Krista Hamrick's beautiful original artwork of The Romans Road to Salvation inspired Beth Willis Miller to write this booklet, available on Amazon at this link.
Many times, we feel inadequate to reach out to others. We make the gospel cumbersome or complicated and fear sharing it. Yet it is a simple message: God in his grace has declared us not guilty. We are free from sin through Jesus Christ.
We encounter many people every day who are crying out to a God they do not know, hoping someone will hear their prayers. Praying that this booklet will be useful as we share the Good News with others! The Romans Road to Salvation is a way of explaining the good news of salvation using verses from the Book of Romans. It is a simple yet powerful method of explaining why we need salvation, how God provided salvation, how we can receive salvation, and what are the results of salvation.
Combining the beauty of Krista’s artistic excellence with Beth’s devotional, The Romans Road to Salvation is perfect for individual quiet reflection, small group Bible studies, and evangelism training.
Put your hand over your heart—that small heartbeat is all that stands between you and eternity in heaven or hell! If you died tonight, do you know for CERTAIN where you would be spending eternity?
The Romans Road to Salvation is a way of explaining the good news of salvation using verses from the Book of Romans. It is a simple yet powerful method of explaining why we need salvation, how God provided salvation, how we can receive salvation, and what are the results of salvation.
THE ROMANS ROAD TO SALVATION
I consider myself a ‘good person’… won’t that be enough?
ROMANS 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
ROMANS 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one.”
ROMANS 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
The creator of the universe is HOLY.
"God is light, and in him is no darkness at all". 1Jn 1:5
He has set laws in place for his creation to obey. What are these laws? They begin with the 10 Commandments.
The Ten Commandments:
- You shall have no other gods before me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol (no idolatry).
- You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder (kill).
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness (lie) against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's house, wife, or property.
While you might consider yourself ‘good’ compared to most people, how do you measure up against God’s law? Have you ever told the smallest lie? Then you are a liar. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” James 2:10 Disobedience to God is sin.
Is sin really THAT big of a deal? If it is… what HOPE is there?
ROMANS 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Disobedience to an infinite eternal God deserves an infinite eternal consequence. God shows us His character and his laws in his creation, the world around us. He has also written his laws in our hearts… on our conscience. He has also given us his WORD the Bible. No good judge would let the guilty go free, the criminal go unpunished. Neither can a holy righteous God allow sinful man to go unpunished… but God LOVES man whom He has made in His image, and He has provided a way of escape by sending His Only Son to die in our place.
After what I’ve done to grieve God… HOW could He willingly die in my place?
ROMANS 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jn 3:16
While he died on the cross, he was mocked, spit upon, and cursed. Yet Jesus cried out, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do…” (Lk23:34) With such love, Jesus died in your place… knowing every evil act, word, and thought you would commit. What powerful love! He loves you unconditionally even to the point of death when you are at your worst!
HOW can I be saved?
ROMANS 10:9-10 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 and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
You can never be saved by trying to be a good person, nor can you be saved through any amount of ‘good works’. Ephesians 2:8,9 says “For by grace have you been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
You and I can be saved only by confessing our sins and placing our faith in God’s son, Jesus Christ who died and paid for our sins on the cross. We must also surrender our life to His lordship, placing him in charge of every area of our life because we now belong to him.
Both John the Baptist and Jesus himself began their preaching with the word, ‘Repent’. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” –Matthew 4:17
To repent means ‘change one’s mind’ or to turn — to go in another direction.
How can we be led to repentance? The first step toward repentance is true sorrow for what we’ve done wrong. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10
Worldly sorrow is more like the regret of a criminal who’s just been caught whereas godly sorrow is the deep remorse or conviction that produces a change in direction.
Have you ever felt convicted after doing something wrong? The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the one that convicts us of our sin. (John 16:7-8) But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment.
Pray the Sinner’s Prayer and mean it from your heart:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.
Did God HEAR me? Did He accept me?
ROMANS 10:13 "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
God promises that “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
Yes, God does hear and accept ALL who come to put their faith in Him. There is no need to fear death any longer because Jesus BROKE the power of sin and death on the cross with his own shed blood. The price for your sin has been paid in full and it is God’s promise to receive all who come to Him by placing their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. “Therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
As a believer, you have a new life in Christ. Jesus did NOT remain in the grave. He rose from the dead after three days. Mark 16:1-6 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
What do I do now?
ROMANS 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Your journey as a child of the King of Kings has just begun! You must begin by spending time daily in prayer and in God’s Word, the Bible. You must also find fellowship with other believers in a Church that teaches and preaches the Bible. You should also now confess Jesus Christ, as your Savior before men. Share about your new faith in Christ with your family, coworkers, and others whom God has placed on your daily path.
Congratulations! If you are a new believer, you have just experienced the beginning of your new, eternal life (John 3:16; 10:10). Your sins have been forgiven and you have been given a fresh start (Romans 4:7). You have now been given inexpressible, glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8-9).
In addition to the wonderful blessings of knowing Christ, you are probably thinking, “Now what? What is the next step?” The Bible offers some important principles for those who have begun a relationship with God.
The first act of obedience after salvation is to be baptized! Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward change, and is a picture of three things:
- It’s a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.
- It’s a picture of the death of your old life, and that you’re raised to walk in a new way of life.
- It’s a public way to share that you’re not ashamed to publicly declare Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life!
Baptism symbolizes your new life in Christ and proclaims that you are now committed to Jesus. Even Jesus was baptized (Luke 3:1-22), and He calls His followers to also be baptized. Baptism was practiced by the very first followers of Jesus in Acts 2:41.
As a new Believer, begin reading the Bible. There are many translations and numerous places to start. While there is no perfect translation, we recommend you choose a Bible that is easy for you to understand and is faithful to the original text of the Bible. To sample some of today’s popular translations, you can go to websites such as BibleGateway.com or YouVersion.com. We recommend that you begin your reading with the Gospel of John or one of the other Gospels to read for yourself what Jesus taught and did during His time on earth. Other articles on GotQuestions.org will help you answer the practical questions you have about God and spiritual issues. The Bible teaches, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
As a new Believer, begin praying. Prayer is simply talking with God. Many believe prayer must include a formal set of words that can only take place during a church service. However, the Bible teaches us to Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 We are instructed to praise God, day and night. If we desire to know God more deeply, we must communicate with Him regularly.
Throughout each day, you can give thanks to God, ask Him to answer your daily needs, and pray on behalf of others. It’s also important to pray together with others who follow Christ, encouraging each other, praising God, and seeking answers to everyone’s requests. For ideas on how to pray, you can begin with the Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
As a new Believer, build friendships with other Believers. The Christian life is designed to be enjoyed with others. Jesus invested much of His ministry with 12 disciples as His closest friends. He likewise calls us to live in community with one another. The New Testament has over 50 “one another” verses that refer to loving one another, serving one another, encouraging one another, and praying for one another. Each of these commands requires relationships with other Christians. Fellowship with other believers is one of the purposes of a local church.
As a new Believer, help others. As you begin your new life as a Christian, you will find a new love inside you giving you a desire to help others. The Holy Spirit will lead you in ways to help. You might serve the poor in your community, assist a neighbor with yard work, or visit a sick friend in the hospital. The Spirit will clearly call you to show God’s love (1 John 3:17-18).
As a new Believer, tell someone about your faith. Becoming a Christian is not a secret; it’s a celebration! Tell all who will listen about Christ’s work in your life. In some cases, other people will come to faith in Jesus through the example you share. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded His disciples to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Today, Christians are still called to share the hope within us with others (1 Peter 3:15-16). Finally, these are simply helpful tips on how to grow in your new faith; they are not a list of requirements to become a Christian or to stay a Christian. You have been saved by grace through faith, apart from any works of your own (Ephesians 2:8-9). God started the work in you, and He promises to finish it (Philippians 1:6). God bless you as you continue to mature in your faith!
As the song “Amazing Grace” resounded in the sanctuary, a woman on the front pew wept with joy. It seemed only yesterday that she had sat in a prison cell, shaking as her body suffered from withdrawal. She remembered crying out to a God she didn’t know, hoping that someone would hear her prayers.
In that dark hour God sent women from a local church to tell her the good news that Christ could heal her and take away her sins. One year later she was not only free from the four walls of prison, but God had healed her of a ten-year addiction.
When the women from the local church entered the prison that first day, they felt shy, inadequate, and unsure in that environment but confident in God. And they were God’s answer to the prisoner’s prayers.
Many times we feel inadequate to reach out to others. We make the gospel cumbersome or complicated and fear sharing it. Yet it is a simple message: God in his grace has declared us not guilty.
We are free from sin through Jesus Christ. We encounter many every day who are crying out to a God they do not know, hoping someone will hear their prayers. Let’s share the Good News!
SAVIOR, every day people who are hurting and lost surround me. Help me to share the good news that you are the Christ and that you have set us free! Lord, if there are those in my life who are crying out to you, open my spiritual eyes that I might see, and give me the courage to share the gospel message with them. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Look Up—meditate on Romans 3:23-24 … pray to see what it reveals about the character of God.
Look In—as you meditate on Romans 3:23-24 … pray to see how you might apply it to your life. Be propelled to ask galvanizing questions about your discoveries: "Because God is_________, I will_____________."
Look Out—as you meditate on Romans 3:23-24 … pray to see how you might apply it to your relationships with others. Let the nature of God impact on every relationship, for your good, and for His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment