ROADMAP TO SALVATION
As Christians, each one of us has been called to share the gospel with those around us. (Matthew 28:19-20). However, this can feel really daunting and you may be wondering where to start and how to do this. We have put together this resource below called the roadmap to salvation. It’s a very simple tool to help you become confident in sharing the gospel with those around you.
When you approach a person to share the gospel these are 2 thought-provoking opening questions to ask:
- If you had to die tonight are you sure you will stand before God blameless?
- Do you think that God who is perfectly just and fair should allow you into Heaven?
If the person is willing to chat with you, take them through the following verses starting at John 3:16. A good strategy is to start with John 3:16. Then next to that verse in the margin write the reference of the next verse. Do this for each of the verses outlined in this resource so that they link.
Important: If they’re closed and unwilling to engage, then don’t force the issue. Thank them for their time and keep them in your prayers.
JOHN 3: 16-18
| “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” |
This is the place to start. In this verse, you need to emphasize the fact that God’s love is indescribable and unconditional. It is this love for us that drove Jesus to the cross. It was because of God’s love that “He gave”. Jesus chose to give up His life for us on the cross. He did this to pay the penalty of our sin which is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus who was innocent chose to take on our guilt and pay the price (death). Jesus is the gift of God for our salvation! And all of this is because of God’s indescribable love for us.
ROMANS 3:23
| “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” |
No one is going to understand why they need salvation until they see that we are all sinners condemned to death in Hell if we don’t have a saviour. This is the very heart of the gospel and the pure gospel.
At this point be vulnerable and explain that we are all sinners and that you’re not approaching them as a self-righteous person. (Share some of your own struggles with sin).
If you’re dealing with someone who insists they’re a good person and not a sinner then you can use the Way of the Master which uses the 10 commandments to show how we’ve all broken the law and therefore are sinners. (See link below for Way of the Master).
ISAIAH 59:2
| “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” |
Sin is a big deal with God! God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. It separates us from Him and He paid the highest price possible to pay the penalty of our sin. It’s critical when leading someone to salvation to help them understand this.
ROMANS 6:23
| “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” |
Sin comes with a price – death! It’s a very serious issue. But God because of His indescribable love for us made a way to save us from death and give us eternal life in Him!
The word “gift” in this verse is very important. That gift is found in Christ. A helpful illustration you may want to use is to place a banknote (eg R20) in your bible and ask the person if they want it. If they say “yes” then hand the bible to them. Explain to them that in order to receive the money they must take the bible too because the money is inside the bible. Salvation is found only in Christ.
JOHN 1:12
| “But as many, as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” |
Now that they understand how serious sin is they will want to ask what they must do. The answer is to receive Jesus as your saviour. But how do we do this?
God by His grace makes salvation freely available to all. By faith, they need to receive Christ and His work on the cross.
In the same way, when you receive a gift you need to take it and open it, likewise, they need to receive Jesus and salvation by faith.
It all starts with confessing your sin.
1 JOHN 1:9
| “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” |
God is faithful. He is a good father and he promises us that if we confess our sins He will forgive us and we will become His child.
When the bible speaks here of “all unrighteousness” it refers to every sin you have ever committed and all future sins you will commit. It’s a full and complete forgiveness of all your sins.
A good illustration to use here for this is to imagine a chalkboard full of writing. When a wet cloth is rubbed over it, that writing disappears forever, never to be seen again. It’s the same way with our sins except that the wet cloth is continually rubbing away our sins so that our chalkboard remains clean and free of writing. Our past, present, and future sins are completely forgiven.
ISAIAH 1:18
| “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson they shall be as wool” |
When you become a child of God, you are adopted into His family and your sins are washed away. Now you are holy and blameless in the eyes of God.
Here you can use the illustration of a five-star Hotel room and a dirty white sheet on the bed. Even the slightest blemish on its white sheet would be completely unacceptable. No one would be willing to sleep on it.
God is holy, meaning that in Him is no sin. He can not look upon sin.
We know that the cross of Jesus is the place of exchange. He gives us His pure white robes of righteousness in exchange for our filthy robes of sin. Without this, not one of us could stand before a holy God or be adopted into His family.
ROMANS 10:13
| “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” |
Once you’ve asked Jesus to cleanse you of your sins and become your Lord and Saviour you are now justified by faith, adopted into God’s family, and a new creation in Christ!
ROMANS 10:9
| “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” |
The key in this verse is to confess (say it) with your mouth and believe in your heart and you will be saved. You will have the assurance of faith that you have now passed from death to new life in Christ and will spend all eternity with God.
REVELATION 3:20
| “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me” |
This is the great invitation! We’re all sometimes tempted to ignore the door or a phone call from someone we don’t want to speak to. When Jesus knocks on the door of your heart it might be your one and only chance to receive Him.
If we reject Jesus we must know that there will be a consequence. When we stand before God He will ask us “What did you do with my son”. If we accept Him we receive eternal life. If we reject Him it’s eternal death (hell) for us. Remember Father God gave His only son to die for us (John 3:16). He has already made the way for us to be saved. Will you receive Him today?
Question: Would you like to ask Jesus to become your Lord and Saviour, to forgive your sins so that you can become a child of God and spend eternity with God in Heaven?
If the response is “yes” please pray the sinner’s prayer with the person.
The Sinner’s Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I come to you today to confess that I am a sinner and that I have sinned against you. I ask you please to forgive me and cleanse me of my sins. I turn away from my sins and ask you to come into my heart. By faith, I receive you now as my Lord and Saviour, and thank you that I am adopted into your family now. In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray, Amen.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17
| “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new” |
Now you are a brand new person in Christ. The old person has died, dead and buried and you have risen to a new life in Christ!