Everyone has heard of The Roman Road message for evangelism. That magical formula that sends us to send heaven. Many Christians argue that Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome was his great theological treatise and that all of his work should be read in light of this one letter. They would go on to say that the only way that we can truly understand Scripture is to first prioritize the the Pauline letters along with the rest of the Epistles, and then secondarily, the Gospels, and then the “Old Testament.” An arbitrary hermeneutic that only benefits people with particular theological biases, like all modes of interpretation.
Romans, for certain, is a strange book, and even stranger, the same God who is referred to as the God of hope, the God of peace is the same God who is supposedly responsible for double predestination (the foreordination of eternal salvation for the elect and damnation for the reprobate prior to creation or after the fall, or however that works).
A relative graciously gave me a purple and gold bookmark for Christmas, with Romans 12:12, and I went back and read the whole chapter, and here is my own Roman Road, the salvation that Christ offers.
1. Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices (like the Risen Christ who offers himself as Mediator and High Priest) and not conforming to what ever the universe may randomly deem as good. (verse 1 & 2)
2. Love others in mutuality (verse 10 & 11)
3. Joy in the hope of the Resurrection (verse 12)
4. Helping those in need, being hospitable to strangers (verse 13)
5. Overcoming evil with good, loving our enemies, feeding our enemies if they are hungry, nourishing them with drink if our enemies are thirsty, living peacefully with all persons. Blessing our persecutors. (verses 14-21).
Jesus had to walk on the Roman Road to save all of us.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, remember?
Let us follow him.
