The Romans' Road; Part 1

If you have read through the Biblical texts in the previous post (and, if you have not yet done so, I would encourage you to go there now!) you may have noticed that, out of a total of ten Biblical text, three (i.e. 30%) were from Paul's great letter to the believers in 1st century Rome.

Paul's Letter to the Roman believers is, of course, one of the greatest books in the written Word of God. My thoughts about what heaven will be like keep changing, as I get older. However, if I do have the opportunity to sit down with Paul, I shall ask him to go through Romans with me, and explain all the parts that I still have difficulty understanding to any degree of fulness!

One aspect of Romans that I do understand is what has been described as "The Romans' Road" - a well-engineered pathway to full salvation. None of the following is, therefore, original. I share it because, for many, it may be new. I share it, because there may be someone who reads this post, and who, in the providence of Almighty God, is ready to set out on that road. May it be a blessing to all who read - but especially to anyone who may find new life in the Lord Jesus, the Christ, as they travel along it.

The Romans' Road starts, appropriately, at the beginning. In what we know (although remember that none of the Bible books were written in chapters and verses!) as the first chapter of Paul's great letter, we read: "Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honour Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened." (Rom 1:20-21). We know, of course, that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen 1:1), but if we wish to walk this road, then we must acknowledge Almighty God as the Creator of everything, humbly accepting our own position in His created order and purposes. The writer of the Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus wrote: "... without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." (Heb 11:6).

Is this where you need to be - just at the beginning of the road? Do you need to accept that you are but a mortal being, whose life may be snuffed out at any moment - even by something as small as a virus, as is happening to so many at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic? If you refuse to believe that He even exists, then you are not able to take even the first step on this road! Please look at the evidence - it's all around you. 

However, if you are able to take that first step, then you may move on to the second one. And that is simply that we must realise that we are sinners, and that we need forgiveness. Many believe that they will go to heaven because they have lived a "good" life, done some charity work, been baptised as an infant, attended church 'regularly'("I never miss the Christmas Eve Service"!), or treated others fairly. However, Paul writes in Romans 3:23 that "... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,". In other words, none of us (and the word "none" is a contraction of "not one"), judged by God's standards, is worthy. Each of us is a sinner - and that is not the easiest thing to admit. It hits us where it hurts - in our pride! But it's true, and it is an essential step on this road.

Remember how that came about. Almighty God had created a perfect world, and two perfect beings - the man, Adam, and the woman, Eve. However, "... the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'? And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'' But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' And he said, 'I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.' He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?' The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.' Then the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this that you have done?. The woman said, 'The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.'" (Gen 3:1-13). Sin had entered the world, and we are all born in sin. You are not a sinner because you sin; you sin because you are a sinner. That is your nature, and there is nothing that you can do about it!

Just one more step in this post (we'll share the remainder in the next one!). It's not really a step that we must take, but more of a truth that we must accept - and in which we may rejoice. That truth, Paul shares in Romans 5:8 - "... God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." You and I can do nothing about our sinful nature but, praise God, He can - and He has! He has given us the way by which our sins may be forgiven, and our sinful nature renewed. That way was to come into the realm of time, in the very human flesh that He had created, in the Persona (not a typo - see the chapter on the Trinity in my book "Great Words of the Faith"; link at the top of the page. ALL royalties sent directly to Release International in support of the persecuted church) of the Son, the Lord Jesus, the Christ.

It was on a cross, on a hill outside the ancient city of Jerusalem, that He became the One Who paid the penalty for your sins, and for mine. As someone has said, and I often quote: "He paid a debt that He did not owe, because I owed a debt that I could not pay".

Well there are still a few steps to take on this Romans' Road. But that is all for now. Be sure to check Part 2. Blessings, and shalom.