“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
A local church in my community recently placed an advertisement in the religion section of my newspaper. “The Roman Road Leads to Rome,” the ad read. It continued, “Many honest-hearted soul winners are using the Book of Romans to try to get people saved.” The ad was a teaser, aimed at non-church members, hoping to get their attention enough to get them to come to church to hear the pastor’s sermon explaining why he didn’t believe verses in the Book of Romans should be used to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
My wife and I were surprised as we know this pastor and respect him. How could he possibly conclude that any book in the Bible should not be used to point an unbeliever to Jesus? “I guess he has the right to be wrong as much as I do,” I told my wife.
While many of us had heard the phrase, The Roman Road, we may not be familiar with the Bible verses that are most often associated with it. The whole purpose of this string of verses is to show the dead (the unbeliever) that there is another way to live.
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
It’s important to point out to the lost that the only difference between us and them is salvation. Sometimes, Christians can be condescending as if we did something special to earn salvation. It can run the lost sinner away from Christ. So here’s a chance to show them that we really have a great deal is common. The truth is all of us are sinners and all of us, lost and saved, let the Lord down from time to time.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Both the lost and the saved have eternity in their futures. The distinction is the lost will spend their eternity in hell, eternal death, and the saved will spend their eternity in heaven, eternal life. Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it, other than accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. As the Bible says, it’s a gift, meaning the conviction that the lost persons senses is the Lord saying to them, “Accept the gift that I am offering to you now. It may not come your way again.”
“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)
When I was lost, I remember feeling that I was too far gone for my life to change. As a convicted sinner, my sin debt was so heavy that I did not see a way out. In short, I did not deserve salvation.
This is an all-too-common feeling that conviction can bring to the life of the lost. What an opportunity to point out that Christ actually died for that very kind of person. It’s the beginning of a personal relationship that will make sure you never feel that way again!
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, the confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)
First, there is no other way. We must confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. That’s why the Sinner’s Prayer is so important. But don’t overlook the other important message here. We also must believe, not with our minds, but with our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. Otherwise, we couldn’t possibly lay claim to eternal life. It’s important for the lost to understand here that there is a huge difference between believing in your heart and believing in your head. Once you’ve convinced them to stop trying to figure salvation out, and trust what their heart is telling them, they’re on the way to new life. It’s the first step in faith.
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16)
It’s okay to wonder if it really happened. Billy Graham thought the same thing after he was saved. The earth doesn’t have to shake, rattle, or roll for the salvation experience to be real. Earth-shattering or not, God will let you know that what happened was real. Be patient and He will show you that the miracle He is working in you was real.
We may not all be called as altar workers, but there’s no reason why we can’t understand the importance and relevance of The Roman Road for the lost who are struggling to live in today’s world. Read these verses and rejoice that you understand them with both your heart and your head.
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