I recently saw a pastor criticizing what is known as the Romans Road. I’ve seen this several times over the years and every time I found it very strange.
The so-called Romans Road is simply a series of verses, all from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, which basically summarizes the way of salvation. It goes something like this…
The Romans Road usually begins with a verse or two that demonstrates that man is a sinner such as Romans 3:10, 3:23, and/or 5:12. Then it leads to Romans 6:23 which tells us that the “wages of sin is death”. The second half of that same verse gives a great segway into the fact that even though we must all die since we are all sinners we can still be saved from the condemnation of sin because “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”. From here the soul-winner can take the sinner to a verse like Romans 5:8 and elaborate on what Christ did to save us which is die for us on the cross. This is essentially the Gospel of Christ. After introducing this Gospel the soul winner can then conclude this presentation with an appeal to the sinner to call on Christ for salvation after reading verses like Romans 10:9-10 and 10:13.
I may have left out a verse or two, or a step or two, but that pretty much is the gist of it.
I have used this simple presentation to lead many souls to Christ over the years. It’s not the only way that I have used but it is one way that I have found to be effective. I have also taught this same presentation to many new converts as a way to get them started in winning souls to Christ. On the mission field I trained over 50 men for the service of the Lord and many of them I taught the Romans Road as a way to get them started in engaging sinners with the Gospel.
In fact, just a couple weeks ago I taught this very thing to a young man who got saved and baptized in our church. A week later this new convert joyfully shared with me the exciting news that he used the Romans Road to win his sister and both his Catholic parents to the Lord. Praise the Lord! Right?
Well, according to some super smart pastors, I guess we really shouldn’t be praising the Lord because according to them there’s something wrong with the Romans Road. No I’m not kidding you. This is not a joke. I just recently watched online a preacher, who is a good man mind you, not just criticize but ridicule from the pulpit the Romans Road. I also heard many brethren, some who I know personally, laugh and even “amen” the preacher as he belittled the Romans Road. If I was in that congregation, I wouldn’t have been laughing or saying “amen” to that (and I love to laugh and say amen).
What was his criticism of the Romans Road? He implied that it was a shallow presentation of the Gospel or something like that. Shallow? Really? Actual Bible verses are shallow now?
“No Brother Manny. It’s not the Bible verses that are shallow, it’s their approach.” Really? Taking someone through a series of Scriptures to lead them to salvation is a shallow approach now?
Here is the problem that I have with some brethren in my circle. Some brethren have become too smart for their own good. Some brethren seem to have a talent for finding something wrong with EVERYTHING. They can look at a rock, or a tree, or a blade of grass, and find something to complain about.
Just when you thought that surely this is something uncriticizable (is that a word?)… you know like taking someone through a series of GOD INSPIRED BIBLE VERSES for crying out loud!… in an attempt to rescue lost souls from an eternity in hell, leave it to the super intelligent, super enlightened, super deep, super-duper brethren to find something wrong with something that there is absolutely nothing wrong with.
When you find an actually BIBLICAL presentation of the Gospel to be wrong or shallow, its time for you to take a step back and reevaluate your perspective on spiritual things. Like a preacher said one time, “Some people are so deep they are deeper than the Holy Spirit”. Preachers who find something wrong under every rock are lazy preachers who have run out of material. There are plenty of legitimate things to criticize. We live in a day and time when boys and girls don’t even know which bathroom to use anymore and you’re wasting your time criticizing a Christian’s sincere and biblical attempt to win souls to Christ? Seriously?
Some Christians need to get a life. An evangelistic one! Some of these super smart Christians haven’t won a soul in ages because they are too busy criticizing everyone else’s way of doing it. Their critical spirits have rendered them ineffective for the cause of Christ.
Dear Christian, don’t let some know-it-all shame you from your sincere attempt to win souls. Feel free to use the Romans Road, or the Philippian Bypass, or the Acts Avenue, the Ephesians Interstate, the Galatians Shortcut, the Colossians Cruise, the first Corinthians Scenic Route, the Hebrews Highway, the Revelation Roadmap, or whatever way you find helpful in leading souls to Christ. One way or another, GET THEM TO JESUS!
Proverbs 11:30 says “he that winneth souls is wise.” You couldn’t find a wiser approach to lead someone to Christ than to take them through a series of Bible verses from Romans that clearly presents the Gospel.
Pastor Manny's Perspective 