Where the bad news and the Good News meet.
I’m one of those folk who grew up Fundamental. Not so much my family of birth, but my spiritual/church family was clearly a part of that staunch band. Flannel-graphs, Child Evangelism Fellowship, Bible camp, and sword drills were key elements in my spiritual upbringing.
I can’t remember when I first heard the Romans Road explained. Basically it is way of sharing the Good News about salvation in Jesus Christ, using key verses from the Book of Romans. There are many versions of this simple evangelistic presentation, but all of them I’m familiar with have Romans 3:23 first or second. It's a verse that announces the opposite of good news. “. . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The first half of the next verse in the presentation is an even more severe downer. “The wages of sin is death” (6:23). You’ve got the disease and it’s fatal, and if you understand the fullness of that death—more so.
The fact is the first three chapters of Romans are almost totally bad news. Read 3:1-20 for a summary. Actually, by the time we get to Romans 3:23 the Apostle Paul has already turned a corner and has begun to tell us about the Good News. Verse 21 shares “now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested.” This “righteousness of God” is accessed “through faith in Jesus Christ.” It is available to “all those who believe; for there is no distinction” (22). Verse 23 is where the bad news and Good News meet. The Gospel (Good News) is offered to all who believe. Why is it offered in this way? Because all have sinned, we all fail to measure up. Left to our own devices none of us will make it. All are lost. All who believe will be saved. The bad news leads us to the good, and encourages us to knock on the door.
Go ahead.
Read more here.
It’s STTA. |
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