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The Romans Road To Salvation

I came across this article written for About.com by Mary Fairchild explaining the plan of salvation as taken from the book of Romans.

If we had no other book of the Bible we could still be saved by following the sequence or "road," in the book of Romans.

Her article, is repeated here in its verbatim entirety so as to be sure to not change her article in any way, is in black and my comments are inserted in this color where they appear.

The author's scripture quotes are from the "New Living Translation." (NLT) My scripture quotes are from the "New King James Version." (NKJV)

What is Romans Road?

Learn an Easy, Systematic Way of Explaining the Plan of Salvation

By Mary Fairchild, About.com Guide

Romans Road lays out the plan of salvation through a series of Bible verses from the book of Romans. When arranged in order, these verses form an easy, systematic way of explaining the message of salvation. There are many different versions of Romans Road with slight variations in Scriptures, but the basic message and method is the same. Many evangelical missionaries, evangelists and lay people memorize and use Romans Road when sharing the good news.

Notice the words, "When arranged in order, these verses form an easy, systematic way of explaining the message of salvation."

The article about the "Romans Road To Salvation" is not written in the order Paul wrote it in the book of Romans. The author cites in this order, Romans 3:10-12, Romans 6:23 , Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9-10 and 13 and Romans 8:1.

There is really only one Romans road and that is in the exact order Paul wrote it. The exact order is the only way to fully understand the Romans message. The exact order Paul wrote is the sequence that must be used by those sharing the good news.

Romans Road of Salvation

Everyone needs salvation because we have all sinned. Romans 3:10-12, and 23 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” ... For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (NLT)

Here, in the very first point the article is already into chapter 3. Our Romans Road journey needs to begin in chapter 1. In chapter 1 Paul tells his authority and his aim - to preach the gospel. And why he must preach the gospel.

Why? Because the gospel is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) Not "a" power, "the" power, the one and only power God uses to save. What is the gospel? I Corinthians 15:1-4 says it is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ "according to the scriptures." The phase "according to the scriptures" is so important Paul repeats it. If a gospel is not according to, or in agreement with, the scriptures, it is not the gospel of Christ.

Salvation from what? The wrath of God. Romans 1:18-31 lists what causes God's wrath. Why do we need salvation? Romans 1:32 says those who do any of the sins found in Romans 1:18-31 deserve death.

Romans 1:32 tells us what happens if we commit one of the sins listed. We become worthy of death. Doesn't matter how many times we sin, once is enough to make us worthy of death.

In Genesis 1:26 we read man is created in the image of God. In Genesis 2:7 we read that God breathed life into the man. John 4:24 says God is spirit. As a spirit God has no need to breathe. What went into man was a part of God Himself. No part of God can ever die or cease to exist. Man was created to live forever.

Yet, Romans 1:32, and yes, when we get to it later down the road, Romans 6:23, does say death is the punishment for any sin.

The gospel Paul wants to preach saves from God's wrath.

The price (or consequence) of sin is death. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)

Here the author jumps ahead again. The author has covered the better part of 6 chapters in just two verses. We have passed a number of landmarks on our Romans Road journey.

For instance we have skipped chapter 2 which says no one will be excused. Not even the Jews who considered themselves to be the children of Abraham, God's chosen people, and who relied on the law of Moses for their salvation. The Jews considered themselves to be God's chosen people and not under God's wrath. Paul tells the Jews at Rome that God's wrath is upon them just as it is on the Gentiles.

In chapter 3 we read that all are guilty of sin recorded in chapter 1 regardless of who you are. You can be religious, as the Jews were, or sacrilegious as the Gentiles were. Romans 3:10 says there are none righteous.

Notice that in chapter 3 we now not only know why we deserve death, we also know that we will not escape it.

But before we can arrive at Romans 6:23 we have to go through Romans 4 which talks about Abraham's salvation. The Jews relied on being the children, the descendants, of Abraham. Paul explains Abraham's righteousness didn't come from being an Israelite or from the law of Moses but from his belief, his faith, in God. Abraham lived long before the Law Of Moses was given. In chapter 4 of Romans Paul says that same righteousness through faith is available to all.

In Genesis we read when God told Abraham to go to a strange land he obeyed. (Genesis 12:1-4) When God told him to take the child of his old age who God told him would be the one through whom all nations of earth would be blessed to a certain mountain and sacrifice him, he obeyed.

God stopped him at the last moment and told him, "Now, I know you fearest Me." (Genesis 22:12)

His belief, his obedient faith, was what made Abraham righteous.

Like Abraham our obedient faith makes us righteous. (Romans 4:22-23)

Jesus Christ died for our sins. He paid the price for our death. Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (NLT)

Absolutely true. If we back up to Romans 5:1 we read we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. A few chapters back we were under God's wrath and now in Romans 5:1 we're at peace with him. Why? Romans 5:6-10. Christ died for us, his blood justifies or pays the cost of our transgression.

We receive salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-10, and 13 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved ... For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (NLT)

Salvation through Jesus Christ brings us into a relationship of peace with God.Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. (NLT)Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (NLT)Romans 8:38-39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NLT)

In the preceding paragraphs of the article we have gone from Romans 10, back to Romans 5, then to Romans 8. If we were traveling on an expressway it would be like if we were at Exit 10 we'd have to turn around and go past Exit 8 to go to Exit 5 then turn around and go back to Exit 8. Let's continue our journey along the road Paul has laid out as he has laid it out. We just finished chapter 5 where Paul says we have peace with God because of Jesus' shed blood at the cross.

Now, let's continue down the Romans Road reading the signposts in order as Paul mapped it out, chapter 6...

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:1-10)

Here Paul is saying now that we have been freed from sin's death we should not follow after sin any longer. We should walk as though we have been "born again." (John 3:3, John 3:7, I Peter 1:23)

In chapter 7 Paul explains the law of Moses (of which the 10 Commandments were a part) cannot save. There is a better law, the law of God.

In chapter 8:1 we find the results of the law of God...

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

The first 8 chapters, or road signs, of the book of Romans brings us to salvation and frees us from God's wrath. The next 8 chapters carries us on to glory.

Responding to Romans Road

If you believe Romans Road leads to the path of truth, you can respond by receiving God's free gift of salvation today. Here's how to take a personal journey down Romans Road:

Admit you are a sinner.
Understand that as a sinner, you deserve death.
Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you from sin and death.
Repent by turning from your old life of sin to a new life in Christ.
Receive, through faith in Jesus Christ, his free gift of salvation.

In essence the author is encouraging the use of the so called Sinner's Prayer. There is not one example in New Testament scripture where anyone was saved by any form of the Sinner's Prayer. Not one.

There are, however, numerous examples of salvation in scripture that are quite different than sinner's prayer salvation. Paul gives one of the best in Romans 8:1. No condemnation now (underlining by me to illustrate this point in the Romans Road) for those IN CHRIST JESUS. Being in Christ (as well as walking according to the Spirit) is essential to the no condemnation

Here's the bottom line question, are you in Christ?

Pretty much all of the people I ask who have relied on some form of the Sinner's Prayer for salvation answer along the same line, "When I asked Jesus to come into my heart."

What they tell me is how Jesus got into them. What I want to know is how they got in Christ.

Since Paul has explained everything to Romans 8:1, "there is therefore now." To paraphrase, "Based on what I have told you before there is now no condemnation." He has answered the question before.

Where before?

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4)

We get "in Christ" in baptism. Baptized into his death we contact his blood. We rise from baptism to a new life, we're "born again." We then rise in no condemnation, free from the penalty of sin as long as we walk after the Spirit.

In Acts 2:38, Peter tells the sin struck crowd "Repent and be baptized, every one of you."

Why? "For the remission of sins." In I Peter 3:21 that same Peter tells us,

21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (I Peter 3:21)

In Romans 1:16 we find the gospel is God's power of salvation to everyone who believes. Here's what happens to those who don't obey the gospel...

in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8)

What is the gospel?

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (I Corinthians 15:1-4)

How do you obey the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ according to the scriptures?

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4)

You cannot travel the "Romans Road article" to salvation baptism.

Paul himself, the author of the Romans Road, records what he was told by Ananias in Acts 22:16...

16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ (Acts 22:16)

If you have not been baptized for the remission of sins, not baptized because it was an "expression of your faith" or to get into some church, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord!

If we can assist you in this matter please call on me if we can be of service or if you have any questions or comments or you would like to discuss this further.

Marv Walker
706 816-7190

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