Romans 10

If You Believe You Will Be Saved

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of the Jewish people is that they would be saved.2 I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God, but they are misguided.3 They don’t understand how to receive God’s approval. So they try to set up their own way to get it, and they have not accepted God’s way for receiving his approval.

4 Christ is the fulfillment of Moses’ Teachings so that everyone who has faith may receive God’s approval.
5 Moses writes about receiving God’s approval by following his laws. He says, “The person who obeys laws will live because of the laws he obeys.”6 However, Scripture says about God’s approval which is based on faith, “Don’t ask yourself who will go up to heaven,” (that is, to bring Christ down).7 “Don’t ask who will go down into the depths,” (that is, to bring Christ back from the dead).8 However, what else does it say? “This message is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” This is the message of faith that we spread.9 If you declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God brought him back to life, you will be saved.10 By believing you receive God’s approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved.

11 Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.”
12 There is no difference between Jews and Greeks. They all have the same Lord, who gives his riches to everyone who prays to him.

13 So then, “Whoever prays in the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 But how can people pray to him if they have not believed in him? How can they believe in him if they have not heard his message? How can they hear if no one tells the Good News?15 How can people tell the Good News if no one sends them? As Scripture says, “How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who announce the Good News.”

16 But not everyone has believed the Good News.
Isaiah asks, “Lord, who has believed our message?”

17 So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message that is heard is what Christ spoke.
18 But I ask, “Didn’t they hear that message?” Certainly they did! “The voice of the messengers has gone out into the whole world and their words to the ends of the earth.”19 Again I ask, “Didn’t Israel understand that message?” Moses was the first to say, “I will make you jealous of people who are not a nation. I will make you angry about a nation that doesn’t understand.”20 Isaiah said very boldly, “I was found by those who weren’t looking for me. I was revealed to those who weren’t asking for me.”

21 Then Isaiah said about Israel, “All day long I have stretched out my hands to disobedient and rebellious people.”

Romans 11

God’s Continuing Love for Jewish People

1 So I ask, “Has God rejected his people Israel?” That’s unthinkable! Consider this. I’m an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin.2 God has not rejected his people whom he knew long ago. Don’t you know what Elijah says in the Scripture passage when he complains to God about Israel? He says,3 “Lord, they’ve killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I’m the only one left, and they’re trying to take my life.”4 But what was God’s reply? God said, “I’ve kept 7,000 people for myself who have not knelt to worship Baal.”5 So, as there were then, there are now a few left that God has chosen by his kindness.t

6 If they were chosen by God’s kindness, they weren’t chosen because of anything they did. Otherwise, God’s kindness wouldn’t be kindness.
7 So what does all this mean? It means that Israel has never achieved what it has been striving for. However, those whom God has chosen have achieved it. The minds of the rest of Israel were closed,

8 as Scripture says,
“To this day God has given them a spirit of deep sleep.Their eyes don’t see,and their ears don’t hear!”9 And David says,“Let the table set for them become a trap and a net,a snare and a punishment for them.10 Let their vision become clouded so that they cannot see.Let them carry back-breaking burdens forever.”11 So I ask, “Has Israel stumbled so badly that it can’t get up again?” That’s unthinkable! By Israel’s failure, salvation has come to people who are not Jewish to make the Jewish people jealous.

12 The fall of the Jewish people made the world spiritually rich. Their failure made people who are not Jewish spiritually rich. So the inclusion of Jewish people will make the world even richer.
13 Now, I speak to you who are not Jewish. As long as I am an apostle sent to people who are not Jewish, I bring honor to my ministry.14 Perhaps I can make my people jealous and save some of them.

15 If Israel’s rejection means that the world has been brought back to God, what does Israel’s acceptance mean? It means that Israel has come back to life.
16 If the first handful of dough is holy, the whole batch of dough is holy. If the root is holy, the branches are holy.17 But some of the olive branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place. You get your nourishment from the roots of the olive tree.18 So don’t brag about being better than the other branches. If you brag, remember that you don’t support the root, the root supports you.19 “Well,” you say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted onto the tree.”20 That’s right! They were broken off because they didn’t believe, but you remain on the tree because you do believe. Don’t feel arrogant, but be afraid.21 If God didn’t spare the natural branches, he won’t spare you, either.

22 Look at how kind and how severe God can be. He is severe to those who fell, but kind to you if you continue to hold on to his kindness. Otherwise, you, too, will be cut off from the tree.
23 If Jewish people do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted onto the tree again, because God is able to do that.

24 In spite of the fact that you have been cut from a wild olive tree, you have been grafted onto a cultivated one. So wouldn’t it be easier for these natural branches to be grafted onto the olive tree they belong to?
25 Brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery so that you won’t become arrogant. The minds of some Israelites have become closed until all of God’s non-Jewish people are included.

26 In this way Israel as a whole will be saved, as Scripture says,
“The Savior will come from Zion.He will remove godlessness from Jacob.27 My promiset to them will be fulfilledwhen I take away their sins.”28 The Good News made the Jewish people enemies because of you. But by God’s choice they are loved because of their ancestors.29 God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone.30 In the past, you disobeyed God. But now God has been merciful to you because of the disobedience of the Jewish people.31 In the same way, the Jewish people have also disobeyed so that God may be merciful to them as he was to you.

32 God has placed all people into the prison of their own disobedience so that he could be merciful to all people.
33 God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deepthat it is impossible to explain his decisionsor to understand his ways.34 “Who knows how the Lord thinks?Who can become his adviser?”35 Who gave the Lord somethingwhich the Lord must pay back?36 Everything is from him and by him and for him.Glory belongs to him forever! Amen!

Romans 12

Dedicate Your Lives to God

1 Brothers and sisters, because of God’s compassion toward us, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you.

2 Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.
3 Because of the kindnesst that God has shown me, I ask you not to think of yourselves more highly than you should. Instead, your thoughts should lead you to use good judgment based on what God has given each of you as believers.4 Our bodies have many parts, but these parts don’t all do the same thing.5 In the same way, even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.6 God in his kindness gave each of us different gifts. If your gift is speaking God’s word, make sure what you say agrees with the Christian faith.7 If your gift is serving, then devote yourself to serving. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching.

8 If it is encouraging others, devote yourself to giving encouragement. If it is sharing, be generous. If it is leadership, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping people in need, help them cheerfully.
9 Love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold on to what is good.10 Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other.11 Don’t be lazy in showing your devotion. Use your energy to serve the Lord.12 Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually.

13 Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be hospitable.
14 Bless those who persecute you. Bless them, and don’t curse them.15 Be happy with those who are happy. Be sad with those who are sad.

16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be arrogant, but be friendly to humble people. Don’t think that you are smarter than you really are.
17 Don’t pay people back with evil for the evil they do to you. Focus your thoughts on those things that are considered noble.18 As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone.19 Don’t take revenge, dear friends. Instead, let God’s anger take care of it. After all, Scripture says, “I alone have the right to take revenge. I will pay back, says the Lord.”

20 But,
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him.If he is thirsty, give him a drink.If you do this, you will make him feel guilty and ashamed.”21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good.