For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God.

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted,

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.

The Word of Faith Brings Salvation

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),

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, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

For such people are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.