The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Romans 10:17,
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Here Paul clearly tells us all where saving faith comes from. In the verse above he says that faith is our response to the gospel message, "the word about Christ." When we are presented the gospel message we either embrace Jesus Christ in faith or we don't. This is the way we are saved.
So clear was this message that the early church movement was called "the Way" in several places in the book of Acts. When Paul (earlier call Saul) was still persecuting the church, we read in Acts 9:1-2, "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem." Those who took the gospel message of Jesus Christ to others who had never heard it were engaging in "the Way" - the way to be saved.
Sometimes "the Way", the early church movement, brought a very negative reaction. In Acts 19:23 we read, "About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way." It resulted in a riot in Ephesus. The gospel message had very strong reception in some areas and strong resistance in others. What message could bring such reactions?
The gospel message, which can be given in a variety of ways is important for believers to know and to share with others who are not believers. That message is not a recipe of specific words, but of specific principles and ideas. I recall being exposed to one approach in giving it decades ago called the "Roman Road." It is called that because it is consistent with the notion of a "way" as discussed above and is based entirely on a handful of verses found in the book of Romans. Here is one approach to the "Roman Road":
"There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:22b-23a. (We have all sinned.)
"There is no one righteous, not even one..." Romans 3:10. (None of us are fit for heaven.)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. (We're all in trouble, but wait! There is a gift from God available!)
"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. (God provided Jesus Christ to pay for our sins!)
"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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10. (We have to embrace Jesus Christ as our Lord, believing God raised him from the dead and then declare it! The crux of the message.)
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." Romans 8:1. (Now we have God's favor and are headed on our way to heaven!)
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Here Paul clearly tells us all where saving faith comes from. In the verse above he says that faith is our response to the gospel message, "the word about Christ." When we are presented the gospel message we either embrace Jesus Christ in faith or we don't. This is the way we are saved.
So clear was this message that the early church movement was called "the Way" in several places in the book of Acts. When Paul (earlier call Saul) was still persecuting the church, we read in Acts 9:1-2, "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem." Those who took the gospel message of Jesus Christ to others who had never heard it were engaging in "the Way" - the way to be saved.
Sometimes "the Way", the early church movement, brought a very negative reaction. In Acts 19:23 we read, "About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way." It resulted in a riot in Ephesus. The gospel message had very strong reception in some areas and strong resistance in others. What message could bring such reactions?
The gospel message, which can be given in a variety of ways is important for believers to know and to share with others who are not believers. That message is not a recipe of specific words, but of specific principles and ideas. I recall being exposed to one approach in giving it decades ago called the "Roman Road." It is called that because it is consistent with the notion of a "way" as discussed above and is based entirely on a handful of verses found in the book of Romans. Here is one approach to the "Roman Road":
"There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:22b-23a. (We have all sinned.)
"There is no one righteous, not even one..." Romans 3:10. (None of us are fit for heaven.)
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. (We're all in trouble, but wait! There is a gift from God available!)
"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. (God provided Jesus Christ to pay for our sins!)
"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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10. (We have to embrace Jesus Christ as our Lord, believing God raised him from the dead and then declare it! The crux of the message.)
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." Romans 8:1. (Now we have God's favor and are headed on our way to heaven!)
A simple 6 step approach to the Roman Road (there are many variations to it). All these verses could be easily memorized within a couple of weeks and prepare anyone to be a "soul winner" for the Lord! The Roman Road!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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