CLIMBING THE ROMAN ROAD STEP 3 & 4 (THE GIFT/CROSS SOLUTION)

     Today’s post is about easily the most exciting and wonderful part of the Bible.
     The last time we discussed the "Climbing the Roman Road tract, Steps 1 & 2 (The Broken Heart/Sin Problem)". It was about us as people taking the steps to recognize our dire need—the illness of sin that we all have, and realizing we can’t cure it on our own. Then, if left uncured, our sin leads to death—which is eternal death in hell.
     Step 3 of the Roman Road tract is based on the last part of Romans 6:23, where Paul wrote, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” I thought of what the angel told the shepherds in the field that night at the time of Jesus’ birth. In Luke 2:10 the angel said: “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” The gift God sent to the world, which gives us this “good news of great joy”--is Jesus, God’s Son! In Jesus, we have the gift/cross solution for our sin problem. The last part of Romans 6:23 turns the doom and gloom eternal death part of the verse on its heels. How does this occur?
     In the Old Testament, God put a plan in place whereby the Israelites sacrificed animals and sprinkled their blood to atone for the sin of the people. But they had to do it over, and over, and over again. God, however, with His Son Jesus, put into place a better plan.
     Step 4 of The Roman Road tract shows us this plan. In Romans 5:8 Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God allowed Jesus on the cross to suffer, die and shed His blood once and for all time for every one of us to cover our sins. We no longer have to sacrifice animals over, and over, and over again to receive forgiveness for our sins. Jesus was our one-time, forever sacrificial lamb.
     Each one of us can now experience the “good news of great joy” the shepherds experienced in the field that night at the time of Jesus’ birth.