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This is what the nice man had shared with me. It is called the Roman's Road to salvation. Now, don't get me wrong but my parents did believe in God, but we never went to church. I never understood about God or Jesus. But after talking to the nice man, I think his name is Ray, I totally understand about how Jesus, God's only son, came down to this earth so ordinary people could have salvation. Ray even gave me a Bible, I plan to sit down and start reading it tonight.

The Roman's Road to salvation: Examining God's Forgiveness and Love

There is a God in heaven who loves you as you are.

While many of us believe in God, we feel separated from Him. We know God to be holy and good and see ourselves as unholy, undeserving of his love. We feel that we cannot know him. However, God loves us and His love will
save us from our sins and allows us to be God's children.

John 3:16 is one of the most famous verses in the Bible. It states, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (KJV)

He loved the world, not just specific individuals. He loves everyone. To understand this love and to get salvation, we must look at the Romans Road to Salvation. This, from a group of verses from the book of Romans in the New Testament, is a pathway we walk. By walking down this road, we will understand how to become saved and gain God's salvation.

Romans 6:23

"For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" (KJV)

We were all born with sin. We are under the control of sin. We have sin in our hearts and thoughts. Some people may laugh at this but yes even a bad thought, such as hating somebody is a sin. Even if you do not physically show this hate, it is still a sin when you think it. Since we sin, we have fallen short of God's intended purpose for us. He made us to know Him, to receive His love and to love Him. God gives us a choice. Many of us turn from Him to pursue our selfish lives. Since we sin, we cannot know God and His love. We are lost and separated from God. The first step along this road is to admit that you are a sinner.

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death..." (KJV)

Sin has an ending that results in death. We all face physical death. This has resulted from the beginning of time when Adam and Eve sinned. However, once we die, it does not end. we also die a spiritual death that alienates us from God for all eternity. The Bible talks about the Lake of fire where lost people will be in torment forever. We must understand that we deserve death for our sins. There is good news as we look at the remainder of this verse...

Romans 6:23

"...But the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (KJV)

Romans 6:23

God is offering a free gift to us. This is salvation, or eternal life. We do not earn this gift by doing good deeds. God gives us this gift with no strings attached. We must ask God for this Gift of Salvation, eternal
life with him. We must ask God to forgive us.

Romans 5:8

"But God commendth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (KJV)

When Jesus died on the Cross, He paid the price for all sins of the world. He bought us out of slavery to sin and death. God loved us so that when we were in our sin, Jesus Christ came to die for us. We must believe in Jesus and that He had died for us. By doing this, we are joined with Him and He is our life. He loved us and gave Himself for us. At this point in the Road, we give our lives to God. His love poured out in Jesus on the Cross is our only hope to have forgiveness and change. His love bought us out of sin's slavery. His love is what saves us, not religion or church membership. We remember that God loves us and reaches us where we are at.

Romans 10:13

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (KJV)

All we have to do is call out to God in the name of Jesus. To call is simply to ask in prayer. We are not required to do more. By praying a prayer of repentance and faith, we are saved.

"Believing by faith that God loves me and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sin and arise from the grave to live in me, I repent of my sin and accept Jesus Christ as my Personal Lord and Savior. According to the promise of God in Romans 10:13, I have called upon His name and have His Word for the assurance of my salvation."

Romans 10:9,10

(9) "That if though shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (KJV)

(10) For with the heart men believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (KJV)

God is knocking on our hearts' doors. We musk ask Him to come into our hearts. When we place faith in Jesus Christ, to simply take God at His Word, we receive His free gift of love and life. We must believe that Jesus
is God's Son, who died for our sin on the Cross and arose from the grave to live in us as Savior and Lord. Remember that Jesus is knocking on everybody's heart. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him." (KJV) Jesus is inviting us personally, asking us to come in to our hearts by faith and asking him to reveal Himself to us, By doing this we will
be born again.

We have reached the end of the Romans Road to Salvation by being Born Again. However, the Road does not stop here. It is a continuous journey, since we may stray from the path.

We must read the Bible and look through the different books, especially the Gospel of John. God will show and teach us. He loves us. We also must look for a church that teaches God's Word. We must desire this Word like a baby desires a mother's love. We must be hungry for the truth.

When we are saved, our bodies become God's temples. Our hearts are where He lives. Forgiveness is ours in Jesus. And we belong to Him. We were sin's slave. But now we are Children of God.

"Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner, and I am sorry. I need a Savior. I know I cannot save myself. I believe by faith that Jesus, your Son, died on the Cross to be my Savior. I believe He arose from the grave to live as my Lord. I turn from my sin. I ask you, Lord Jesus, to forgive my sins and come into my heart. I trust you as my Savior and receive you as my Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me."