4 steps · ≈ 4 min read
The Romans Road
Walk through our need for salvation, God's gift, and how to respond, using four verses from Romans.
A gift worth understanding
Thank you for taking a few moments with me. I'd love to share four verses from the Bible that explain why we need salvation, what Jesus has done for us, and how we can respond to Him. These verses are sometimes called the Romans Road. May I share them with you?
We have all sinned
The first verse is Romans chapter three, verse twenty-three. It says:
‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;’
That word ‘all’ includes every one of us. Sin is not just the wrong things we do; it includes the times we turn away from God's ways and put ourselves first. No one can earn a relationship with God by being good enough. The first step toward receiving His gift is being honest about our need.
Sin has a consequence, but God offers a gift
The next verse is Romans chapter six, verse twenty-three:
‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’
Wages are something we earn. The Bible tells us that sin leads to death and separation from God. But notice the other half of that verse: God offers a gift. Eternal life is not something we could purchase or deserve. God offers it through Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. He paid the price we could never pay, because He loves us.
Believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord
Listen to Romans chapter ten, verse nine:
‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’
God calls us to more than knowing facts about Jesus. He calls us to trust Him from the heart: to believe that Jesus is Lord, that He died for our sins, and that God raised Him from the dead. We can turn away from our sins and place our lives in His hands.
His invitation is for anyone
Now listen to Romans chapter ten, verse thirteen:
‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
‘Whosoever’ means the invitation is open to you. You do not have to clean up your whole life before coming to Jesus. You can turn to Him today, ask for His forgiveness, and put your trust in Him. This is not about saying perfect words. It is about sincerely trusting the Savior who died and rose again.
If you believe this good news and would like to respond to Jesus, would you like to pray with me? You can speak these words to God from your heart.
A Prayer to Pray
If you would like to keep reading
Entirely optional. A Bible of your own, and somewhere to read more, is a good next step.
- A free Bible appRead or listen to the Bible on your phone, offline.
- The King James Version onlineThe same translation used in every verse here.
- The Gospel of John, chapter oneThe best place to begin reading about Jesus.
- Short reading plansGentle daily readings if you would like a rhythm.
These links open other websites, which have their own privacy practices.