I want to invite you to consider a few things:
- The apostle Paul himself has stated what He preached as the Gospel to get people saved: "[you know] how I kept back nothing that was profitable to you, but have shown you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:20-21).
- The apostle Paul wrote a letter to people who were saved already, not unbelievers in Rome. He did not send them the letter for the purpose of someone coming up with a "salvation formula" that we call today Romans Road.
- The apostle Paul addressed with the Roman believers things that they should know and that should be true of them if they were walking in the Spirit, in freedom from sin.
- Consider Romans ch 6, ch 8, ch 12 carefully and how much someone who has embraced the Romans Road and stopped at that can neglect these critical truths that the Romans Road guidance may not make clear at all.
- Consider the words of Jesus and how they fit (or not) in the walk of someone who has been satisfied taking the Romans Road as presented to him or her and calls it all there is to salvation in Jesus Christ.
- Consider what the Romans Road teaches about repentance, and especially if a way that does not include a clear call to repentance can lead to God's promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ. See these passages on repentance: Acts 17:30-31; Matthew 3:8-10, Matthew 4:18; Luke 5:32; Luke 13:1-5; Matthew 21:28-32.
- Consider
these calls to salvation by the apostle James, and how his approach may
seem incompatible with what a person learns by following the Romans
Road (or whether you feel that the same understanding is found in the
Romans Road):
James 4:8-10
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 1:21-2221 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness [that's repentance], receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word [that's faith], and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
Other scriptures to consider and see if they bring any more light on the way to salvation than what is communicated by the Romans Road formula:
2 Timothy 2:19
However
God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those
who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart
from unrighteousness.
It's good to compare the above with Romans 10:13:
For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
So,
the departing from unrighteousness (2 Timothy 2:19) which is answering
the Gospel's call to repentance may not make it into the understanding
of someone who calls on the name of the Lord according to the Romans
Road guidance. Do you see how that could be a problem?
This departing from unrighteousness is implied in calling on the name of the Lord:
Isaiah 55:6-7
6
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near: 7
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him; and to
our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
The
solution for anyone, however he or she has been led to Jesus is to
really receive Jesus' own words that are spirit and life (John 6:63) on
how to follow Him on the way to the Father, not what a theologian has
come up with as a formula. Jesus is the author of salvation, not man,
and that "faith" in Him means hearing and obeying Him faithfully until
the end. He is the way. If someone stops being faithful to Jesus, that
person also stops walking on the narrow way to eternal life, and that is
something a person brought to Christ by the Romans Road may not come to
understand, unfortunately. Please consider these things prayerfully.
Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (JESUS)
Luke 6:46-49
46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I
say? 47 Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I
will show you who he is like. (...)
John 12:48
He who rejects me, and does not accept my words, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him on the last day.
John 14:15, 21
15 If you love me, keep my commandments.
21
The one who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me.
And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love
him, and will manifest myself to him.”
John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.
Luke 9:23
He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
John 8:31-32
31
Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain
in my word, then you are truly my disciples. 32 You will know the
truth, and the truth will make you free (from sin - see in context, John
8:36).”
Luke 13:24
Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able.
Matthew 7:13-14
13
“Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way
that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it. 14
How narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way that leads to life. Few
are those who find it.
I
think these words of Jesus are enough to build a Jesus Road, so why
not? Let no one deceive you. That's a word from Jesus, too (Matthew
24:4). Anything that would push someone's attention away from Jesus' words in the four gospels is naturally a cause for concern.
Call to Repentance
The Gospel of Jesus
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