songs and psalms to God. Thanksgivings, songs, and psalms are the constant voice of faith; they are word of faith confessions. Many Psalms are straight-up, Name It and Claim it, confessions. Let faith speak nonstop. Faith confessions are living activity of a born-again spirit; they make the inner man strong. They are your lifeblood, especially when eyes, feelings, and circumstances scream the opposite. Double down on the Word of Faith! 

Faith has a megaphone — it’s the Word of Faith shouting God’s done-deal promises. Abraham said He was the Daddy of Nations before the kid showed up, and God gave him a righteousness high-five that still echoes. Confess Jesus’ finished work — from healing to riches and everything in between.

Let faith speak!