God had made the way of salvation clear. The purpose of this lesson is to guide you in learning how to use the Scriptures to explain the way of salvation.

The Romans Road to salvation is a way of explaining the good news using verses from the Book of Romans. It is a simple yet powerful method of explaining why we need salvation, how God provided salvation, how we can receive salvation, and what are the results of salvation.

An easy way to remember the flow of the story is to use the G-O-S-P-E-L acronym.

G = God created us to be with Him.
O = Our sins separate us from God.
S = Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.
P = Paying the price for our sins, Jesus died and rose again.
E = Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.
L = Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

When engaged in a spiritual conversation, look for an opportunity to ask questions that will give you insight into what another believes about the way of salvation. One witnessing model suggests the use of the following exploratory questions to initiate a spiritual conversation. The answers to these questions will indicate whether an individual is trusting in anything other than Christ alone for salvation.

Have you come to a place in your life that you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to heaven when you die?

Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, “Why should I let you into My heaven?” What do you think you would say?



G = God Created Us To Be With Him
When sharing your faith, begin on a positive note. Explain that God created us and loves us (Psalm 100:3). He wants for us to live full and meaningful lives and to spend eternity with Him in heaven (John 10:10). In fact, He loves us so much that He offers us the remarkable gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23b).



O = Our Sins Separate Us From God
Transition to what keeps people from experiencing the kind of life God desires for us to have. The Bible tells us that we are separated from God. According to Romans 3:10, “There is none righteous, not even one.” The word righteous means “in right standing or relationship with.” No one is in right standing with God because we are all sinners by nature and by choice. Our sin separates us from God.

Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In other words, we have all sinned. To sin means to miss the mark of God’s standard of perfection. We have all done things that are displeasing to God. There is no one who is innocent. Romans 3:10-18 gives a detailed picture of what sin looks like in our lives.



S = Sins Cannot Be Removed By Good Deeds
We cannot remove sin by doing good deeds. Some think that when they get to heaven God is going to weigh their bad and bad deeds. If the scale tips in their favor, they reason, then God will let them into heaven. This belief is contrary to the teaching of the Bible. If you could earn your way to heaven by doing good works then Christ died in vain (Galatians 2:21).

Because we have sinned against God, we all deserve death and hell. Romans 6:23 makes it clear that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The punishment that we have earned for our sins is death. Not just physical death, but eternal death or separation from God!

P = Paying the Price for Our Sins, Jesus Died and Rose Again
The Bible tells us some wonderful news. Because God loves us so much, He provided a way for us to be forgiven. Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” That is really good news! Jesus Christ died for us. His death paid for the price of our sins and His resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus’ death as the payment for our sins.

God loves us but hates our sin. When Jesus died on the cross, God laid on Him all my sin and guilt (Isaiah 53:6). “[Jesus] was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:25).

E = Everyone Who Trusts in Him Alone Has Eternal Life


A gift can only be received or rejected. We must receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, we cannot earn it. To receive God’s gift we must repent (do an “about-face”) of our sin, believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin and rose victoriously from the dead, and surrender to Him as Lord.

Romans 10:9-10 explains “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, all we have to do is believe in Him, trusting His death as the payment for our sins — and we will be saved.




L = Life With Jesus Starts Now…

Ask the person if what you have shared makes sense to them. Ask them if they are willing to turn from their sin and place their faith in Jesus right now.

Clarify that to receive God’s gift of eternal life they must do the following: repent of your sin, place your faith in Jesus, and surrender to Jesus as Lord.

Explain that the Bible says, “‘Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13). We call on the name of the Lord in prayer.

You can pray this simple prayer to receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Saying this prayer is a way to declare to God that you are relying on Jesus Christ for your salvation. The words themselves will not save you. Only faith in Jesus Christ can provide salvation!

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life and be both my Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing my prayer and giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

… And Lasts Forever
Romans 5:1 has this wonderful message, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Through Jesus Christ we can have a relationship of peace with God. Romans 8:1 teaches us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, we will never be condemned for our sins.

We also have this precious promise of God from Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” You can also use John 3:16, John 10:27-29, and 1 John 5:12 to explain assurance of salvation.

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If you have a smartphone, download the Life In 6 Words Mobile App. This is a useful tool for sharing your faith with others by using the G-O-S-P-E-L acronym.