Chase Radford
Oct 19, 2024
The Romans Road
Romans 3:23: “...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...."
Everybody is a sinner. Being a sinner separates us from having a relationship with a holy God who created all things. A relationship which in we find our true purpose in life — to glorify God and enjoy Him in all things. We need a solution.
Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
We were unlovable, but He loved us. We were hopeless, but He gives hope. We couldn't save ourselves, but Christ could.
Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The earned payment for sin — all sin, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem to us — is death. Christ died in the sinner's place and paid the penalty for sin so you wouldn't have to. He gave His life so you could live.
Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ...."
You don't need to walk around feeling guilty or shameful over your sin once you've believed in Christ because your sin is washed away. Guilt still has its purpose in our lives through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but because Christ Jesus pleads His blood on our behalf, those who have received Him are not guilty.
Romans 10:9: “...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, & believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved...”
Through faith in Jesus Christ, God's power can change you. Jesus can set you free.
Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
"How Can We Pray For You?"
This simple question can open up so many doors to not only pray with people, but to share the hope of the Gospel with them.
Romans 8:28 (ESV): 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
The Columbo Tactic
It's common for people to oppose the Gospel based on faulty presuppositions. "I'm not religious" is a frequent objection. Yet everyone has a worldview, which is essentially what a religion is — a worldview. When you find yourself in these kinds of situations, you can diplomatically engage with them, learn more about their worldview and introduce the Gospel by using a series of simple questions (Socratic Method).
The following are base questions. You can adjust as needed to suit your personality and the needs of the conversation.
Question 1: What do you mean by that?
Question 2: How did you come to that conclusion?
Question 3: Have you ever considered [insert fact / apologetic statement here]?
Evidence for the Bible
Reason #1: Prophecy
There are over 300 prophecies about Christ alone that were fulfilled in the Bible apart from hundreds of others. For example, Isaiah 53 (a prophecy of Jesus) was written 700 years before Jesus.
More here:
Reason #2: Unity of Scripture
40 authors (most of whom did not know each other or even live at the same time) over a 1600 year period and yet it all tells one unified story that leads to Jesus.
Bible Project - The Story of the Bible: https://youtu.be/7_CGP-12AE0?si=PQkZWO76VD0RRlv2
Reason #3: Archeological evidence
There are many archaeological discoveries that support the reliability of the Bible. A few examples:
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Tel Dan Inscription
The Muratorian Fragment
The Shroud of Turin
Artifacts of a heel bone of a crucified man have been found, proving that crucifixion was a way that criminals were executed.
More here:
Reason #4: Eyewitness Accounts
If the Gospels were wrong then other eyewitnesses at the time would’ve come against them to debunk them. But there’s no evidence showing these types of claims. In fact, the opposite.
Many people don’t realize there are dozens of writings that survived outside of the Bible in the records of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans that verify the historical accuracy of the Bible’s records of different persons, places, and events.
Flavius Josephus, first century Jewish historian (AD 37/38–97)
Eusebius, early church historian (c. 260–340 AD)
Roman Historian, Cornelius Tacitus (c. AD 55–120)
Gaius Suetonius (AD 69–died after 122) the chief secretary of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (who reigned AD 117–138)
Pliny the Younger (AD 61/62–c. 113) a Roman author and administrator
Papias was a Greek Apostolic Father, Bishop of Hierapolis, and author who lived c. 60–163 AD