THE ROMAN ROAD TO HEAVEN

CHOOSING THE RIGHT ROAD AND MAP TO GUIDE SEEKER TO HEAVEN

INTRO: There are a number of world religions that teach the existence of a place called “Heaven” where faithful followers go when they die. Some believe in reincarnation, or belief in dead souls can come back and live another lifetime in a new / different body. Most believe doing good deeds earns one a place in heaven, as a reward. Likewise, most also believe their god will weigh good deeds with evil deeds each soul has done and hell is reserved for those who did more evil than good.

So, if each religion gives a different answer to the big question “what is the right road and right map to guide seeker to heaven?” Is there more than one road to heaven or if only one, what do we believe and follow?

If you are struggling with such questions, maybe you should do some research that might just convince you that the God of the Bible is real but also One with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The list of hard core atheists like: Alister McGrath, Albert Ross, Joy Davidson, Ann

2

Rice,C.S.Lewis, Lee Strobel. Devout Muslims like: Nabeel Gshi, and Ayaon Hirshi Ali.

Each of these athiests either devoted a season to studying the Bible with intent of proving it to be filled with exadurations and untruth but ended up being converted. Many atheists were converted after a life crisis where God interacted to spare them or a loved one. Likewise, the number of devoted Muslims are converted to Christianity due to a vision of Jesus coming to them. I invite you to do some research too including check some of the names and change Christ made in their lives.

It is true when Christ genuinely saves a person, there is always a significant change in conduct that can’t help but be noticeable. I can remember even at age 10 feeling convicted of my sins and asking Jesus to save me. Our local church had a week of revival services and the evangelist convicted many, including me, to go forward to the altar. I remember it was September 1961. I do remember it taking a lot of courage to stand up and go forward but don’t recall too much of his message but do remember going back home and went straight to my room and opened a little “Rainbow KJV Bible” my parents gave me previous Christmas and began to reading in Genesis and Romans and Matthew. I could understand much of what I was reading and couldn’t before.

The difference was huge especially when entered my teen years. The decision to yield to Him my life and life’s choices. I was fascinated hearing the testimonies of those deep in sin and drugs and alcohol and change salvation made in them, but then again the change was slower and harder. For me evenings, including Saturday and some Sunday evenings in high school and college, I would be preparing for a test or writing a paper or doing homework. School got harder in college years and demanded nearly all my time to maintain a B grade average. Yet, focus on school helped keep me out of circles of temptation and sin, including the consequences of those sins. Jesus was there guiding me through His Word, His example, close connection to parents / church family / a long list of God fearing wise adults, and even some teens that befriended me.

Yet I had a very poor opinion of myself. I was very skinny and thought I was too short, and it didn’t help to be home Saturday nights often watching Lawrence Welk in TV with my parents. Yes, Lawrence Welk with my parents! And, no, I wouldn’t have admitted that to anyone when I was in my 20’s but am 74 now so no big deal and have nothing to prove.

But during trying and disappointing and even difficult times, God has keep His promises and always walked with me giving wise council and keeping my heart soft enough and open enough to both hear and follow His wise council. He helped me make the best choice in career to learn at college, best choice on employer and job choices and opportunities to pursue. He used the department secretary of my engineering department to introduce me to a beautiful girl, Arlene Clark, she knew from church and family camp. She also knew her parents from church .

That was July 1976 and Arlene and I have been married 47+ years.

Please understand. By coming to the Lord early in my life, I avoided so many expensive and harmful consequences that destroyed lives and marriages and families. In spite of that, God still continues to demonstrate mercy to those enduring some of those consequences but restoration too.

As far as working our way to heaven, be glad we don’t have to. Price is far greater than we realize and can ever afford or accumulate. Eph.2:8-9 and John 14:6 tell us.

  1. Jesus is the only way to forgiveness and redemption paid for and given by Jesus with His

3

life and Love.

  1. Price is too high for us to buy but freely offered at no cost to you and me without price any and all willing to seek it. Work or service is our way to thank Him and express our appreciation for and love for Him. No other religion is based on this level of Love and generosity but also offering a relationship with God to us for eternity.
  2. We often refer to God as all knowing and all powerful but He is also all Good. Jesus example is our example of what “all Good” looks like and is and does. The requirement to get into heaven is to be sinless and “all good” but that is impossible. What Jesus did was buy our forgiveness by taking our punishment and cleansing us and His Holy Spirit dwelling in us to help us keep ourselves clean.

IT IS DIFFICULT FOR US TO COMPREHEND JUST HOW GOOD GOD IS LET ALONE HOW BAD YOU AND I STILL ARE COMPARED TO GOD’S GOODNESS.

OUR GOD IS NOT ONLY REAL AND ALIVE AND TRUSTWORTHY, HE IS ALL GOOD SO NO EVIL WILL BE ALLOWED OR TOLERATED IN HEAVEN AND WE WILL BE CHANGED TO BE LIKE HIM WHEN HE RETURNS TO TAKE US HOME. HE IS NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE OUR REDEMPTION IS FOR HIM, BUT IS SO HAPPY AND JOYFUL WHEN ONE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTS THAT GIFT FROM HIM WITHOUT PAYMENT FROM US.

BILLY GRAHAM NEVER GOT OVER THAT AND SHOWED HIS GRATITUDE BY TELLING AND SHOWING MILLIONS THE GIFT AND HOW TO ACCEPT THAT GIFT TOO. BY CONTRAST, ADOLF HITLER, EVEN THOUGH THE SON OF A PASTOR, NOT ONLY DIDN’T ACCEPT THAT OFFER, BUT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING MILLIONS OF JEWISH IPEOPLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXTERMINATE ALL JEWISH PEOPLE.

WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE LIKE IF HITLER HAD ACCEPTED GOD’S GIFT AS A BOY? HISTORY RECORDS THE DEATH OF MILLIONS OF LIVES AND COST OF A MASSIVE WAR .

I DON’T THINK I’LL EVER UINDERSTAND THE EVIL SO MANY IN THE WORLD DO TO OTHER S OR WHY CHILDREN AND EVEN GROWN-UPS RESPECT OR EVEN IDOLIZE THOSE WHO DESTROY INSTEAD OF BUILDING. WHICH IS MORE DIFFICULT TO DO, BUILD A BRIDGE OR BLOW IT UP? WHICH SHOULD BE TOUGHT TO OUR CHILDREN? WHO WILL THEY BE LIKE AND BE LIKE, RESPECT AND PATTERN AFTER? WHICH IS HARDER, FOR A DOCTOR TO SAVE A LIFE THROUGH A COMPLICATED OPERATION OR FOR A TERRORIST TO SHOOT TEACHERS AND CHILDREN IN THEIR SCHOOL?

1 JOHN 3:2-6 “2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in00 fact, sin is lawlessness.  5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.”

4

Well, Below are some familiar visual – simple – helpful ways to present the steps in leading someone to Christ. The Roman Road – a list of 6 scripture verses in Romans. I think it is my favorite but they all have one or two additional verses I think would be worthy of including when use them. What do you think?

THE ROMAN ROAD:

  1. ROMANS 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.
  2. ROMANS 3:23 “For all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God”
  3. ROMANS 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
  4. ROMANS 5:8 “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still
  5. sinners , Christ died for us.”
  6. ROMANS 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your he that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe, and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
  7. ROMANS:10:13 “…For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

In 1952 Campus Crusade for Christ produced a booklet titled, Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws? Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of CRU, authored this pocket-sized evangelism resource to provide Believers with a means to introduce Christ to the unsaved world. Since then, CRU has distributed over 2.5 billion copies of the beloved booklet that hit the world by storm and revolutionized evangelism for the westernized world

THE 4 SPIRITUAL LAWS:

  1. GOD LOVES YOU AND OFFERS A WONDERFUL PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE (JOHN3:16 & JOHN 10:10)
  2. MAN IS SINFUL – SINFUL AND SEPARATED FROM GOD (ROMANS 3:23 & ROMANS 6:23)
  3. JESUS IS GOD’S ONLY PROVISION FOR MAN’S SIN (ROMANS 5:8 & I COR. 15:3-6 & JOHN 14:6)
  4. RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD, THEN WE KNOW AND EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE AND PLAN FOR OUR LUVES (JOHN 1:12 & EPH. 2:8-9 & JOHN 3:1-8 & REV. 3:20 & I JOHN 5:11-13)

GOSPEL – GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU AND ME

  • GOD RULES GEN. 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

REV. 4:11 You are worthy, our Lord and God, receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

2COL. 1:16-17 “16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 

5

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

  • WE SINNED (ROM. 3:23,6:23)
  • GOD PROVIDED THE SOLUTION TO OUR SIN PROBLEM (JOHN3:16, EPH. 2:8-9)
  • JESUS GIVES (ROM. 5:8, 2COR. 5:21, 1PET. 3:18, EPH. 2:8-9)
  • WE RESPOND (JOHN 14:6, ROM 10:9-10,13)

WHAT YOU MUST DO TO BE SAVED:

  1. HEAR GOD’S WORD (ROM 10:17)
  2. BELIEVE JESUS IS GOD’S SON (JOHN 3:16)
  3. REPENT OF YOUR SINS (ACTS 10:9)
  4. CONFESS THE NAME OF CHRIST JESUS (ROM. 10:9)
  5. BAPTIZE IN WATER (1PETER 3:21)
  6. LIVE FAITHFULLY UNTO DEATH (2TIM. 4:7-8)

CONCLUDING SUMMATION:

  1. Buying or making tracts quoting scripture are effective in helping preparation to give and to receive both the tract and to open receiver to seek and receive Christ Himself.
  2. Over 3 billion tracts of “The 4 Spiritual Laws” alone have been distributed since 1952 all over the world.
  3. The American Tract Society has been printing and distributing Christian Tracts since 1825 136 partners in 70 countries. I’m sure total is at least in the billions as well.
  4. Satan has been determined to stop the spread of the Gospel of Christ and has failed in every attempt. Christ has promised and foretold that He is returning soon to take His Church, those in every generation who accepted His sacrifice and offer for salvation and redemption. Those who He will be coming to take them to their new Home but not just a new home, also a new body and transformed soul that He will also call “GOOD” 2 COR. 5:1-10 & REV.21:1-4

HEAVEN IS TOO GOOD TO KEEP TO OURSELVES AND GOD IS TOO GOOD AND TOO BIG TO TRY TO. WE ALL HAVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT DON’T KNOW THIS AND NEED TO HEAR IT AGAIN.

I PETER 3:15 “BUT SANCTIFY THE LORD IN YOUR HEARTS, AND BE READY ALWAYS TO GIVE AN ANSWER TO EVERY MAN WHO ASKS YOU FOR THE REASON THAT IS IN YOU WITH MEEKNESS AND FEAR.”

HOW WE EFFECTIVELY DO THIS? BY BEING READY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY IS ALL WE CAN DO, AND LIVE AND RADIATE THE LOVE AND MERCY WE HAVE RECEIVED AND CONTINUEE TO RECEIVE FOR AS LONMOG AS WE CAN AND TO ALL WE CAN.

BEING AVAILABLE AND BEING OBEDIENT!


.

Published by donsdevotions

Unknown's avatar

Don McDaniel - Who am I? Hello everyone and welcome to my devotional journal blog. In order to get acquainted and help you get to know me a bit better before considering following my blog, let me give you some background. I am a 74-year-old male and a retired engineer. I worked for a major supplier of underground mining equipment for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2012. Arlene and I have been happily married since April 1978 and have two grown – married children, one granddaughter and 2 step grandsons. I joined the local United Methodist church at age 12 after accepting Christ as my Savior at age 10 during revival services in that same church in 1961, so I have been a “Born Again” Christian all my teen years and adult life. Christ has helped and guided me all that time. He guided me in choosing my wife and life’s career. My life journey has included regrets and failures, but God has picked me up and protected and spared me from life threatening consequences and dangers more times than I can recall or count. But many I do recall and encourage and motivate me to trust and follow Christ with more passion than ever. Christmas 2011 our daughter gave Arlene and I each a devotional journal. Journals were books with devotion for each day and space to give personal impressions and thoughts related to each devotion. Her desire was to have a lasting legacy she could refer back to and share with her children and grandchildren especially after we are gone. I was touched by that gesture. My parents and Arlene’s were devout Christians, so we would have greatly treasured having that from them, so we felt a sense of urgency to honor her request. I finished my journal first and returned it to our daughter the following Christmas. I’m glad I did it then because Parkinson’s has caused my hand writing to deteriorate since then. The exercise was such a blessing for me. Discipline of keeping journal helped me gain a deeper walk with Christ and greater discipline in honoring my time of prayer and devotion with Him each day. So, I decided to continue the practice but since I could not find a paper journal I liked, I decided to create my own. I had already been receiving electronic devotions by email every day from several sources, my favorite being “Turning Point” from Dr. David Jeremiah. What I decided to do was to include devotional scripture but add my own thoughts and comments only so there would be no issue of copyright infringement. Creating and maintaining journal by computer also addressed my deteriorating handwriting ability. I started an electronic devotion journal January 1, 2013 and have been faithful to that practice every day since. I prayed about method and level of distribution. My initial intent was to only share it with my two children by email, but quickly discovered others in my family, my church, and friends from work (both retired and still working) who knew me and wanted to be included in distribution when they learned what I was doing. I now distribute by email my daily journal at the beginning of each month to over 150 friends and relatives. God has richly blessed and encouraged me. I am concerned with the state of our church and nation, and world for that matter, believing we are living in the end times the prophets of old and Christ have talked about in scripture, so time is short. I desire to be true to my Savior and a witness to help others come to a saving knowledge of Him and equipped to share His Good News too. If my journal can encourage and help others, I believe God wants me to share it. I struggled, for a time at first, because I know many others keep similar journals but only for their own edification and do not want to share them because they are private. However, Christ has stirred my heart to share it as a witness tool. Our son and daughter have a long-time friend who grew up with them who we also befriended nearly 25 years ago. He had a lot of family problems, so would gravitate to our family as a refuge and eventually thought of us as his adopted parents and he as our adopted son. We lost contact with him for some time when he grew up and left home. He traveled around the U.S. and eventually ended up in Ukraine where he resided for next 10 years. He had to return to the US to renew his visa and took opportunity to recommend I begin a blog of my devotions and helped me set it up. He is also an active blogger and has been an email subscriber to my journal for several months, so he has been suggesting I expand my distribution by starting a blog to get broader exposure. After reflection and prayer, I concluded God was in this, so he is helping me set up my blog site. This brief autobiography is my first entry. He returned to Ukraine, then resided there until circumstanced made him decide to move back to US with his young son. This biography was my first post February 29, 2016 . I have published 600 posts from 2016-2023 automatically sent to all my Facebook friends, published on WordPress to be accessible to anyone curious or seeking a deeper walk with God. I decided to take a sebatical to prepare for a new chapter. In 2014 I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease which affects patient ability to walk, drive, do physical work, and eventually talk. By mid 2023 it became evident our home for last 42 years (previously owned by my parents for previous 44 years and by my mother's grandparents for 39 years before that) would eventually not meet my needs so we decided to sell it and move into 1st floor of a duplex we also owned that was the town school from 1855-1913. Likewise, the property was requiring more maintenance that I was no longer able to keep up with. 2023 involved selling our home and moving into apartment next door and then in early 2025 an opportunity to move closer to our daughter and granddaughter in Kentucky which was completed in May 2025. For a number of months I have been seeking direction seeking God's direction and timing to return to blogging as my journey with Parkinson's continues to unfold with God's guiding hand in mine. I hope and pray my devotions will continue to be a blessing for you. God certainly has become closer and more real to me since started this blog in 2016. I have spent time with Him studying scripture and praying and listening and writing this journal. I will continue seeking God’s help and will welcome your input to make this site as meaningful as I can and true to God, who is motivating me to create and maintain it. I will also welcome input in order to make format more meaningful going forward. Don & Arlene McDaniel In His Service, Email: mcdanieldonald769@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Don1951 If you wish, you can access my blog at “https://donsdevotions.wordpress.com“. There you will find 600+ blog posts I have made plus a link to my devotional journal material archives from 2013 to present (https://donsdevotions.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/link-to-dons-devotional-journal-entries-2013/ ) You may also access my Facebook page and request to be my friend and automatically receive my daily journal publications daily. My Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/Dondevotionals/ Many thanks to a pastor and dear brother in Christ in Nepal who set up the above Facebook page to help and encourage and give opportunity for more to explore and use my devotional blog materials.

Leave a comment