Many, if not most Christians have heard of the Roman Road, a term used for three references found in the book of Romans. They are often used in evangelism tracts to witness to unbelievers about their salvation. The first reference is Romans 3:23 which reads, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”
The key focus in this verse is the word “all”…all have sinned. By the way, in the Greek language, all means all, and that’s all all means.
Having established the fact that all have sinned, we move to the second reference in the Roman Road, Romans 6:23 which reads, “…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Now, as the unbeliever looks at this verse with you, the question arises, “How does one get this gift of eternal life?”
This leads to the third reference, Romans 10: 9, 10 which reads, “… if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Now, when an unbeliever prays a similar prayer with a sincere heart, they are born again. They become a child of God, a new creation in Christ. Hallelujah, praise be to God!
Once one is a new creation in Christ, what’s the next step? You guessed it. Discipleship! Here’s where the Galatian Road comes in.
Many years ago the spirit of the Lord led me to three references found in the book of Galatians to help the new believer in Christ (and others as well) understand how one is to live out this new life. In Galatians, Paul’s first letter, he establishes the foundation for living the Christian life.
In Galatians 1:15, 16 we read, “but when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man…” The key word found in verse 16 is the word “in” when God was pleased to reveal his son in me…
Paul did not consult others to see if this was true (Christ living in him). Why? Because God revealed it to him, and there is no higher authority. Hello!
Galatians 2:20 is the second reference in the Galatian Road. Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Paul is now revealing to us what God revealed to him. All born again believers at salvation receive a new life, the life of Christ to live in and through them by the power of the Holy Spirit. Well, amen!
Now the third reference in the Galatian Road is Galatians 6:15 which states, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” Paul is saying whether you’re a Jew, circumcised and under the law or a Gentile, uncircumcised under grace, you must be born again/made anew.
II Corinthians 5:17 reads, “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” That’s the mystery of Christianity, Christ in you the hope of glory!
Paul wrote in I Corinthians 3:10, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus is our foundation, Jesus is our rock, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus died for us, to give his life to us, to live his life through us. That’s the Christian life, and it is to be lived by faith in the finished work of Christ our Lord.
Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
Use the Roman Road for leading unbelievers to salvation through the cross of Christ. Use the Galatian Road to disciple believers through the life of Christ.
Christianity is not a self-improvement, it is a self-replacement.