Romans 10:16-17 // Missionaries, seeing is believing.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:16-17)

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (Isaiah 53:1-2)

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

We have seen earlier in Romans that God is just and fair, and that people can be saved even if they have never had a chance to meet a Christian. Salvation depends on a relationship with Christ, even a very basic one, not on a relationship with Christianity. So then why do we do missionary work?

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (Matthew 7:13)

Despite the fact that anyone can be saved, very few actually are. This is a sobering thought, especially if it still applies in a world where the majority of the population nominally worships God, or at least some kind of God.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. (John 16:2)

Sincerely thinking that you are worshipping the true God does not mean that you are, and does not mean you will be saved. So what is it?

Isaiah's original prophecy, which Paul quotes, describes the Messiah as a loving but suffering servant. It demonstrates God's generous attitude/spirit. Hebrews 11:6 shows that the beliefs that are most fundamental to Christianity are the belief in the existence of a God and the belief that he is willing and able to reward people who try to serve him, in more modern words, people who try to have a relationship with him. Having a relationship with God mean learning about him from the Bible (John 5:39) and doing what he says therein (John 14:15) and spending time with him in prayer (John 14:16).

As missionaries our task is to show by word and action that we really believe God is real and that he will reward us for submitting to him in a patriarchal relationship where he is the patriarch. When we do this properly, people will see and believe.