Roman Road: Redemption and Salvation

The Romans Road is God’s plan of salvation as detailed in the Book of Romans. We need salvation because we have sinned - violated God’s laws (Romans 3:23). Sinning severs our relationship with God and causes us to die spiritually - be separated from God for eternity (Romans 6:23). There is nothing we can do to pay the penalty for our sins – earn our salvation.

God demonstrated His infinite love towards us (showed us His grace) by paying the penalty for our sins. Jesus was crucified for us even when we did not know or love God (Romans 5:8). Romans 10:9 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 3:24-25 summarized what Jesus did for us, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.” Propitiation is the act of paying a penalty that allows for reconciliation. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross. We benefit from His sacrifice by believing that He is God and that He died for us.

Peter on the day of Pentecost told His Jewish audience, “God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:35). The order of His titles is important. Jesus is first our Lord and then our Messiah/Savior.

Jesus redeemed us – He paid the penalty for our sins, which makes Him our Lord. By paying the price He saved us – making Him our Messiah/Savior. Redemption is not the same as salvation. Jesus redeemed us (paid the penalty for our sins) in order to save us (reconcile us to God and spare us punishment in hell).

Apolutrósis is the Greek word for redemption. It literally means, "buying back, re-purchasing what was previously lost." We are sinners from our birth (Psalm 58:3, 51:5) which makes us “slaves to sin” from our birth (Romans 6:17. Jesus paid the price for our sins which bought us out of slavery to sin. He is our redeemer and our Lord.

Romans 6:15-23 uses slavery to explain our situation. Jesus redeemed us from being slaves to sin, impurity and lawlessness. Slaves to sin suffer shame in this life and eternity in hell. Jesus purchased us to be slaves to righteousness and to God. “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life” (Romans 6:23).

“You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, … but I have called you friends” (John 15:14-15). “Fear Yehovah and serve Him in sincerity and truth…choose for yourselves today whom you will serve… as for me and my house, we will serve Yehovah” (Joshua 24:14-15).

Let us joyfully serve our Redeemer, love our Savior and honor our God forever.