THE BEAT e137 Walk the Roman Road with Jesus, and Paul (do not assume salvation, surrender to it)

This is Faith to Witness 99, motivating us to hear God and share the Shepherd.  

Season 2 Episode 137  

THE BEAT | Walk the Roman Road with Jesus and Paul (do not assume salvation, surrender to it)

Quick Take 

Hey human, we are walking a few roads today. Up to the rim of Mt. Vesuvius. Consider the roads built by the Romans to connect the Roman Empire and spread the gospel of Jesus. The Ostian Way, where Paul was martyred. We worship on The Roman Road through the apostle Paul and consider the road we each walk to find the one. E137. Thanks for listening.

Who do you say Jesus is?

I’m Kathryn Bise, your host.

In 2015 my husband and I climbed to the rim of Mt. Vesuvius. It is located in southern Italy, on the Gulf of Naples, and is part of the Campanian Volcanic Arc. It is situated about 5.6 miles east of Naples, about 142 miles south of Rome. The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was buried under volcanic ash and debris when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, thought to be approximately 30 years after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (30AD).

The climb, though not difficult in itself, can be more of a challenge, depending on weather conditions. We climbed in 103-degree heat and wind. It was a dusty road, thick with gravel, rocks and sand. Something to navigate with most steps. Going down was perhaps more of a challenge than going up.

I kept thinking, it would sure be easier if this road were paved.

The Roman Road through 400 Years

God’s story in the Old Testament takes us through 42 generations—beginning with His covenant to Abraham. God brought His only Begotten Son to redeem His chosen nation from 2,000 years of worship and disobedience. That gets us to Malachi, or Nehemiah… if you read by the chronological narrative.

Then, for 400 years God appeared silent, but He was not. Three centuries before Christ, during this period we have labeled as “silent” Rome built The Appian Way, a Roman road used as a main route for military supplies for its conquest of southern Italy in 312 BC and for improvements in communication. 29 major highways from Rome, 370 great roads from the vast empire, 250,000 miles of roadway including over 80,000 miles of paved roads.

80,000 miles of paved roads. A physical distinction that defined what a Roman road was.

Through this road system, the apostles and other disciples of Jesus spread the Gospel message with a universal language throughout most of the known world in less than 70 years. Thank you, Alexander (the Great). God’s story is about how He goes before His chosen people. No one goes before God. There’s a whole lot of warrior-grade mightiness to that.

In the book of Romans, authored by Paul, it isn’t a surprise that the apostle outlines what scholars have named “the Roman Road to Salvation.”

It makes sense, given the time Paul spent in Rome, and the paved road Paul was likely martyred on in 67AD.  The Via Ostiense, now marked by the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The Ostian Way was a paved road that Paul traveled, ultimately to his earthly death.

And so is the road to salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Roman Road to Salvation

The Roman Road is a popular approach to presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is the Biblical Romans Road? Simply put, the Roman Road shows the path to Heaven. It uses points from the apostle Paul in the book of Romans to explain God’s gift of salvation. At each stop Paul builds on why we need salvation, how God has provided for it, and how we receive it.

The Roman Road describes the only way to Heaven. The entire book of Romans is epic. In my opinion it is Paul at his theological best. That man poured, or I should say God poured all of Paul’s scholarly past into his present-day witness… on so many Roman roads. I am taking us through it because it simplifies the dialogue to prepare us for when that moment comes in a conversation. By this I don’t mean that the moment includes every verse here at once. But the sequence is important. Witnessing about our sin nature can take time. But it’s beautiful how organic Paul laid this out, because with each realization, the next step is spiritually prompted.

There are variations on the Roman Road, but I want to share key scriptures, followed by a paraphrased first-person affirmation. I am saying the affirmation twice with an invitation to you, to say it the second time with me.

Walk with me, human. Let’s hear God’s word.

Romans 3:23

 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

I am a sinner. I fall short of God’s glory.

I am a sinner. I fall short of God’s glory.

Romans 6:23

 

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I pay for my sin with death, but God gives me eternal life in his Son, Christ Jesus my Lord.

I pay for my sin with death, but God gives me eternal life in his Son, Christ Jesus my Lord.

Romans 5:8

 

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God shows me his love by sending Jesus Christ, his Son to die for me.  

God shows me his love by sending Jesus Christ, his Son to die for me. 

Romans 8:1

 

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

God will not condemn me as a sinner if I receive salvation through Christ Jesus.  

God will not condemn me as a sinner if I receive salvation through Christ Jesus. 

Romans 10:9-13

 

9 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. 10 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. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

If I declare that Jesus is my Lord and believe in my heart that God resurrected his Son, I am saved.

If I declare that Jesus is my Lord and believe in my heart that God resurrected his Son, I am saved.

If I call upon the name of the Lord, I am saved.

If I call upon the name of the Lord, I am saved.

The Personal Road to Salvation

Why am I doing this? Because I know that a sure road to spiritual decline, to spiritual deception, comes through spiritual pride that allows our hearts to assume self-sufficiency.

Assume we are good,

assume we are strong,

assume we are capable.

But the tragic assumption we make is this: assuming we are saved by our own merit.

And assuming those around us, those we love, those who seem like such good people, are saved.

What is the question our sovereign Savior asks us through the words of the apostle Paul?

2 Corinthians 13:5

 

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

The first question: Are you in the faith? Have you walked the Roman Road?

Or maybe you may have confessed your sin, asked for redemption, but have not answered this question with your life. You asked to be saved but you didn’t profess Jesus as Lord of your life. So, your life doesn’t reflect it.

Or you are living as if it is a given because you grew up in a church, singing along with a worship team, repeating what others said about THEIR salvation. You are quick to follow Christina influencers and say “amen.” Salvation is not inherited through the salvation of another person. There is no family plan for salvation.

If you have had a Damascus Road experience with Jesus and have gone the Roman road with the apostle Paul, hallelujah.

It’s time to find someone else who has not.

Ask the Jesus Question All Day Long

I have had a song lyric running through my head as I prepped this episode, but it took me awhile to find it.

Although the ‘80s band, Restless Heart, was singing about a relationship between a man and a woman, this line stuck with me several decades ago in a different Jesus kind of way.

The road I have travelled on,

Is paved with good intentions

It’s littered with broken dreams,

That never quite came true.

Jesus tells us that our servanthood is about what our heart’s intent is, our motive is. The danger is that our mantra of good intentions can also be used to deceive us into thinking somehow, we can aspire to, approach, and enter heaven because we are good, decent people who mean well.

God tells us otherwise.

That good intention can coax us into a life compromised by, no submitted to failure, always trying to do the right thing, but falling short. And being okay with it.

God tells us otherwise.

Here is his word, also on the Roman road…

Romans 11:6

 

6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

I cannot earn my salvation through good works, or any of a thousand acts of decency because I fall short of the glory of God. I receive grace through unmerited favor. I cannot enter heaven because I am a good, decent person.

Good, decent people might tell us that they are on the road paved with good intention. They show compassion, help others, honor the dignity of another human often, but if it is not done in Christ, then what?

Matthew 7:21-23

 

True and False Disciples

 

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

 

Again with Romans 3:23. We have all sinned. I am a sinner.

This is where salvation starts. With my sin. Your sin, human. Everyone’s starting point. When we confess, repent and submit to Jesus as our Savior and our Lord, a new life journey begins with him.

With Jesus on the Roman Road. This was his commission to us.

Do Not Assume Salvation

When Jesus was on earth, he asked Peter, “who do you say I am”? Let’s ask others this question.

Let’s ask those who are consistently walking spiritually out of step: “Are you in the faith? Do you not realize Christ Jesus is in you?”

Let’s walk the Roman road with Jesus, and Paul, and others.

With everyone in your life that you love, everyone God has put on your path that you barely know, and all those who you are comfortable acquaintances with. With strangers. In your conversations love your way to taking them through the Roman Road affirmations about sin, death, God’s redeeming love through his Son, and the two steps we each must take: confess with our mouth, believe with our heart.

Do not assume salvation. Surrender to it. God will lead you to the truth in someone’s life.

1 Corinthians 8:6

 

6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.