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Report a TypoRomans ◦ Chapter 10
1Brothers and sisters, my heart's great desire and constant request to God is that the Israelites–the genetic descendants of Abraham–will accept the truth and be healed.2I can assure you from my own experience that they are zealous to serve God, but their zeal is based on the wrong concept of God, as they don't really know him.3And because they do not know him–his goodness, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, love, and his free gift of healing and restoration–they have sought to please him by working to create their own cure, and thus have refused God's free Remedy.4In Christ, God’s design (law) is complete, so that there may be perfection of character and healing of mind and heart for all who trust him.5This is how Moses describes the state of "being right with God" which comes from keeping the law: "Those who seek to be right with God through their performance must be perfect in everything they do."6But the state of being right with God that comes from trusting him says: "Be humble in your heart and recognize that you can do nothing to add to what Christ has done for you," and "Do not try to exalt yourself into heaven and pretend you are equal with Christ,"7and, "Do not think that Christ needed your help to arise from the dead."8It also says this: "The truth about God is with you. You have seen the evidence and have been won back to trust. Your heart is right with God, and your mouth proclaims the truth." And the truth, which restores trust, and which we are proclaiming, is this:9If you accept the truth that Jesus is God, then confess with your mouth that he represents the Father perfectly, trust God in your heart–realizing that he raised Jesus from the dead–and you will be completely healed and restored to God's original ideal.10For it is with the deep places of the soul that one trusts, and when distrust is removed, unity with God is restored; and it is with the mouth that we reveal that the inner person has been healed.11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts God will never be destroyed by guilt."12For there is no difference between the Jew and Gentile: All humanity is infected and dying, and the same Lord is Lord of all and provides the rich blessing of his perfect Remedy to all who accept it.13For "Everyone who opens their heart and trusts in God will be completely healed."14But how can anyone possibly seek help from the One they do not trust? And how can they trust God if they have not heard about him? And how can they hear the wonderful truth about him without someone to tell them?15And how can the Remedy be shared with them if no one is sent? Thus, it is written, "How beautiful are those who bring the good news about God!"16But not all the genetic descendants of Abraham accepted the good news about God. For Isaiah says, "Lord, is there no one who has believed our message about you?"17Consequently, trust comes from hearing the truth, examining the evidence, and understanding the facts; and the message of truth–the evidence of God's character and the facts about his methods–are all revealed in Christ.18But I ask: Did Israel–the genetic descendants of Abraham–not hear the truth? Did they not have the evidence presented, or the facts revealed to them? Of course they did, as it is said: "The voice of truth has been proclaimed into all the earth; the evidence–to the ends of the world."19Again I ask: Did Israel–the genetic descendants of Abraham–fail to understand the truth? Did they fail to comprehend the evidence? No! They understood, because Moses says: "You will become envious of those who are not a nation, you will be angered by a nation who didn't understand what you have understood."20And Isaiah fearlessly declares: "Those who did not seek me found me; those who did not ask for me have seen me."21But concerning Israel he says, "Constantly I have reached out to you, but you are a rebellious and obstinate people who have rejected me."