Day 58 of 90

^10:1Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. ^10:2For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ^10:3For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ^10:4For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ^10:5For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” ^10:6But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down); ^10:7or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)” ^10:8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach: ^10:9that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ^10:10For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation. ^10:11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” ^10:12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. ^10:13For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ^10:14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? ^10:15And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” ^10:16But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ^10:17So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ^10:18But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly, “Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” ^10:19But I ask, didn’t Israel know? First Moses says, “I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation. I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding.” ^10:20Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who didn’t seek me. I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.” ^10:21But about Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” ^11:1I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ^11:2God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel: ^11:3“Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.” ^11:4But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ^11:5Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ^11:6And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. ^11:7What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. ^11:8According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” ^11:9David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them. ^11:10Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.” ^11:11I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. ^11:12Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness! ^11:13For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, ^11:14if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. ^11:15For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? ^11:16If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. ^11:17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree, ^11:18don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. ^11:19You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” ^11:20True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; ^11:21for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ^11:22See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. ^11:23They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ^11:24For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? ^11:25For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, ^11:26and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. ^11:27This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.” ^11:28Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. ^11:29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ^11:30For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, ^11:31even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. ^11:32For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. ^11:33Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! ^11:34“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” ^11:35“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?” ^11:36For of him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen. ^12:1Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. ^12:2Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. ^12:3For I say through the grace that was given me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. ^12:4For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, ^12:5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, ^12:6having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, let’s prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; ^12:7or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching; ^12:8or he who exhorts, to his exhorting; he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. ^12:9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. ^12:10In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another, ^12:11not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, ^12:12rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer, ^12:13contributing to the needs of the saints, and given to hospitality. ^12:14Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. ^12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. ^12:16Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. ^12:17Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. ^12:18If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. ^12:19Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” ^12:20Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” ^12:21Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ^13:1Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. ^13:2Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. ^13:3For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, ^13:4for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. ^13:5Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ^13:6For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. ^13:7Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. ^13:8Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ^13:9For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ^13:10Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. ^13:11Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. ^13:12The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light. ^13:13Let’s walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy. ^13:14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.