Romans 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Of all the marvels in ancient history, the engineering feats performed by the Romans stands the test of time. Even though roads have been around since the bronze age, the Romans took them another step and began building them throughout their empire, then extending them further as time went on.
The first and most popular road was the Via Appia or Appian way. Constructed around 312 B.C. that extending 132 miles (196km), it linked Rome to Capua in as straight a line as possible and became known as the Queen of Roads.
The Romans seemed to be ahead of their time in so many aspects of engineering and warfare, when it came to their road building, they took the same amount of expertise and applied it throughout the kingdom. The idea at the time was to construct the shortest route between two points. The Roman engineers would drain marshes, cut down forests, divert creeks, channel through bedrock, cut through mountains, make bridges over rivers, or build viaducts. Today, after thousands of years, these structures can still be viewed and even used, much of what we see of roads today are modeled after their ideas. Curving in the roads to funnel rainwater, curbs to keep carts on paths and pedestrians from being struck, gravel as a base, mile markers, and materials that survived the test of time were used by these structural geniuses.
The phrase “All roads lead to Rome”, became a popular saying as the idea of different paths taking you to the same point was established by this once mighty nation.
As a kid, I would hear in Sunday School a reference to the Roman road but not in regard to roadways but rather toward Salvation.
God’s Road leads to a very specific point.
All Have Sinned
Romans 3:10 “As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
The reminder that everyone is guilty of sin is the start of a salvation message, pointing people to the cross. Without a knowledge of sin, the pride of man relishes in their own standard of goodness.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
I cannot justify myself before God or man if I knew I was guilty of breaking God’s moral law. The law reduces our ability to stand on our own merits and places us in a position of judgement. Just as the roads built by the Romans lead back to Rome, all sin leads to death.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
If the knowledge of being found a sinner wasn’t enough, the knowledge of sins endpoint presents the conviction of even greater concern.
Hopelessness to Hope
The first indication that God has not left us in a state of despair is found in the latter half of Romans 6:23….the gift of God is a reminder of His grace. Mankind was not left alone to travel this life in defeat but the Lord has given a reprieve from the path of destruction.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We can know God’s love and experience His forgiveness by simply accepting and believing that Jesus died for our sins. Belief is a change of heart, it shows itself in the life of the one who lets the belief become their reality. Without a heart change, statements of belief are relegated to an empty promise yet to be fulfilled. Faith or trust is the emblem of the one who decides to walk the path of belief and the road that once led to death, now leads to life.
Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.”
A difficult concept made simple has profound effects. The transformation that occurs at salvation can be described as nothing more than miraculous. Those who were lost and hopeless are now full of light and life, the one who once walked in darkness begins to see clearly and without the hindrance of sin. The pilgrim who had lost their way has now been found.
Romans 10:13 “for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
There are many who think that God selects out people as some type of cruel game of choice, taking whom He desires and leaving the rest to die in their sin to be lost for eternity….this approach is simply wrong. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, not those pre-selected, not those with just a heavenly mandate or pre-determined hope but all those who have been called and accept the call will be saved.
Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Once the sinner has been redeemed by grace the transformation progresses from fear and anxiety to peace with God. The opportunity to receive grace is not mandated like some prescribed admittance into God’s Kingdom but the door is opened through faith in Christ. The decision to change a persons faith in this world and the false hope it gives into a faith in Christ is one that is simple. When viewed by those who have known the Lord, nothing else makes more sense but from a position of pride, social pressure, and fear, the process of trust is not one easily taken.
Life Eternal
Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
To have ‘No condemnation’ is to receive absolution from guilt and shame. Once grace is given, the enemy of God is placed into a position of sonship with the Father. The inheritance of a son or daughter of the King is one given as a joint heir with Christ. The glory of God expressed through the Son is a glory that all people have been called to partake in. The perfection of Christ or His righteousness is given to the one who accepts His sacrifice for sin. Jesus’ perfection was laid upon the cross so that mankind wouldn’t have to die in sin. To understand a position as one redeemed and completely forgiven is vitally important for the one who has lived with shame.
Shame is an accusation the enemy will continue to use against those who have been called to freedom. Staying focused on the redeemer is to remember all that He has promised. Believers have been drawn into His holy sanctuary and have been anointed as God’s own people, called to live for His purpose—walking not only in the freedom He has provided but also in the mission that He began as light to the world.
The roads to Rome were made straight so as to keep the pilgrims journey as easy as possible. The path of God is straight and it is gate is narrow but it can still be perilous if God’s people aren’t strengthened by His power.
Remember to keep your eyes heavenward with a mind to where all believers will meet one day—Jesus. The journey may seem long but there will be joy in the morning.
Remain steadfast in determination, don’t give up, allow the Holy Spirit and other believers to be your strength knowing that what you’re going through is what others have already faced before….and overcame.
U.T. 