There are six New Testament expressions that trace the decline of faith in an individual.
BEFORE a person is saved, he may have: 1) “vain faith” or belief in the wrong doctrine (1Cor 15:14-17) 2) “dead faith” or belief in orthodox doctrine without personal belief in Christ (James 2:19-20)
AFTER a person is saved, he can experience the following varieties of faith: 1) a kind of unbelief – experienced by the believers who fail to accept the whole work of Christ (Mark 16:11-14) 2) “little faith” – a mixture of faith and unbelief (Mark 7:26) 3) “weak faith” – referring to belief expressed as mere legalism (Rom 14:1) 4) “strong faith” – faith that is rooted in the promises of God (v. 20)
Illustration: As Christians mature, they should grow in faith. This was the experience of Abraham. Early in his pilgrimage with God, he could not trust God to protect him in Egypt. This was “weak faith” (Gen 12:10-20). He was later able to trust God, in sacrificing his son Issac. This was “strongfaith” (Heb 11:17-19)
Application: The Chrisitan life is a continual growing adventure in faith. (Gen 15:6, Rom 4:20, cf Rom 8:16)
Romans Road is not a physical road, but a series of Bible verses from the book of Romans laying out God’s plan of salvation. When arranged in order, these verses form an easy, systematic way of explaining the biblical message of salvation in Jesus Christ.
There are different versions of Romans Road with slight variations in Scriptures, but the basic message and method are the same. Evangelical missionaries, evangelists, and lay people memorize and use Romans Road when sharing the good news.
Romans Road clearly answers these five questions:
Who needs salvation? Why do we need salvation? How does God provide salvation? How do we receive salvation? What are the results of salvation?
Romans Road Bible Verses
Take the Romans Road journey into the loving heart of God with this collection of Bible verses written by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans.
Step 1 Romans Road begins with the truth that everyone needs salvation because all people have sinned. No one gets a free ride, because every person is guilty before God. We all fall short of the mark.
Romans 3:9-12, and 23
…All people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 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)
Step 2 The price (or consequence) of sin is death. The punishment we all deserve is both physical and spiritual death, thus we need God’s salvation to escape the deadly, eternal consequences of our sin.
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)
Step 3 Jesus Christ died for our sins. His death paid the full price for our salvation. Through the death and resurrection of God’s own Son, the debt we owed was satisfied.
Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (NLT)
Step 4 We (all sinners) receive salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Anyone who places their trust in Jesus receives the promise of eternal life.
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)
Step 5 Salvation through Jesus Christ brings us into a relationship of peace with God. When we accept God’s gift, we have the reward of knowing we’ll never be condemned for our sins.
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)
Responding to Romans Road If you believe Romans Road leads to the path of truth, you can respond by receiving God’s wonderful gift of salvation today. Here’s how to take your personal journey down Romans Road:
1) Admit you are a sinner. 2) Understand that as a sinner, you deserve death. 3) Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you from sin and death. 4) Repent by turning from your old life of sin to a new life in Christ. 5) Receive, through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s free gift of salvation.
