woman on road with Bible

Are you comfortable sharing the Gospel? Some of us hesitate because we fear how others will respond. And may of us would love to share the Good News of salvation through Jesus, but really aren’t sure how to share it. One helpful “road map” for equipping ourselves to tell others about eternal salvation is the “Roman Road.” This title – a cute nod to the ancient Romans’ extensive and well-maintained system of roads –  describes a collection of verses from the book of Romans that outlines our sin problem and God’s solution.

Either memorizing or simply knowing how to find these verses is an easy way for every Christian to equip ourselves so we will always be ready to share the reason for the eternal hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). Jesus called all of us to tell others about Him, not just the preacher and the missionary. It doesn’t take a seminary degree or a weekend course or a special “calling.” All we need to share the truth is a handful of Scripture verses and a desire to see the lost come to know Jesus.

What is the “Gospel?”

Before we hit the “Roman Road,” let’s remind ourselves of the gospel message. Scripture also often calls this the Good News of Jesus because it is the best news ever! In Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth, he summarized the gospel in just a few verses:

Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.  It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NLT

That’s it! That’s the Gospel! Christ died for our sins and rose again to provide eternal salvation. Just like God said He would!

Of course the salvation message is all over the Bible. Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus – the tabernacle, the sacrificial system, the Law, and the prophets. We could spend eternity talking about all Jesus has done for us and never reach the end of His mercy and grace.

However, when God gives us the opportunity to tell someone about Jesus, we often only have a moment, a small window of time. But a little advance preparation will not only equip us for the moment, it will also give us confidence to open our mouths and grab the God-given chance to share Jesus.

The Roman Road

In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul crafted a beautiful exposition of the Good News. The gospel is the heart and soul of the book of Romans. But there are a handful of verses, that when shared together, present the gospel in a concise, clear way. The “Roman Road” is a short list of verses that show our need for salvation and how Jesus fills that need. I have seen variations of this list that includes 4 to 8 verses. My list below includes 5, easy-to-memorize verses.

  1. Romans 3:23 – Every person has sinned, has done things contrary to God’s holy perfection.
  2. Romans 6:23 – Our sin has a cost. That cost is spiritual death or eternal separation from God.
  3. Romans 5:8 – Because God loves us, He paid our sin debt Himself. Sinless, perfect Jesus died in our place.
  4. Romans 10:13 – Anyone and everyone who accepts Jesus’ gift, or “calls on His name,” will receive God’s salvation.
  5. Romans 10:9-10 – Anyone who believes and confesses that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead will be saved!

You can use the Roman Road anytime or anywhere. Here are 3 ways you can use and share:

  • Mark the verses in your Bible.
  • Print this “printable” version of the verses and put in your purse or wallet.
  • Memorize the verses so you are always prepared!

Want to get Deep Rooted in Romans?

The book of Romans is so very rich! If the Roman Road whet your appetite for more from this gospel-saturated book, check out my just-released 40-day devotional “Deep Rooted: Growing through the Book of Romans.” Check it out on Amazon!

Do you feel ready to share the Good News of Jesus anytime, anywhere? If not, why not?

Here are a few other resources you may find helpful:

Titus Bible Study

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