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¹ From Paul, a hand for Christ, picked and commanded to spread the good news of God.

² Long ago, God had promised the good news through the Good Book and the cowboys who wrote it. ³ The good news is all about Jesus, God's own son. He comes from the family of David if we're talking about human things. ⁴ But in truth, he was said and proved to be the Son of God. Nothing else needs said about it because he came back to life after being in the grave for three days. ⁵ Everything we've got and everything we ride for comes from God through Jesus Christ. He gives us the opportunity to cowboy for him and gather the herd from all the nations who've said they believe in Him. We do it, not for ourselves or to say look at me, but only to bring honor to his name. ⁶ And guess what? Y'all have been chosen to ride as cowhands for Christ as well.

⁷ This letter is to all in Rome who God loves and has called to ride for him.

May your water be clean and your horse never stumble as you ride in grace and peace that comes from God.

The Good News Is the Best News

⁸ First off, I want to thank God for all of ya. The things y'all are doing in faith is spreading like a brushfire in a stiff wind. ⁹ I serve God by spreading the good news of his son everywhere I ride. God knows y'all are ¹⁰ in my prayers every single day. I know God is going to make a way for me to finally ride out and see y'all. ¹¹ It'll be good for everyone's spirit when this happens. ¹² Faith and courage are as contagious as hoof and mouth.

¹³ Listen, I've been wanting to ride out to see y'all for a long time now. But up until now, it hasn't been possible. What I want is for us to ride together. I've ridden with others and worked for Christ alongside them. I want the same with you. ¹⁴ I've been called to ride with real hands and city slickers, smart people and not so smart people. ¹⁵ But I can't wait to get to y'all and tell y'all what I know of the good news.

¹⁶ I am not ashamed of the good news. I wear its brand upon my heart with pride. It's the power of God by which all those who ride for God are saved—first the Jews, and then the rest of them. ¹⁷ The good news shows us how God makes us all right with him. It's nothing but faith from nose to tail. It's nothing more than faith, but nothing less either. The Good Book says, "It's faith that makes us right with God, nothing else."

God Don't Like Sin

¹⁸ God don't like sin because sorry people use it to cover up the truth about him. ¹⁹ God is going to give these evil folks what's coming to them. They try to say there is no God, but God ain't going to be hearing this excuse. He's made himself plain to see for the whole world. ²⁰ God made the world and that ain't hard to see. It didn't happen by chance. Because of this fact, people have no excuse at all for not believing in God. ²¹ They know him, they just deny him. They take credit for his great work. Their thoughts are worthless and their minds filled with nonsense. ²² They brag about their wisdom, but they are fools. ²³ They worship things that look like people, animals, birds, or snakes instead of worshiping the one true God.

²⁴ And so God has let them throw their souls into the pig pen of their nasty desires. The wallow around on each other like flies on crap. ²⁵ They'd rather tell a lie than hear the truth. They worship the things God has made instead of the one who made them. Only he is to be worshiped. Amen.

²⁶ Because of their filth, God has turned 'em loose to do what they want, even though they bring shame upon themselves by it. Women use their natural sex appeal to do the appalling. ²⁷ Guys have even traded Eve for Steve. They do vile and unnatural acts with each other and burn their own souls away in the process.

²⁸ Since no one would listen to God's truth or his warnings, he finally turned these hooligans loose with their own depravity. ²⁹ They are filled up to the brim on all kinds of trash, wickedness, evil, greed, and hate; they are full of jealousy, killing, fighting, lies, and bad attitudes. They talk trash ³⁰ and speak out against each other. They hate God and everyone else. They are backstabbers, insolent, proud, and braggarts. They sit around and make up new ways to sin and defile themselves and others. They disrespect their parents. ³¹ They refuse to listen, go back on their word, and not only are they heartless, they have no pity for anyone. ³² They know this type of life leads to death, but they continue on like it's a joke. The only people they like are the ones who go with them toward the cliff.