The good news reveals how God makes people right with himself. This happens by faith from beginning to end, just as it is written, “The one who is right with God will live by faith.”
But because they have no roots, they last only a short time. When trouble or suffering comes because of the message, they quickly fall away from the faith.
“Here is my servant, the one I have chosen. He’s the one I love, and I’m very pleased with him. I will put my Spirit on him, and he’ll announce to the nations that everything is going to be made right.
These enemies left our community of believers, but they didn’t really belong to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us. By leaving, they showed that none of them really belonged to us.