The Roman Road

The Roman Road

The Apostle Paul in Writing to the Church in Rome, set forth the principles of the Gospel of Grace. The Roman Road to Salvation is a condensed version of the letter to the Romans which is an effective tool for new and experience Christian to use in validating their faith, making arguments of defense of the gospel, and personal evangelism. In short it is an effective way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Billy Graham wrote,

“Nothing can compare with all that is ours in Christ when we find salvation. Forgiveness. Justification. Adoption. Eternal life. What a glorious life the Gospel offers to those who are searching for purpose and meaning or to those who have found that materialism and sensual pleasure are not the answer to the deepest yearnings of the heart. The crowning glory of salvation is promised when we enter into the presence of the King. We have a home in heaven reserved for us and awards that await us. No wonder the Gospel is “good news.”” [1]

Unfortunately, today many people are confused upon what the gospel is. Many false teachers have come into the mainstream and have distorted the truth of the purity of the gospel. Many Christians themselves are unsure of what the gospel is and are therefore ashamed to mention the name of Jesus Christ in public, or at work, or even to their closest friends and relatives. For fear of being rejected as a religious fanatic. We need not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, as Paul writes in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Therefore, as part of the mission of this ministry we are sharing the Roman Road to Salvation in order to teach our brothers and sister, and in order to reach the ones who need to hear it most, the ones blinded by the false teachings of this carnal world. There is only one God. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

There are some minor variations in the Roman Road to Salvation, but the heart of it is contained in the verses we will discuss today. These verses are called the Roman Road to Salvation because they all come from the letter to the Romans by Paul the Apostle, and in them we find the framework to the expressing the salvation of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. The generally consist of Romans 3:10; 3:23, 5:8, 5:12, 6:23, 10:9-11, and 10:13.

I. Romans 5:12

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

a. Genesis 2:17 - “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

II. Romans 3:10

As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.

Our main problem is that we do not see how unrighteous we really are. The Law was given to us to point out, the righteousness of God and the unrighteousness of men. Our unrighteousness was revealed to us to show us the need for the mercies of God in Jesus Christ.

a. When the prophet Isaiah was called before the Lord and he saw the righteousness of God reflected in his glory, he said, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)

b. When the Apostle Peter realized that Jesus was God, he said, “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8)

c. Galatians 3:24 - “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith”

III. Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

The announcement of the Holy Spirit through Paul’s writing is the bottom line. Everyone, no mater of your social status, family heritage, parental upbringing, religious affiliation. This is an individual indictment. You cannot blame your circumstances, your parents, or anyone else. You can’t even really blame Adam and Eve. You yourself have failed to walk in obedience to God. You yourself are accountable for your own sin.

a. Ezekiel 18:20 - “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

IV. Romans 5:8

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

V. Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

No amount of political influence, power, or money can deliver you from this being guilty. You cannot earn, influence, nor pay your way out of this verdict, except Jesus Christ. If you reject Jesus Christ, then you will continue in your condemnation.

a. John 3:18-19 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

b. John 8:24 - “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

The Apostle Paul reveals to us the answer to this terrible dilemma.

VI. Romans 10:9-11

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

I we truly believe and confess this with our lips and our lives then we will be saved, by that faith in Jesus. We need not be ashamed of the gospel.

VII. Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Luke 24:46-48) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.48And ye are witnesses of these things.

VIII. Action

a. For the Believer

i. Come to the altar and pray for

ii. Courage to tell someone else about the Lamb of God

iii. Someone this week to tell about the Lamb of God

iv. Pray for the words to speak about the Lamb of God

v. Then go share the message the Lord has given you

b. For the Lost

i. Understand that you are condemned already from sin, past and present

ii. Believe on Jesus and call on him in belief that he has paid the penalty for your disobedience and self-seeking life – accept his forgiveness

iii. Repent and live in hope– turn away from that sin, make a conscious decision to walk by faith that Jesus is real, he is alive, and he is coming to get you soon

iv. Pray – Always pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

v. Be in fellowship with like minded believers

1. Find a good church that speaks the truth

2. Find other believers and make them your hangout

3. Study to find yourself approved

4. Pray some more

5. Contact us. [e-mail]

[1] (Graham, 2010)