1Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. 2For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” 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); 7or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)” 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: 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. 10For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”
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. 13For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 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? 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!”
16But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 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.”
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.”
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.”
21But about Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
In these verses, Paul states that we are all “preachers”. The gospel has spread for approximately two thousand years by word of mouth. People will not hear the gospel unless someone shares it with them. In review, the gospel is that God came in the flesh as a man, and His name is Jesus. He submitted himself to the cruelty of men, and He was crucified on an old rugged cross as a blood sacrifice that paid for my sins, your sins, and the sins of the whole world. He was laid in a tomb and on the third day He rose from the dead. This was a free gift, and all who trust in that gift for their salvation are saved. That’s it. That is a short story, but it is the most important story that a person can hear. So Paul says, it must be told.
Friend, pray that God will give you a burden for the lost. I know that this is what I pray for myself. Because no one will ever be presented with the choice of calling on Him if they don’t know about Him, and they do not know or understand upon Whom they should call. Nor do they understand why they should call upon Him. So, are you sent? Some are sent with exceptional gifts to tell this story, and those are evangelists. It is one of the gifts given to the Chuch. However, that doesn’t let any of the rest of us off the hook. We should always be prepared to explain the hope within us. (1 Peter 3:16). So be hopeful. Be loving. Be bold. Be sincere. If you do these things, God says that you have beautiful feet. They are beautiful because they care enough to carry this gospel message to all who will hear. Do your part.