Roman's Road Soul-Winning Method

confess, cry, plead, pray, knell, feel the need to turn from all sin, be humble. all of this should be discounted as any means to recommend themselves to God. is there a plan to follow for salvation? God has given us the record of His crucified Son now believe it.

 

Ah, yes, the Romans Road, what trash.

We must repent, do the stations of the cross, wear sackcloth and ashes, make sure we are at church every time the door is open, abstain from all appearance of evil, never sin again (after all, there is no such thing as backsliding), live up to the demands of legalism, and that's just for starters. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a lot more involved than the Romans Road would have us believe....What on earth was Paul thinking?

 

Here are some other things Paul was thinking:

"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your unrepentant heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God, who 'will render to each one according to his deeds': eternal life to those who by patient continuence in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortalitly; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also for the Greek". Romans 2:5-9

"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" Romans 6:16

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live." Romans 8:13

"For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you will also be cut off." Romans 11:21-22.

 

But, DT, doesn't that deal with discipleship, which is a different issue altogether, from the Romans Road (or presentation of the Gospel).

 

I believe the Gospel is a call to be a disciple, or follower, of Christ. In the Great Commission Christ commanded the Apostles to make disciples of all nations. To be a disciple is to be a Christian, and vice versa. The notion that there exists a class of "saved" Christians that are not disciples is foreign to historical Biblical Christianity.

Just my 2 cents.

 

1. Don't go catholic on me.

2. Paul was thinking something else obviously. Seeing how the book of Romans is just a bit longer than the trite Romans Road.

 

I am new on the board so maybe it should be no surprise that I am confused. The "Romans Road" is just a few verses out of the Bible (so how they could be trash I do not understand or agree!) They point out the need for a savior and that God through his mercy and grace has provided one! Obviously they do not contain all knowledge and truth in the Bible. Discipleship is very important, but that seems to me to be two diffrent topics, Please forgive me if I am totally missing something.

 

Justdan, hi. My comment about trash was intended to be sarcastic. Of course the Romans Road is not trash! It is a simple soul winner's tool to lead someone to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, it has been dubbed by some here & on various web sites as "easy beliverism," or as I put it so bluntly, trash. I don't believe in doing the stations of the cross either, or any other "works" for salvation.

The Gospel is simple. It is the most precious gift and given freely by God to undeserving mankind. The Gospel itself is so simple, even a child can understand it.

What is being confused is the Gospel itself & Discipleship by those who no longer regard the Romans Road to be of any use or have thrown it onto the trash heap as no longer appropriate or relevent to these modern times and ways of doing things. Hope that clears up your puzzlement.

 

Thank you LadyEagle.
If accepting Gods simple Gospel is "easy beliverism", What is "hard beliverism"? A works based look what I earned salvation?

 

Charles Finney goes to great lengths to explain how to tell true repentance from easy believism (Jesus come in. Thanks. I'm saved.) in such chapters as: "True & False Repentance," "True & False Conversion," "False Comforts for Sinners," and many others. His theology may not be 100% perfect, yet I know of no human who I'd consider 100% doctrinally sound in all points, especially if they wrote on a lot of topics. Most Christian writers I've seen at least credit Finney, Whitefield, Moody, etc. with converting thousands of souls who remained true to Christ for long periods of time, experiencing a true soul change. Easy believism is "salvation" without real godly sorrow for sinful deeds, without hatred of sin condition, without real abiding faith and trust in the Lord. Hard believism is legalism, trusting in good works to save you or trusting in altar calls, evangelical events, spiritual "feelings" or any other physical thing for salvation.

 

Umm, So inbetween easy believism ( fire insurance ) and hard believism (works ) is salvation ( faith ). I heard somewhere "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" That would include the Romans Road. I realise it can be missused , but so can every other part of the bible. Just because someone quoted the verses real fast and told someone to repeat a "prayer" after them, doesn't mean it can not be used in real soul winning.

 

Justdan, you have great wisdom there!

Stop fussing about what to use and just share Jesus! The Holy Spirit will show you the verses to use!

I tell this all the time but I once was talking with a young man who squatted down and began drawing in the dirt. Can you guess what verses I used to witness to HIM?

Diane

 

Right on dianetavegia! Score one for Lovelorn Evangelism. It's not the technique, or lack thereof, but rather the love and sincerity and zeal you manifest toward the lost, the damned, and the seeking. Rely on the Power from On High, the Advocate, the Comforter, the Guider Into All Truth.

 

Just give'em Jesus and follow up on them.

 

I don't like the way of the so called Roman's Road!

I still believe that it takes a old time conviction, and Roman's Road don't say anything about conviction, or repentance.

John 6:44 says
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

I believe it takes the conviction power of the Holy Spirit to bring a man to repentance.

Luke 13:3 says
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Mark 6:12 says
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

Conviction is the only thing that will bring true repentance.

Old time Conviction is something you don't hear much about anymore, but believe me without it man will not and can not repent with a true heart.

Preacher Ron

 

Charles Finney, Letter III, A Cause of Spurious Conversions, REVIVAL FIRE: "Pains enough had not been taken to search the heart and thoroughly detect and expose the sinner's depravity, so as to make him see the need of the gospel remedy...he has never been stripped of his self-dependence and self-righteousness...has never known Christ, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, nor the being made conformable to His death, nor has he even any idea of what these things mean...he has no deep consciousness of sustaining the relation of an outlaw and a condemned criminal to the government of God, and being dead to all hope in himself or in any other creature...he has not apprehended the necessity and nature of gospel salvation." I think a person has to cry out for mercy, scream for salvation, at least mentally if not vocally, you know, really feel LOST and APART from God, horrified at sinful condition, deserving of eternal damnation, then that soul can appreciate and crave and receive salvation, not by way of these "works" but because of true sense of needing Jesus. Casual conversion is not true repentance.