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I find myself drawn to the Roman Road passages to lead another person to Christ. Let's examine the verses as we travel this road.

Romans 3:23 (NIV) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Paul wrote these words; they are true. In all of history, except for One, no one has been sinless. In today’s world we have no one who has not sinned. When I was in high school, our church youth group would sit around and think about the question: “What is sin?”

When we think of sin in our world we think of murder and stealing. But do we think of pride and gossip? What about taking home pens and paperclips from work as sin? Then there are those little white lies we’ve told in order to sound good to those around us?

Paul describes sin as ‘missing the mark’ or falling short of God’s calling for our lives. We know Paul also described himself as the worst sinner of all and he knew Christ saved him. (1 Timothy 1:15)

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

God loves us so much He allowed His only Son to become sin for us. Jesus gave up His will and accepted God’s will for His life. Jesus doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up in order for Him to give His life. He did it at Golgotha almost 2,000 years ago.

Our heavenly Father chose to let His Son die in our place for us. He had sent others before His Son to prepare us for what was to come but the people did not respond to them. What those prophets faced we consider unspeakable today. The people of Israel had not heard from God for 400 years because of their non- acceptance of those messengers.

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

Children are taught, either by education or experience that actions have consequences. Good behavior yields pleasant endings. Bad actions result in discipline. Paul counterbalances the result of sin with the blessings of listening to God. Paul speaks here of a spiritual death.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) “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.”

God makes it simple for us to be saved. All we have to do is ask Jesus to come into our hearts and declare that He is Lord and that He came back to life, living with the Father. We don’t have to do any more than that.

Romans 10:13 (NIV) “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”’

This verse speaks to me. It tells me that all who call out to Jesus will receive the gift of salvation. It makes no difference how much money you have. It doesn’t matter where you live.

One man who found the LORD at our church had been homeless. God doesn’t look at us from the outside; He looks at our hearts. The Prison Fellowship, founded by Charles Colson, leads inmates to Christ. In our city, a ministry exists to assist men released from prison re-enter society. Our city also has a ministry to help women in the same circumstance.

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

God looks on each of us ‘just-as-if-I’d” not sinned. He deems us perfect, worthy of His love. He gives us His peace. He doesn’t have a ledger that shows our past sins. He erases them from his memory. Years ago, a very holy woman looked into her communion cup filled with grape juice and could not see the bottom of the cup. She later said to some of us that was how she pictured God looking at our sins.

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

Because of God’s love, He doesn’t condemn us for our sins. He patiently waits for us to approach Him and confess our wrongdoing. He forgives us and cleanses us from our sin. Sometimes we condemn ourselves. Other times God forgives us but we don’t forgive ourselves.

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) “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.”

Paul had a vendetta against the followers of Christ; his plan was to kill as many of them as he could. Yet, Jesus loved Paul. Mary Magdalene had been possessed by numerous demons, He cured her. Judas Iscariot had ulterior motives behind his actions and Jesus allowed him to be a principle among his followers. Even today, we hear of people that have issues, we have not had, finding the Lord. But no matter who we are or what we have done, we can still share in God’s love because of our confession of Jesus Christ.

Along The Roman Road

I find myself drawn to the Roman Road passages to lead another person to Christ. I will examine the verses as we travel this road.

Romans 3:23 (NIV) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Paul wrote these words; they are true. In all of history, except for One, no one has been sinless. In today’s world we have no one who has not sinned. When I was in high school, our church youth group would sit around and think about the question: “What is sin?”

When we think of sin in our world we think of murder and stealing. But do we think of pride and gossip? What about taking home pens and paperclips from work as sin? Then there are those little white lies we’ve told in order to sound good to those around us?

Paul describes sin as ‘missing the mark’ or falling short of God’s calling for our lives. We know Paul also described himself as the worst sinner of all and he knew Christ saved him. (1 Timothy 1:15)

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

God loves us so much He allowed His only Son to become sin for us. Jesus gave up His will and accepted God’s will for His life. Jesus doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up in order for Him to give His life. He did it at Golgotha almost 2,000 years ago.

Our heavenly Father chose to let His Son die in our place for us. He had sent others before His Son to prepare us for what was to come but the people did not respond to them. What those prophets faced we consider unspeakable today. The people of Israel had not heard from God for 400 years because of their non- acceptance of those messengers.

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

Children are taught, either by education or experience that actions have consequences. Good behavior yields pleasant endings. Bad actions result in discipline. Paul counterbalances the result of sin with the blessings of listening to God. Paul speaks here of a spiritual death.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) “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.”

God makes it simple for us to be saved. All we have to do is ask Jesus to come into our hearts and declare that He is Lord and that He came back to life, living with the Father. We don’t have to do any more than that.

Romans 10:13 (NIV) “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”’

This verse speaks to me. It tells me that all who call out to Jesus will receive the gift of salvation. It makes no difference how much money you have. It doesn’t matter where you live.

One man who found the LORD at our church had been homeless. God doesn’t look at us from the outside; He looks at our hearts. The Prison Fellowship, founded by Charles Colson, leads inmates to Christ. In our city, a ministry exists to assist men released from prison re-enter society. Our city also has a ministry to help women in the same circumstance.

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

God looks on each of us ‘just-as-if-I’d” not sinned. He deems us perfect, worthy of His love. He gives us His peace. He doesn’t have a ledger that shows our past sins. He erases them from his memory. Years ago, a very holy woman looked into her communion cup filled with grape juice and could not see the bottom of the cup. She later said to some of us that was how she pictured God looking at our sins.

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

Because of God’s love, He doesn’t condemn us for our sins. He patiently waits for us to approach Him and confess our wrongdoing. He forgives us and cleanses us from our sin. Sometimes we condemn ourselves. Other times God forgives us but we don’t forgive ourselves.

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) “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.”

Paul had a vendetta against the followers of Christ; his plan was to kill as many of them as he could. Yet, Jesus loved Paul. Mary Magdalene had been possessed by numerous demons, He cured her. Judas Iscariot had ulterior motives behind his actions and Jesus allowed him to be a principle among his followers. Even today, we hear of people that have issues, we have not had, finding the Lord. But no matter who we are or what we have done, we can still share in God’s love because of our confession of Jesus Christ.

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

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