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ROMANS ROAD TO SALVATION

Welcome! If you’re new to the Christian faith, the concept of salvation might seem a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry—there’s a straightforward way to understand it using a method called the “Romans Road to Salvation.” This approach uses a series of Bible verses from the Book of Romans to explain the steps to salvation.

Let’s walk through these verses together to see what they mean and how they guide us to a relationship with God.

1. Recognising Our Sinful Nature

Romans 3:10 – “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one.'”

This verse emphasises a fundamental truth about humanity: no one is inherently righteous. The Bible teaches that righteousness is the quality of being morally right or justifiable. According to this verse, there is no possibility for someone to believe that they have ever ‘done good’ sufficient to make them holy and righteous in the eyes of God. You cannot do any good or right deed to earn your way to heaven because no one is good but God (Matthew 19:17). We are all found guilty of sin and deserving of God’s anger. This recognition is crucial because it sets the foundation for understanding our need for salvation. Without recognising that we are all sinners, we wouldn’t see the need for a saviour.

2. Understanding the Universality of Sin

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Here, Paul reinforces the idea that sin is a universal problem. Every person, regardless of their background or how good they think they are, has sinned. There is no escape from the label ‘sinner’ because everyone falls into it. Sin, in its simplest form, is any action, thought, or attitude that falls short of God’s perfect standard. We will continue to ‘fall short’ of God’s standard of perfect righteousness because of our sins. This verse clarifies that sin is not just a rare or occasional problem but a pervasive condition affecting everyone. This is the reason we cannot stand before God on our own merit. There is no person who never sinned except Jesus. This helps us understand that we are all in need of God’s grace.

Related: The Foundational Principles of Christianity

3. Acknowledging the Consequence of Sin

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sin has serious consequences. Without Christ, you are a slave to sin. The ‘wages’ of sin, or the payment we deserve for our sin, is death. This refers not just to physical death but to eternal separation from God. However, this verse also introduces the hope of salvation. While sin leads to death, when we trust in Jesus, God gives us credit for Christ’s perfect, sinless life and accepts the payment of Christ’s death for our sins. The result is that God offers us a free gift—eternal life through Jesus Christ. This eternal life is not something we can earn; it is a gift from God that we receive through faith in Jesus.

4. Realising God’s Love and Sacrifice

Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Despite our sinfulness, God’s love for us remains unwavering. This verse highlights the depth of God’s love by showing that Christ died for us while we were still sinners (1 John 4:9-10). It means that God did not wait for us to become righteous or deserving; He took the initiative to save us. Jesus Christ died for us! Jesus took that judgment for our sin on Himself on the cross (John 3:16). He suffered and died in our place. He took the punishment we deserved, providing a way for us to be reconciled with God. This sacrificial act is evidence of God’s great love for us, especially since God went first. Jesus died in our place before we knew we would want Him to do that. He died for us before we would ever have done anything to deserve that love.

Related: What is Love? Understanding Biblical Love

5. Confessing and Believing

Romans 10:9 – “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Salvation involves both belief and confession. To be saved, we must believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. This belief is more than just intellectual agreement; it involves trusting Jesus with our lives. Additionally, we must confess this belief with our mouths, publicly acknowledging Jesus as our Lord. This verse emphasises that salvation is accessible to anyone who truly believes and is willing to profess their faith.

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6. Assurance of Salvation

Romans 10:13 – “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

This verse provides a comforting assurance: salvation is available to everyone. There are no exceptions or exclusions. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord—acknowledging their need for Him and seeking His help—will be saved. This promise underscores the inclusivity of the gospel message and the reliability of God’s promise. It assures us that God is always ready to respond to those who seek Him.

Related: New to Christianity – How to Get Started?

7. Peace with God

Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Once we are justified—declared righteous—through faith, we experience peace with God. Justification is a legal term that means God has declared us not guilty because of our faith in Jesus. Once you are justified through your faith in Jesus, you now have peace with God – it is a peace of being right with God, not by your works but by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). This peace is not just a feeling; it is a restored relationship with God. We are no longer His enemies but His friends (James 4:4; John 15:14-15). This peace with God is the foundation for a transformed life, free from the fear of judgment and filled with the assurance of God’s love.

8. No Condemnation

Romans 8:1 – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

For those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no longer any condemnation. This means that God will never, ever condemn you for any sin whatsoever because God so closely identifies you with His Son that He gives us credit for Jesus’ sinless, righteous life, and He accepts Jesus’ death as payment for our death-deserving sins. Being ‘in Christ’ means having a personal relationship with Him and being united with Him through faith. This verse reassures us that once we are saved, we do not have to live in fear of God’s judgment. God will never condemn Jesus, so He will never condemn those who He sees as being in Christ. We are forgiven and set free from the power of sin.

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9. The Unbreakable Love of God

Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

These verses provide a powerful conclusion to the Romans Road. They assure us that nothing can separate us from God’s love. No matter what we face—whether it’s life’s difficulties, spiritual challenges, or any other circumstances—God’s love remains constant. This unbreakable bond gives us confidence and hope. It reassures us that God’s love is not dependent on our performance but is steadfast and secure in Christ Jesus.

Related: Understanding the Trinity of God

I hope this blog post helped you by recognising your sinful nature, understanding the consequences of sin, and embracing God’s love and sacrifice through Jesus, you can confess your faith, receive assurance of salvation, experience peace with God, live without condemnation, and rest in the unbreakable love of God. If you’re ready to take this step, remember that God’s arms are always open wide, ready to welcome you into His family.

To know more about the concept of Salvation and to share this beautiful gift, read the “From Courtroom to Salvation” blog post where I break down how to share the gift of salvation with others using this method I created.

Updated: 20 June 2024