THE ROMANS ROAD Mike Richardson

As we begin a new year with wondrous possibilities it is a good time to stop and take inventory of what our goals will be in the new year. It is also a good idea to stop and consider the potential for good and bad that could come in this upcoming year. Some who are with us at the beginning of this year may not be so when this year closes. Some may get married, others may have great promotions at work while others suffer great setbacks. However, I would like for us to consider our spiritual goals for the new year. If one is not a Christian I would appreciate them reading this article and consider the steps to salvation found in the book of Romans.

When people want to make their life right with God, when they want to come to the cross to meet the Savior, what do they do? How can one make their life right with God? I want to take you down an old road that we might call The Romans Road. I want us to go through the book of Romans and look at five passages on how one comes to Christ. This road will lead one to the Son of God who has the power to remove sin and add you to His family.

(i)Step One on the Romans Road is to Admit You Are A Sinner (Rom.3:23). Until we come to the realization that we are sinners we will never take the first step to correct what is hindering fellowship with God. Every one of us has transgressed the law of God either by commission or omission. I care not how good a person you may be, you are still a sinner in need of the grace of God. The first step one must take is realize they are a sinner. One must recognize they have violated the law of God and need to come to God so the offense can be removed.

(ii)Step Two on the Romans Road is to See the Gift Offered (Rom.6:23). Paul said, “The wages of sin is death.” A wage is what is earned. We are separated from God because we sinned (Isa.59:2). Because of sin there is physical death as well as spiritual death which is eternal separation from God in hell. God is holy, pure, just and cannot tolerate sin. However, notice that God is willing to give a gift. “but the gift of God is eternal life.” God loves us so much He was willing to offer us the gift (something we don’t deserve) of eternal life. The second step is to see what God has offered every individual.

(iii)Third Step on the Romans Road is to See the Love of God (Rom.5:8). God demonstrated His love in while we were yet sinners. That verse means so much to me, God didn’t just say He loved me, God manifested, showed, demonstrated His love by sacrificing His Son on the cross of Calvary. One never has to doubt God’s love they can see it on the Jerusalem skyline when His Son was nailed to a cross for your sins.

(iv)Fourth Step on the Romans Road is How We Receive New Life (Rom.6:3-11). Paul tells us to receive a new life we must be baptized into the death of Christ. The old man is buried with his past sins, and we raised (resurrected) to a new life. Baptism is obeying God to be put back into a right relationship with God. We are born again when we are baptized. On the Romans Road, we have a picture, we see we are sinners, separated from God with eternal hell before us. But, God loves us and sent His Son to die for us that the blood of Jesus can forgive us and we contact that blood through baptism.

(v)The Fifth Step on the Romans Road is We are Saved (Rom.10:9-10,13). In obedience to Christ we commit ourselves to Him and let Him take control of our lives. We are redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Have you walked down the Romans Road to salvation?

Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’”

Leviticus 17:17 “for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’”

Brother Rick Carroll could tell us a lot about blood as his job deals with such things. I do not pretend to have such a deep knowledge about blood, but through my study I have come to learn some interesting things. The Bible is a book of blood. When you make a study of it, you will find just how important blood really is. We could spend our time looking at the different elements that make up blood; but in our study, I want to look at the chemistry of the blood in another sense.

(i) First, Eliminate the False Doctrine Taught By Some that the Blood of Jesus was Different Than Any Other Man’s. To make the false doctrine of inherited sin consistent with the rest of God’s word, some have come up with the idea that Jesus did not inherit sin because His blood was somehow different than all others’. Sin is not inherited from parents. Sin means “missing the mark.” It is a choice that is made by a person with a sound mind. So, in the very beginning of this article I want to disabuse you of this particular view.

(ii)The Purpose of This Article is To Show That Life is in the Blood. Every twenty-three seconds’ blood travels through the body. Blood supplies the body with nourishment and at the same time carries off waste products. Blood has at least a twofold purpose: it cleanses the body and supplies the body. When blood fails to reach any part of the body that part of the body will become paralyzed and then die. Death occurs when blood no longer circulates through our bodies. We cannot live without blood. Thus, we see blood is what gives us life. The statement found in the book of Leviticus is absolutely true…Life is in the blood.

(iii)Spiritual Lessons for Us. Now consider how these truths apply to us spiritually.

(1)The Bible is a Bloody Book. What gives life and power to the Bible is the blood of the gospel. Heb.4:12 states that the word of God is a living Word. From Genesis to Revelation we see the stream of blood which gives this Book life. Blood is mentioned about seven hundred times in Scripture. Without the blood in the Bible it would be like many other books. But, what makes this Book alive and deemed the Living Word is the blood. The Bible clearly teaches that life is in the blood. The Bible is called God’s Living Word, for this book tells us how to receive eternal life.

(2)The Whole Plan of Redemption Rests on Blood (Heb.9:13-15). Jesus died on the cross and shed His innocent blood so we might have eternal life. Salvation is in the blood of Christ. He died to redeem man. He died to give man life. We will all die physically, but we do not have to die spiritually, burning in hell forever. Why? Because life is in the blood of Jesus. When we come in contact with the blood we begin a new life dedicated to God (Rom.6:3-7). Now how does one come in contact with the blood of Christ? Rev.1:5; Acts 22:16 baptism puts us into the blood that makes us white, pure, clean. We are washed in the blood of our Redeemer. If one is not washed in the blood he does not have life, but destruction. Why? Life is in the blood!

(3)Unity is in the Blood. We talk about our families and those who are “blood kin” or relatives, but that makes little difference. What is most important is that we are blood relatives if we are in Christ. God adopts us into His family when we apply the blood of Christ (Gal.4:5-7). We are one in Christ. We are a spiritual family. If we saw the chemistry of the blood, we would see there is no division in the body. All parts of the body need blood. As a local church we are a body (I Cor.12:12-27). We are to be one in purpose, goal, and love.

(4)We Overcome by the Blood of Jesus (Rev.12:10-11). Satan comes making accusations and trying to infect us with worldly poison. We overcome him by the blood of the Lamb (I Pet.1:18-19; I Jno.1:7-9). Without blood, there is no life. That is both a physical and spiritual truth. The Hebrew writer states in Hebrews 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.” Do you want forgiveness from your sins? Then be washed in the blood of the Lamb (Acts 2:38).