True Evangelism!

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TRUE EVANGELISM!

Pauls Presentation

Of The First Five Steps

of The Soul-Winnerin Romans

Bernard E. Northrup Th. D.The translation of the Biblical text

is the Authorsunless otherwise noted

copyright 1996

Bernard E. Northrup


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TABLE OF CONTENTSA NOTE TO THE READER

A NOTE INTENDED ONLY FOR THE SCHOLARS

PROLOGUE

A. Pauls Focus on the GospelB. Pauls message to believers.

C. Pauls concern for his own people, the nation of Israel

D. Pauls own example of soulwinning techniquesE. Paul introduces the gospel in Romans 1:15-16

CHAPTER ONE

THE FIRST STEP OF THE SOULWINNER: Exposing Mans Total Lack ofRighteousness Before God (Rom. 1:15-3:20)

A. An Introductory Preview of Pauls presentation of the GospelB. A Brief Survey of Pauls Presentation of the Gospel

1. Mankinds twofold opportunity to know God rejected2. Gods remarkable provision of His own righteousness to the unrighteous3. Mans utter inability to participate in the saving of himself by works

4. The Saviors work on the cross in bearing the penalty for our sins

5. The Divine transaction of transferring our sins to Christ and His righteousness to us

C. Pauls explanation of a major achievement of the gospel1. The gospel should produce a twofold means of revealing Gods righteousness to the

world (Rom.1:16-17)

2. The gospel is a means of revealing the righteousness of God3. The life of the justified believer also should be a means of revealing the righteousness

God (1:17b)

DID YOU KNOW THAT GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD...4. Gods wrath revealed against all unrighteousness (1:15-32)

a. The theme of the gospel: Gods righteousness (1:16)

b. Its revelation by the gospels requirements (1:17a)

c. Its ultimate revelation through lives of believers (1:17c)d. The Real nature of the Gospel which Paul Preached

A WORD TO THE JEWISH EVANGELIST

5. The way that Gods revelation of Himself to mankind through natural revelationunveils what God is like.

a. Man already is condemned by his rejection of natural revelation (1:18-20)

b. Mankinds departure from natural revelation (1:21-23)

c. Gods resignation of the sinful race to its own way (1:24-32).D. The Plight of the Self-righteous Jew (2:1-3:8)

1. Gods judgment of the self-righteous with the reprobate (2:1-29)

a. The self-righteous condemned with the reprobate (2:1).b. Gods judgment is according to truth and works on the basis of the gospel (2:2-16)

c. The folly of Israel in depending upon the law for righteousness (2:17-20)

d. Israels utter failure to practice what they preached (2:21-29).


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2. God demonstrates that all mankind is under condemnation and lacks righteousness

before Him (3:1-20).

a. Israels complaint of lack of advantage in being placed on a level with the lost Gentile(3:1-4).

b. The rejection of Israels attempt to justify their unrighteousness (3:5-8)

c. The placing of both Jew and Gentile equally under sin (3:9-19).d. The conclusion that the entire race is guilty before God (3:20).

CHAPTER TWO

THE SECOND STEP OF THE SOUL WINNER: Revealing Gods amazing giftof His own righteousness (3:21-26)

A. Righteousness from God provided through faith in Christ (3:21-24).

1. The source of that righteousness is from God Himself2 This righteousness is not based upon keeping the Mosaic law

3. The character of that righteousness which is acceptable to God

4. The God given witnesses concerning this true righteousness (3:21c)

5. The true basis for receiving this righteousness from God (3:22).a. That righteousness is received from God Himself alone

b. That righteousness is received by faith in Jesus Christ alone6. The extent of Hia provision of righteousness (3:22-23).

a. It is for all who believe because there is no distinction

b. Because of mankinds fall in Adams sin (3:23)7. The manner of receiving Gods righteousness (3:24)

a. "Being justified freely...."

b. Being justified freely by grace through His redemption

8. Gods method of providing this true righteousness which mankind so solely has neededsince the fall of the race in the garden Eden

a. By justification based upon Christs death (3:24c-25a) b. By propitiation through faith in His blood (3:25a)B. This provision of His own righteousness is Gods means of making His forgiveness

available to mankind, past and present (3:25-26).

1. Christs death was the basis for the justification of the repentant Old Testament sinner(3:25)

2. Christs death also is the basis for Gods justification of the New Testament believer (v.

3:26).

C. The rejection of mans boasting concerning works achieving self-righteousness(3:27-28).

CHAPTER THREETHE THIRD STEP OF THE SOUL WINNER: How a person receives this gift ofGods righteousness (3:27-4:25)

A. This gift is never received by good works but only by means of faith (3:27-4:8)1. The rejection of mans boasting of his works for salvation. (3:27)

2. The fact that justification before God is only by means of faith (3:28)

3. The inclusion of the Gentiles in Gods program of justification by means of faith alone(3:29-30)


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4. Pauls denial that salvation by faith alone would make the law to be void, asserting that

this actually fulfills the law (3:31).

5. The principle of imputating of righteousness by faith apart from works illustrated (4:1-8)

a. By demonstrating how Abraham was counted righteous (4:15)

b. By explaining how David was forgiven his sin and was counted to be righteous (4:6-8)B. Justification is never received by any ceremony which has been performed on him

but only by means of his own faith (4:9-12)

1. Questioning the function of the ritual (4:9-10)2. The timing of the ritual of Abrahams circumcision: The ritual followed Abrahams

reception of Gods righteousness when he believed Gods promise (4:10b-11a)

3. In that sense Abraham is father of all believers. (4:11c-12)

C. Being counted righteous in Gods court is never received by keeping the law butonly by faith (4:13-25)

1. In the same way that Abrahams promise of heirship was not by law for it was before

the law was given (4:13).

2. If law keeping made one an heir, then faith would be made void (4:14-15)3. Thus the counting of Gods righteousness to the sinner is of faith and only as a free gift

(4:16-23)

CHAPTER FOUR

THE SOUL-WINNERS FOURTH STEP: Explaining how Christ has provided Hisown Righteousness to us (5:1-21)

THE POEM: EVANGELIST

A. Christs work on the cross, Gods altar, brings us grace and peace (5:1-5)

1. Our position: justified by faith. (5:1-5)2. The provisions of our position when justified by faith (5:1b)

3. Our response to the love of God (5:2b-5)B. Because of Gods love, Christ died in our own place, satisfying the wrath of Godagainst us (5:6-8).

1. The basis for our justification: Christs death for the ungodly (5:6-8)

2. The deliverance from wrath that justification brings is through Christ (5:9).C. The satisfaction of judgment brought by Christs death in our place saves us from

the wrath of God (5:10a)

D. Christs present life assures us of reconciliation to God and of our ultimate

salvation (5:10b-11)E. Christs obedience delivers us from condemnation in Adam (5:12-21)

1. The plight of all mankind "in Adam" (5:12-14)

a. In Adam all mankind came to have the sin nature and face the death which it brings toevery man (5:12)

b. In Adam all mankind participated in Adams act and sinned because we were Adam

(5:12c)F. Christs grace brings righteousness and eternal life to those who believe (5:20-21)


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CHAPTER FIVE

THE SOUL WINNERS CRUCIAL FIFTH STEP: Explaining Gods means oftransferring our sins to Christ and His righteousness to us (6:1-10)A. The prophetic background for the great transaction

B. Our obligation as believers to live above bondage to the sin nature (6:1-2)

C. The reason for that obligation: The transfer of our sins to Christ and of Christsdeath to us as believers through being baptized into Him (6:3-10)

1. Because we have been placed in Christ, we been crucified in Him (6:3)

2. Because we have been placed in Christ, we have been buried with Him (6:4a)3. Because we have been placed in Christ, we have been resurrected from death with Him

(6:4b).

D. Which baptism? What does this baptism accomplish?

E. Is it possible for water baptism alone to accomplish all (or any) of these thingsfound in this passage? No!

1. Examining "the baptism that saves us" (I Pet. 3:20-21)

2. The introduction to the explanation of our new obligation to live as resurrected

believers in the resurrected Christ (6:5-10)

A NOTE TO THE READERThis is a book which expresses the serious concerns of the writer for the deterioration of

the church resulting from the common practice of preaching of another gospel whichfalls short of the pattern established by Paul. I see a remarkable lack of attention given by

the church to the principles and approaches to evangelism which are displayed by the

Apostle Paul and which are presented by him in the Book of Romans. We live in a periodof church history when the deterioration of the church causes it to careen onward toward

carnality and worldliness at a frightening pace. I lay much of the blame for this at the

door of the multitudes of personal witnesses, evangelists and pastors who, ignoring Paulssoul-winning techniques, shortchange the lost by adding to or subtracting from the gospel

which, according to Paul, is the only gospel which can save the lost.

Extra-Biblical theological presuppositions and misunderstandings of key Biblical texts

appear to be the origin of the well accepted practice of preaching another gospel whichoften innocently permeates whole denominations, local churches and evangelistic

ministries. Distractions by the world system with its false philosophies often color the

thinking, both of the evangelist and the seeker. This sorely hinders the lost from fullyunderstanding the Biblical gospel message which could bring them salvation. Often these

hinderances result in aborted believers who never have had the opportunity of

breathing their first breath as a real believer. Having never really had the opportunity of

hearing an accurate and complete presentation of the gospel, they never have arrived atsaving faith. It often is true that the hearer of the gospel never really understood his

lost estate nor what was required, either on the part of God or of himself, for him to be

saved. As a result, many in our local churches have gone through the motions of comingforward during a fervent altar call (after a service which contained no gospel), have

been baptized, often on the spot, without really understanding or accepting the finished

work of Christ in their place. Paul addresses this very real possibility of the abortedbeliever who never actually comes to real generation by the Holy Spirit into Gods


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family in I Corinthians 15. It is obvious that this problem of the failure of the supposed

convert to understand the gospel was one of Pauls serious concerns. It obviously was a

concern that he had even for those who had heard his own preaching of the gospel. Heexpresses this concern in these words, Unless you have believed without reallyunderstanding (I Cor. 15:2).* (There are several Greek words, all translated in

vain in the King James Version 1 Corinthians 15. Each has its own distinct meaning).The book of Romans is a remarkable book. When carefully studied, Romans 1:166:10

will be seen to present the pattern and the elements of the evangelistic outreach which

Paul used when presenting the gospel. Furthermore, Romans 6:106:23 perfectly setsforth that which he considered to be an essential message for grounding the new believer

so that he or she might become a useful servant-priest in the temple which is Christs

body, the Church. This latter section of the book strongly suggests another real source of

the problem causing the disintegration of the church in our day. Many heavy hearted,newly born believers who actually have understood the gospel and who have accepted

Christ as their Savior, literally are dumped as foundlings at the doorstep of the Church

without any spiritual training whatsoever by the one who won them to Christ. That

actually happened to me when I was led to Christ, but, thank God, other more maturebelievers saw my need and led me on to maturity. How strange that the soul-winner, who

has shown enough concern for a lost person to help to bring him or her to the new birth,often shows not the slightest concern for the newborn believers first spiritual meal nor

for that new believers long struggle to spiritual maturity! Untaught in the truths of the

last half of the book of Romans, these foundlings are left to go all of their lives in the

tattered rags of their past estate. Far too often they never learn how to put off the rags oftheir old lives. Though robed in Christs righteousness, they never learn how to apparel

themselves in robes of personal righteousness. With proper discipling, either by the soul

winner or by a coworker in the field of discipleship, they could have learned to obeyGods instruction to His children: You be holy for I am holy (I Pet. 1:16). *Another

major reason for the invasion of the church by sin, carnality and worldliness is the fact

that the Church has become overpopulated with the believers who are described inHebrews 5:1114. These are believers who still are utterly immature, having neverexercised their senses to discern between good and evil (Heb. 5:14). Many who really

are believers are unaware of their three very real spiritual enemies, the world system, the

*

This textual corruption evident in the Egyptian manuscripts argues powerfully for a

return to the Majority text as a more trustworthy basis for identifying the original Greek

text. The New King James Version notes variations in Majority textual tradition whichare supported by a multitude of Greek manuscripts. Often the translation found in True

Evangelism closely follows the NKJV, a translation which I appreciate because it does

follow the Majority Greek Text rather than following the Alexandrian Text of Egypt.Often for clarity, or where I feel that an important factor in the Greek text needs to be

emphasized, I supply my own translation and understanding of the Greek text. I indicate

this by an asterisk (*) following the Scriptural reference. Explanatory phrases which Ihave added to a Scriptural verse are in brackets and are not in bold type as Scripture is

otherwise. Where I wish to stress a phrase, I have placed it in italics. This does not mean

that this text has been supplied by the translator.


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flesh including their old sin nature, and the Devil. Indeed, some have even been taught

that they do not even have a sin nature!

It is a rare church today which does not have an entrenched body of worldings and carnalbelievers. Defeat by the third enemy, Satan, is so common, and yet we do not even have a

word to describe the believer who is caught in the snare of that great enemy of the Lord

and of His children. Here too great damage to believers has been done by those whoteach that Satan, as a defeated enemy, has had his fangs pulled and only has a great roar

with which to frighten us! Carnality, or defeat by our internal enemy, the sin nature, is the

resulting mode of life for multitudes who erroniously have been taught that the believerno longer has a sin nature. While this was taught years ago by those who continually

sought sinless perfection, today this utterly erronious doctrine is taught in many

churches that never would have dreamed of following such heresy. This position is held

and is taught in spite of the fact that Paul three times in Romans 7 specifically referred to

the sin nature which is indwelling me * as the cause of his own spiritual defeat

before he understood the ministry and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Indeed, it appears from Romans 7 that Pauls failure in his early spiritual life to recognize

that he still had an indwelling sin nature in the days following his Damascus Roadexperience actually became the occasion for the accusation of his conscience of sin by the

Mosaic law. After all, the Mosaic Law inescapably was a permanent part of theconsciousness of this former Pharisee. Even decades later John the Apostle, when he

wrote First John, found it necessary to warn believers: Stop loving the world system[ruled by Satan] with self-sacrificing, devoted love, and the things which are in the

world system. If any man love the world system with self-sacrificing, devoted love,

love for the Father is not in him (1 Jn. 2:1516).* Such a command in the present

imperative requires that we recognize that there are worldly believers who have not

escaped the destructive attack of that enemy.But perhaps the problem which outrages the church in many cases is the fact that the

individual involved actually is a secret unbeliever. He may be one of the many in the

church who have received only a digested version of the gospel, never reallyunderstanding either of two crucial truths,

1. that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Lord incarnate or

2. that Christ no longer lies in a Judean tomb.Paul specifically insists that If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is the

Eternal Lord and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,

you will be saved (Rom. 10:910).* This book, TRUE EVANGELISM! Pauls

Presentation of the First Five Steps of the Soul-winner, is written in the hope thatmany who never really have heard the gospel according to Paul may now hear it from

you and come to believe with genuine, saving faith.

Bernard E. Northrup Th.D. February, 1996


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A NOTE INTENDED ONLY FOR THE

SCHOLARS

The translation text often agrees with the New King James Version. This translation does

a great service for the English reader in modernizing pronouns and the ElizabetheanEnglish of the King James Version which obscures the meaning to many readers today.

At the same time it carefully avoids departing from the sense of the original. It also has

the advantage of not following the Egyptian Greek manuscript sources although majordeviations of these manuscripts from the Majority Text are noted. The value of these

manuscripts, though being represented in several collated Greek New Testaments and in

most modern English translations as being the closest representation of the original Greekmanuscripts, because of their great antiquity, this is as very questionable conclusion.

These manuscripts were copied and used in an area where Gnostic and Greek philosophy

greatly influenced the Church of North Africa. I have come to the conclusion that, in

some cases, variant readings found these manuscripts actually are serious deviations from

the original manuscripts. The several Egyptian manuscripts which collectively are calledthe Alexandrian tradition, between themselves display remarkable disagreement in

their texts when closely examined. They by no means present a united testimonyconcerning the original form of the Biblical text. In some of the New Testament books I

have found in one single book these Egyptian manuscripts may disagree with each other

about a textual reading anywhere from 10 to 100 times! Worse yet, the readings of someBiblical verses in our translations where translators have followed these few Egyptian

copies of the originals are supported by no more than two readings from Egyptian

manuscripts and are never found in the more than 5,000 other Greek manuscript copies.

Yet these Alexandrian readings are presented as having the best support as representingthe original manuscripts!

I have studied the Textual Criticism of the Greek manuscripts for nearly half a century. Iconclude that these Egyptian manuscripts testify by their many variations amongthemselves that the Alexandrian textual tradition actually has suffered much at the hand

of scribes. An examination of the theological writings of the early church fathers who

lived in Egypt will suggest that these serious variations found in the Alexandrian Greektexts are variants caused by the theological misunderstandings which are common in that

area. I no longer consider the Alexandrian textual tradition to be an authoritative

representation of the Greek originals as Wescott and Hort did and as many translators stilldo. I speculate that there definitely are times when this obvious textual disagreement

between these few Egyptian manuscripts results from Gnostic traditions and the influence

and the prevalence of Greek philosophy which is recognizable to scholars in the writings

of the early Egyptian/Greek church fathers. These greatly influenced the Greek speakingchurch in Egypt and, to my amazement, still influence the translators of our numerous

modern translations of the New Testament.

This textual corruption evident in the Egyptian manuscripts argues powerfully for areturn to the Majority text as a more trustworthy basis for identifying the original Greek

text. The New King James Version notes variations in Majority textual tradition which

are supported by a multitude of Greek manuscripts. Often the translation found in TrueEvangelism closely follows the NKJV, a translation which I appreciate because it does


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follow the Majority Greek Text rather than following the Alexandrian Text of Egypt.

Often for clarity, or where I feel that an important factor in the Greek text needs to be

emphasized, I supply my own translation and understanding of the Greek text. I indicatethis by an asterisk (*) following the Scriptural reference. Explanatory phrases which I

have added to a Scriptural verse are in brackets and are not in bold type as Scripture is

otherwise. Where I wish to stress a phrase, I have placed it in italics. This does not meanthat this text has been supplied by the translator.

PROLOGUE

The first half book of Romans is a complete statement of the gospel. This is a book which

explains our desperate, lost condition and the fact that our ascended Savior is able to save

all who come to God by Him.

A. Pauls Focus on the Gospel

The word gospel occurs repeatedly in the book of Romans. It is found fifteen times inthe following verses: 1:1, 2, 1:9, 1:15, 1:16, 1:17; 2:16, 10:15, 10:16, 11:28, 15:16, 15:19,

15:20, 15:29 and 16:25. The impact of this fact will be felt when the reader scans these

verses in a single reading.

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, a called Apostle, separated to the gospel of

God, which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures

(1:12).

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that

without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers (1:9).

So as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Romealso. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to

salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in

it the righteousness of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and

unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (1:1617).

Their thoughts accusing or else excusing them in the day when God will judge

the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel (2:1516).

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are

the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good

things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says: Lord, who has

believed that which we heard? (10:1516).*

Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the electionthey are beloved for the sake of the fathers (11:28).

That I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel

of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy

Spirit (15:16).

I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not

accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedientin

mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from


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Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named,

lest I should build on another mans foundation (15:1720).

But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of

the gospel of Christ (15:29).

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preachingof Jesus Christ, acording to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world

began but now made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the

everlasting God, for obedience to the truth (16:2526).Two of these passages give us a very concise statement of what is contained in the gospel

and what is to be accomplished by a proper understanding of the message of the book of

Romans about the gospel. It is obvious from the book of Galatians that there were those

in Pauls day who did not fully understand the gospel. He says:

I marvel that so quickly you are turning from the One who called you in the grace

of Christ unto another gospel [of a different kind], which is not another [of the same

kind]. But there are certain ones who are troubling you and who are wanting to

change the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel out of heaven preaches agospel to you which is different than that which we preached to you, let him be

cursed. As we before have said, and even now I say again, if anyone preaches to you

a gospel different than that which you received, let him be cursed (Gal. 1:69).

The problem still is present in the church. Many hear that, as a prerequisite to receiving

salvation, it is necessary for one to be baptized, to take the Lords supper, to join a certain

church, to commit yourself to Christ! (whatever that unBiblical expression means!), tomake Jesus your Lord and Master! or any number or other human prerequisites. They

are told that, apart from presenting this prerequisite to salvation, one actually is not saved

even though he or she has accepted the work which Gods perfect substitute, the Messiah,has accomplished.

All of these humanly required stepping stones prior to the receiving of salvation have one

thing in common. However well meaning may be the misinterpretation of Scripturewhich introduced the error, all pervert the message of the Word of God which, without

exception, presents salvation as a free gift. There are no humanly manipulated strings

whatsoever attached to it. It is a message which allows nothing to be added to it.The major purpose which Paul displays in Romans 1:166:10 is to set forth, precisely and

step by step, the five key elements of that message which he called the gospel. As a

result, the first half of this great book gives us the specific details of that which properly

is called the gospel. It leaves no doubt about how a man is to respond to these specificelements of the gospel. Indeed Paul in this section, while explaining the elements of the

gospel message, carefully spells out that which is not involved in the gospel. He corrects

many of the errors which even today in Christendom are mistakenly peddled in place ofor as part of the gospel. Pauls full explanation of the gospel requires our rejection of

those elements which often are presented as absolute prerequsities for salvation. These

man-made elements, according to Paul, cannot and do not enable God to provide His freegrace as the only means whereby a man or woman may be saved. Indeed, Paul shows that

the presence of these human additives, intermixed with or added to the gospel, pollutes

and negates the message of the gospel concerning Gods work of grace which provides

redemption freely. As we have seen in Galatians 1:68, Paul actually calls down


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anathema, an Aramaic curse, on all who pervert the gospel of Christ (Gal. 1:7)

by adding to it or by taking away from it or by preaching a gospel of a different

kind (Gal.1:9) than the one that he had preached to them.The final element of the gospel which Paul presented to the Romans in 6:110 is the most

neglected and one of the most mis-represented portions of the gospel which saves the

lost. It contains a precise explanation of the means that God used to accomplish theremarkable work of counting the death of the Messiah to be the repentant sinners death,

whether he be Jew or Gentile. He explains the specific legal method by which God counts

the Messiahs burial to be the believers own death in payment for sin. Yes, he evenexplains how God is able to count the resurrection of the long promised Messiah to be the

believers own resurrection the moment that he accepts Christ. This crucial information,

which is directly linked to the fact that Christ arose from the dead and came forth from

His tomb after three days and nights, requires the soul-winner to be certain that he haspresented the resurrection of Christ as part of his gospel presentation. Already I have

mentioned just how important that fact is to the repentant sinner. He says: That if

you confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Eternal Lord and believe in your

heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. * Just why that isso important to the seeker will be explained by Paul in Romans 6:1-l0 and in chapter 10.

In that second half of the book, in Romans 911, Paul will return to and will reemphasizea crucial subject which he already has introduced in chapters 24. That subject is the

difficulty that many Jews have in accepting the Messiah and the message of the gospel.

Once again he will explain crucial elements of the gospel which must be accepted by Jew

or Gentile for one to receive salvation. It is obvious that Paul felt that it was crucial thathe (and we) convey an absolutely clear understanding of the message which he calls thegospel. This study is an examination of the specifics of that message in the book of

Romans, in the desire that those who are seeking to help the lost to find the Savior willpresent all of the gospel without adding or subtracting anything whatsoever to its simple

message.

It seems that many religious teachers have never figured out precisely how a perfectlyrighteous God is able to resolve the problem of a mans sin and save him from the eternal

consequences of the fact that he was born a sinner and still is a sinner. Somehow they

have never seemed to realize that God, because of His perfect righteousness, simplycannot and will not tip the imaginary balance scales in the favor of the sinner. In an

amazing way, man loads that imaginary balance scale of judgment with multiple reasons

explaining to God why He should save him or some other man or woman. Mankind does

not seem to understand that, if God were to act like so many judges do today, forgivingguilt and its responsibility without a just basis for cleansing the record of the sinner, then

He would do no less than involve Himself in that guilt and in the penalty which the sinner

must bear.Somehow many of the worlds religions have assumed that God is a kindly old gentleman

who is so tenderhearted toward the sinner that He is willing and able to receive any

pittance which the sinner offers to Him as the basis for that persons salvation. As aconsequence, there are many religions which teach man to struggle through life, isolating

himself from happiness and from anything providing pleasure, in order that he may win

an escape from the person that he really is and from the responsibility which that brings.

A horde of religious acts are saddled on grieving sinners with the solemn promise that by


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keeping these works, the sinner somehow will gain favor before a holy God. Sinners are

led to believe that by these works they may gain the favor of God and release from the

judgment which they deserve. Romans 16 explains that such an approach to salvation ispart of the broad way which leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13). Or, just as bad, many teach

that Gods work through Christ on the cross was not quite adequate to achieve a mans

salvation without certain vital works which the sinner must contribute.The first half of the book of Romans corrects this crucial error which actually diverts the

sinner from Gods wonderful and absolutely free saving grace which He has provided for

mankind freely as a gift. It deals clearly with the technical, legal means by which God hasmade this provision available for fallen man without impugning Gods own

righteousness. God is perfectly just. In His perfect righteousness He will not make one

step which would make Him unjust in order to save fallen man. He will not accept any

work which a person may offer to Him as a basis for the sinners salvation. The first halfof the book of Romans is a treasure in that it resolves this otherwise insolvable problem.

It explains precisely how God is able to save fallen mankind without Himself becoming

guilty by forgiving man without a just basis for doing so. And you may be sure that

however God would work out the complex problem of saving those of fallen mankindwho do respond to His free gift, it will be done in complete justice. While multitudes

have tried to provide a means for God to forgive them, Paul in Romans very clearlyexplains that there actually is only one way by which a person can be saved. It is the way

which has been provided by God as a free gift on the basis of the finished work of the

Messiah.

B. Pauls message to believers.The Book of Romans not only contains repeated references to the gospel but it also is

clear that Paul, as He was writing to the Roman church, was seeking to build up thosewho already had become believers in their faith, obedience and service to the Lord. Paul

had never been to Rome when he wrote the Roman epistle. He did not know most of the

hordes of people who lived there. Primarily he was writing to a people who already hadbecome saints, that is, a people set apart through their faith in Christ. Now it must be

clear that these saints to whom he addresses the book in chapter one are not people who

have been so appointed by other people or so honored by a church. These are people whohave been made saints by God through His work on their behalf. That is to say, they

are a people who have been set apart in holiness by an act of God Himself. He so calls

them in Romans 1:7 when he says: to all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called

saints! * Notice that the infinitive, to be, has been supplied in most translations. Thatimmediately implies to many readers that one distant day in the future also may possibly

become saints. The supplying of the infinitive, to be actually obscures the message

which develops in the following chapters about what God does for the one who believes.The person who has responded to the gracious gift of God which is provided through the

gospel actually has been set apart, made a saint positionally, by Gods free gift of His

own holiness which He has given to them through Christ. It is something which is doneby God and not by any church. Indeed, it is something which already has been done by

God to everyone who is a believer. From that moment when he believes, the believer has

been provided with a righteousness which enables him to appear in the presence of God

without instant judgment and expulsion. We must remember the words of the prophet


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Habakkuk. He says of God, You have purer eyes than to look upon evil and Youcannot look upon iniquity (Hab. 1:13). In that great step of providing His own

righteousness to the sinner, God already has made every believer positionally to be onewho has been set apart, a saint in Christ Jesus. Becoming a believer who is set

apart on a practical basis by his own every day life before God is the theme of the last

half of the book of Romans. Paul will explain that this positional righteousness, thebelievers standing at the moment of the new birth, actually is the righteousness of a

member of the Godhead. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ through Whom God has

procured salvation for mankind. The thought of Romans 1:7 then is that God Himselfdesignates those as saints who positionally have been set apart, who have been robed in

His own righteousness. These are Gods beloved ones who have accepted His Holy Son

and thus are accepted in His Son.

In the last half of Romans, the subject of the book, DISCIPLESHIP: The Final Five

Steps of the Soul-winner, Paul admonishes these believers about how they should not

turn back to the slavery to their sin natures which had dominated their lives from birth

and which still was a very real factor in their lives. He appeals to them on the basis of

their resurrection in Christ Jesus to go on and to become slaves of righteousness. Heshows that this only is possible through the ministry of the Holy Spirit Who now indwells

them. He explains that the Holy Spirit has one primary focus in His relationship to allbelievers whom He indwells. He seeks to lead them into maturity out of childhood in the

family of God. He strives to help them as believers to become mature sons of God. After

explaining something of coming events in prophecy, Paul explains that our exalted

position in the body of Christ requires us as believer priests to use the spiritual giftswhich the Lord has given to us. We are to use these gifts as ministers of Christ in every

relationship.

C. Pauls concern for his own people.It is obvious that, while Paul was writing to these believers in Rome, he at the same time

continually displays a great concern for his own wayward people, the people of the nationof Israel. It is clear that he also writes to help them to overcome some of their errant ideas

about how a man may become righteous before God. These are ideas which actually are

keeping them from receiving the righteousness which God Himself would provide. As aresult, the reader can observe two elements in the book. The initial theme of the book,

which continues to show up throughout the book, is directed through these saints in

Rome who have believed. It concerns their own ministry which they should have among

the Jews who were depending upon their own devices for salvation.At the same time, Paul does not neglect explaining to the believers in Rome the ministry

which they should be having among lost Gentiles in Rome and elsewhere. As a result, the

Book of Romans contains a message which helps all mankind to see the failure of anyapproach to God through legalism and ceremonies or by any other man made means. It is

an approach which helps the Jew to see exactly where Gods chosen people have failed to

become righteous before God when they depended upon their own works and refused therighteousness which God Himself had provided through their Messiah. It explains why

they must follow Gods own approach which He had prepared for them if ever they

would become righteous before God. That involves turning to their Messiah, Yeshua

HaMeshiach. In a sense the discussion of this introductory section of this book gives a


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rough outline of the contents of first section of the Book of Romans. But this material is

not chronologically developed with all of the discussion pointed to Israel or to the lost

Gentiles to be found in a single section. It will be found scattered throughout the Book ofRomans.

D. Pauls own example of soulwinning techniques.Therefore it may be seen that Romans is a book which remarkably sets forth the pattern

which the Apostle Paul followed in winning men to Christ. The book of Romans providesan invaluable guide for the believer today so that he too can lead a person out of the

darkness of unbelief and out of ones useless efforts at autosoterism or self-saving. This

is not a fact which is immediately obvious as one begins the study of that great book. And

yet, as the believer begins studying his way through the book of Romans carefully,considering the impact of each of the books sections, it becomes obvious that the Book

of Romans is a book which in its beginning chapters revolves around the Apostles own

method of leading a man to Christ. We who long to lead others to Christ will find five

crucial but remarkably clear steps of the soulwinning approach which Paul embedded inthe book of Romans. These plainly set forth the message and the approach which Paul

followed in presenting the good news of salvation to an unbeliever.Once this is grasped, it becomes obvious that we also must follow this pattern when we

undertake the responsibility of leading a person to Christ. Otherwise it is likely that we

would fail to present the complete, unadulterated and uncomplicated gospel message to

him. Otherwise there always is the possibility that we may leave a person in that sadsituation of which Paul speaks in I Corinthians 15:2. There he obviously grieves over the

troubling realization that not all who had heard the gospel had appropriated the benefits

of its message because they had not altogether understood it. He speaks of the fullmessage of the gospel By which also you are being saved, if you continue to keep inmemory what I preached unto you, unless you believed without due and reasonable

consideration. *The Apostle Paul was one of the greatest men who ever lived. While he is little

recognized for his great contribution to the western world in history books, the impact of

his ministry of spreading Christianity from Jerusalem through Asia Minor and on intoEurope has had an impact on civilization beyond anything that one can clearly evaluate.

His ministry began at Damascus after his conversion while on the way to persecute those

who believed in the Lord Jesus. His powerful witness swept across Asia Minor, soon

reaching the gates of the Hellespont near Constantinople, now Istanbul, the capital ofTurkey. It was not long before God called him to cross over that narrow stream which

drained the Black Sea to carry the message of the cross into southern Europe. And it was

not many years before the Lord had burdened this choice servant for the people of thecapital of the great Roman Empire. One of the several ways that he was led by God to

minister to this people, and particularly to those who lived in the capital, Rome, was

through the writing of the great epistle to the Romans. It is a book which is uniquely richin its doctrinal content and in the scope of its message. This book alone focuses on

explaining the nature and content of the saving good news which we call the gospel,

defining it in careful detail. Indeed, this Epistle to the Romans is the only book in the


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Bible which dedicates so much space to the five major elements which make up the good

news of redeeming grace.

E. Paul first introduces the gospel in Romans 1:1516.

So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are Rome also,

for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation to

everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. *

It is at this point where Paul first mentions the gospel that he begins to develop the theme

of the gospel and to state its content. The word evangelism appears in this section aswell. It is found in the Greek verb in Pauls statement, I am ready to preach the gospel (i.e. to announce the good news). He not only wanted to preach this message to these

at Rome but to others elsewhere. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is

the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and alsoto the Greek.

The Jews especially needed to recognize that, even though they were a special peoplewho in the past had been greatly blessed by God, they had to come to God on His own

terms and through the means which He Himself had provided. That is, they had to come

to Him through His Messiah, the One Who was named before His human birth, The

Eternal Lord will save. They were the people who had received the Word of God(Rom. 9:4). Paul says in an earlier chapter that they were depending upon that fact, but

that they needed to know that they had the same spiritual needs as the Gentiles. Both

needed to come by means of the good news, the gospel.Paul simply summarizes the nature of the gospel, without developing all of its details, in I

Cor. 15:18 in the statement that Christ died for our sins according to the

Scriptures. He died that death in place of our own deserved death for our sins. Hefurther explains that the gospel includes the fact that Christ was buried. In a way which

the Apostle will explain later in Romans 6, we were buried in Christ when He was buried.

When He lay in Joseph of Arimathaeas tomb, we too, in the sight of God, lay in thatcool, dark tomb below Calvary. When Christ rose from the dead we who have believed in

Him arose from the dead in Him.

As a result of our positional resurrection in Christ, Paul develops an entirely new theme

in the later section of Romans which begins in chapter six. He explains that we who haverisen with Christ should begin acting like it. We should live resurrection kinds of lives.

There are many who preach about the crucified life but you will notice that so often

references to our having been crucified are in the perfect tense. This is something whichtook place in the past with continuing results in the present. The identification of Bernard

Northrup with Christ when He was placed on the cross counts me to have been crucified

in Christ Jesus, and therefore as also having been buried and then raised from the deadafter three days and nights with Him in Josephs tomb. The believer who has the privilege

of stepping into that tomb which is cut below Mount Calvary, because of his position inChrist Jesus, can say: I lay right there for three days and nights in Christ Jesus

nearly 2,000 years ago!


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As a result, we as resurrected saints are obligated to live, not a crucified life but rather an

entirely different life, a resurrection kind of life. That great theme begins to develop in

chapter six as Paul explains the ongoing responsibility of the new believer. But it alsoimplies the responsibility of the one who has led that person to Christ of directing him or

her to a life of dependence upon the Holy Spirit in order that the new believer may

actually begin to make Christ his Lord and Master and to live the kind of life that Goddesires. As a result there still are five steps in the last half of Romans which Paul presents

to the one who has helped another to find Christ. It is clear that he felt that the soul-

winner must also take these steps before his responsibilities to the new believer arefulfilled. These steps which relate to the founding of the new believer in his new faith and

instructing him concerning how he may serve his Savior. They will be considered in

volume two.

I have given the outline of Pauls approach to soul-winning in the table of contents. Thestudent will find it helpful to refer to it regularly. It will enable one easily to follow the

remarkable logic of the Apostle Paul, the worlds greatest church planter who wrote the

book of Romans. It will help the reader to grasp his logic and the content of his great

message as he unfolds the Biblical methodology of preparing the soil, of sowing the rightseed to produce the right kind of fruit, and of nurturing the young growth to fruitfulness.

One of the problems which believers face in attempting to be a witness to others is thedifficulty which they may have in simply organizing and presenting the gospel message.

What is the gospel? Years ago Dr. Charles Ryrie, my theology professor in college and

later in Seminary, asked the class to state the gospel in 25 words. Not nearly all of the

class succeeded in giving a Biblical answer. Could you? What elements should beincluded as one attempts to share his faith with an unsaved friend? What should be the

proper order in telling your friend that he or she has a sin problem that stands in the way

of a right relationship with God? How do I explain just what God has done for each of usthrough the cross? How do I explain precisely how He applies the work of Christ to the

one who does believe? These two books on The Ten Steps of the Soulwinner trace

precisely how the Apostle Paul handled these problems in his own extended presentationof the gospel in the great book of Romans. And Paul is by far the best teacher to answer

accurately these questions which should trouble the prospective soul-winner.

It is fairly obvious then that Paul wrote the book of Romans to a group of people whomhe did not personally know for the most part. For that reason, he proceeds through his

explanation of the gospel very carefully. But Paul faced another problem as an absentee

Soulwinner. He was just as concerned that his written ministry in the book of Romans

should produce the transformation of life which is to be expected from the one who hascome to saving faith in Christ as a product of the gospel. Because this study of Romans

1:176:10 seeks only to follow the steps which Paul used in presenting the gospel to

those at Rome, it should be of great help to the believer who desires to know where tobegin and how to proceed in presenting the gospel to an unbeliever.

It should be obvious then that these studies of Pauls techniques of soul-winning are not

merely a rehash of the Romans Road method of choosing verses which are particularlyuseful for winning someone to Christ. While that approach has been honored by the

multitudes who have come to an understanding of the Savior and of His cross work on

our behalf, the approach does not even give consideration to Pauls methodology as a

soul-winner. This study seeks to set forth that methodology in a birds eye view of the


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book which examines carefully the flow of Pauls message to the citizenry of the great,

wicked city of Rome.

CHAPTER ONETHE FIRST STEP OF THE SOULWINNER: Exposing Mans Total Lack of

Righteousness Before God (Rom. 1:153:20)

A. An Introduction to Pauls presentation of the GospelHow many steps does it take to lead a person to Christ? That is not an easy question, for

there is so much that enters into the receptiveness of the counselee which may hinder him

from grasping the details of the gospel. Or on the other hand the primary Soul-winner, theHoly Spirit, already may have prepared him and enabled him to grasp and respond to the

gospel readily. For that matter, no single passage in Scripture gives a final answer to thequestion. Indeed, I suspect that the answer is one which must be answered by the Holy

Spirit as the one who is witnessing cooperates with the work of the Holy Spirit indrawing that man or woman to Christ. This seems to be suggested by Christs words in

that great Upper Room Discourse. In it He marvelously prepared the disciples for the

coming of the Holy Spirit after His own resurrection and departure for heaven 40 dayslater. In part He said: But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from

the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who will go out from the presence of the Father, He will

testify of me; and you also shall bear witness (Jn. 15:2627). *Not every student of the Scriptures will agree with me on the number of steps the soul-

winner should take or how many steps can be found in the New Testament passages

which deal with that matter. But the student should recognize from the book of Romansthat he is not arguing with me but with the Apostle Paul when he sets forth the ten stepsthat he took in soul-winning in this great book. Of all the mines where one may search

out precious jewels for the soul-winner, none more than Romans presents such a broad

spectrum of glittering jewels which may well come to be set in the soul-winners crown.Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn

many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever (Dan.12:3). No other passage

presents the broad scope of truths so necessary for the soul-winner to present with suchclarity and detail. Unquestionably the Apostle Paul organizes, and presents in the correct

order, the crucial message which a soul-winner should know and should present to a

prospective recipient of the grace of God.

B. A Brief Survey of Pauls Presentation of the GospelHere is a brief survey of Pauls presentation of his initial explanation of the nature of the

gospel in Romans 16. The Apostle clearly demonstrates through his own presentation tothe Roman people that there are five major elements which must be included when a

soul-winner seeks to present the gospel to the lost. I am afraid that the little wordless

book, which so often used in witnessing to children, omits some of these major elements.Many gospel tracts are guilty of the same error and present a truncated form of the


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gospel. We who have the responsibility of sharing the good news to the lost, and that

responsibility surely falls on all believers, should be concerned with recognizing what

these five steps are. Only then can we carefully follow the pattern of this godlyevangelist/church planter of the first century when he shared the gospel with others. Paul

shows that there are five essential elements which should be included in the presentation

of the gospel to the lost. Only when he has clearly set forth those elements which shouldbe included in the gospel message will Paul turn to develop the explanation of the life

which the one who believes should live. Only at Romans 6:10 does he begin to unfold the

transforming effect of the gospel on the life of the believer in order that the believer mayshow forth the character of Christ in his daily walk.

1. Mankinds opportunity to know of God through natural revelation rejected.

Romans 1, which begins Pauls explanation of the gospel, points out how most menignore and reject the testimony of natural revelation. It is a passage which portrays the

remarkable development of the corruption of the human race as clearly as any other

passage in the Bible. Paul begins his explanation of this theme by pointing to the fact that

man for the most part has rejected natural revelation instead of responding to it as I did asa 19 year old sailor. He speaks of the fact that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven

against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness(1:18). What truth? It is the truth that may be known about God which has been manifest

to them from the creation of the world (1:1823). The things which God has made are a

testimony to man about God. There are things which one may know about God as a result

of the things which He has made.Because of my interest in creation studies I frequently come into contact with those who

have studied in the fields of science, biology, geology, astronomy and chemistry. These

men handle the evidence of natural revelation, rarely recognizing that it is evidencewhich could tell them what God is like. Romans 1:20 teaches that these men could have

learned about the Creators invisible attributes from the creation of the world for these

characteristics of the Creator clearly are seen by the things which He made! And yet theyclose their eyes. That which they could know about God they reject, attempting to follow

naturalistic, atheistic explanations of the universe as they try to understand how these

things came to pass apart from the hand of an Infinite Being. Time and chance, two oldGreek gods, actuallybecome the gods which, in their eyes, have produced the creation. As

a result, these scientists have a totally different gospel which has no good news in it

whatsoever. It says: Man is just one of the higher animals! It is a good news which

never has saved anyone but has led multitudes blindly to judgment. As the result of theirrejection of natural revelation, verse 20 closes assuring of their judgment for they are

without excuse!

God has given to all of the world of mankind the revelation which is available throughthe observation of the heavens, the earth and all within them. This could bring mankind,

as it brought me, to the point of recognizing that there is a God and of recognizing the

fact that they have a desperate need for God. Now this does not mean that naturalrevelation, such as the beauty of the trees, the intricacies of a human body or the eye of

the fish ever can save us. Robert P. Tristram Coffin described his troubled thoughts in

poetry as he considered the eye of a dead fish, concluding that surely there must be a

creator. Natural revelation can lead us to God and, as in my case, to a desperate appeal:


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Lord, save me! But that cry, based only upon the impact of natural revelation, cannot

by itself save one. As a result, the Creator, Who had touched my heart through natural

revelation, led me through scores of decisions and over many thousands of miles tosomeone who did understand the gospel and who was willing to share it with me in order

that I might actually be saved. By the way, That young lady who shared the gospel with

me and I recently were honored at our 50th wedding anniversary just a year after my 51stspiritual birthday!

I believe that God never fails when the pagan in the darkest jungles of Papua New Guinea

looks to the things which God has created and recognizes that there had to be someonewho created them. When he asks out of his deep spiritual darkness for the Creator to give

him further light, I believe that God will bring someone who will begin the process of

bringing the Word of God and the opportunity to that person to be saved. And who

knows, it may be that you are the very means that He has designated to reach that personwith the good news, the gospel, so that he might be saved.

2. Gods remarkable provision of His own righteousness to the unrighteous

In brief, Pauls second step in developing the gospel message as he wrote to Rome was toshow the lost that God has indeed moved to meet the sinners desperate need. The sinner

who is willing to recognize that he has nothing with which to present himself to God buthis need will come to understand Gods grace and provision in Christ. This fact that God

wonderfully has provided for mans need is revealed in the latter part of the third chapter.

God has made it possible for the sinners debt to be paid and for His own righteousness to

be placed on the accounts of the sinner. As a result, the one who had deserved death forhis sins now in some amazing way finds himself robed in Gods own righteousness. And

Paul also briefly introduces in this sectionthe fact that this transfer of divine

righteousness to the sinner is in some way accomplished through Jesus Christ.

3. Mans utter inability to participate in the saving of himself by works

It is inherent in the nature of man to conclude that there is some work which he must doin order to receive the grace of God. This offering by man takes many forms. Many

attempt to add works or law keeping to Gods free grace. Others physically or mentally

will punish themselves for their own sins, never really finding the only solution. Stillothers add a work performed upon themselves by someone else. Some depend on their

baptism, whether it was performed on them as an infant or as an adult. Others make the

Lords supper a means of imparting grace from the hand of another man, not

understanding that it is only Gods grace that can benefit them. Still others require theone coming to Christ to go through a special, contrite act of repentance or of yieldedness.

All of these human requirements which are added to the simple reception of the

absolutely free grace of God are a violation of the gospel which Paul preached. And thatmessage is a major theme of the book of Galatians. The soul-winner who is making the

horrible mistake of complicating the simplicity of the gospel and its provision of free

salvation needs to reread Galatians 1:612 more carefully with personal application tohimself. This third step in Pauls explanation of the gospel to the Romans focuses on this

very area, an aspect of the gospel which is greatly misunderstood.

Paul will tell us in Romans 911, a section which largely deals with the future of the

nation of Israel, that the great mistake of Gods chosen people, Israel, has been to attempt


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to become righteous before God by their own efforts. This is an error which is not

practiced by the nation of Israel alone. It is shared by multitudes of Gentiles as well with

the result that they, by their own efforts, fail to obtain that provision of righteousnesswhich God freely has made available through His Son, the Messiah. He is the One Who

had been promised to Israel for centuries in the Old Testament. This third step of Pauls

explanation of the gospel corrects this error of ones attempt to save himself or to addanything whatsoever to Gods perfect plan of salvation. It shows precisely how the

obtaining of a righteousness which prepares one for a worthy standing before the Lord is

not a matter of self effort at all. This righteousness which God has provided is onlyreceived by faith alone.

4. The Saviors work on the cross in bearing the penalty for our sins.

It is only then that the Apostle really explains the means whereby God can forgive oursins and count the forgiven sinner to be righteous. He explains that it is through Christs

work on the cross, of taking our own place and of bearing the full penalty for our sins,

that God has provided His righteousness to the one who believes. In this fourth step of

the great Biblical soul-winner, Paul, explains how the work of the promised Messiahprovides grace and peace for the one who believes. That work alone satisfies the wrath of

God against those who stand condemned with Adam, the fountain head of the race. Heexplains that this condemnation is for our rebellion against God when we were yet in the

loins of our ancestor Adam in the garden. That work also satisfies the wrath of God

against us for the sins which we have commited in our lives. Paul explains the fact that

Christ did not remain in death but, resurrected from the dead, He is alive. He announcesthat this makes it possible for the resurrected Christ to provide complete and ultimate

salvation to the one who comes to God through Him. He explains how the Messiah

brought that righteousness which fallen man did not have and with it the provision ofeternal life to those who believe.

5. The Divine transaction of transferring our sins to Christ and His righteousness to

us.

But precisely how does the court of God make it possible for God to transfer the

believers sins to the Savior? How His own righteousness transferred and applied to theone who by faith accepts the finished work of Christ as applicable to himself? This

amazing and absolutely necessary dual transaction is not really explained until the final

section of Pauls great presentation of the work of how God saves the lost sinner who

comes to Him through Christ. The fifth step of the soul-winner is almost entirelyneglected in the presentation of the gospel by evangelists today. It explains precisely how

God has transferred the believers sins to the Savior when he believes in order that He

might pay fully for them through His death on the cross. It also explains precisely howthe Saviors righteousness is transferred to the one who believes at that very same

moment. He makes it clear that it is through this means that He gives the believer a

righteous standing before a holy God.Paul relates this transferrence of our sins to Christ and of His righteousness to us as a

crucial ministry of the Holy Spirit which unites the new believer to the body of Christ

that he explains elsewhere in his writings. As a result of that transferrence, God now

looks on that new believer just as if he actually had been nailed to that cross on Golgotha


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nearly 2,000 years ago. God views the believer as having died, as been buried and then as

having been resurrected with his Savior. He looks upon that believer and He sees the

righteousness of Christ enrobing him! That ministry of the Holy Spirit, which takes placeprecisely at the moment that one believes so that all of these things may be counted true

of the believer, is a vital part of ones salvation. For by means of one Spirit were [an

aorist tense, looking at the event which had happened to all of the believers in Corinthand, for that matter, to every believer since,] we all baptized into one body (1 Cor.

12:13). * As a result Paul could say to all who had believed: Now you are the body of

Christ and members in particular (I Cor. 12:27). *A reader should always examine the table of contents of the book which is before him.

Often a brief consideration of the table of contents will speed the readers process of

comprehension. The table of contents in this case will reveal that there are five major

areas which the soul-winner should cover in presenting the gospel. These are five crucialsteps which he must cover if the individual whom he is attempting to reach for Christ is

to come to the light of faith in Christ. These first five steps of the soul-winner set forth

the desperate plight of mankind individually and collectively. They utterly close the door

to the individual who has any aspirations to autosoterism, the unattainable art of savingoneself. To the one who has not availed himself of the grace of Christ, this seems to set

forth a scene that is utterly dismal, hopeless and dark. But at the same time, these soul-winning steps which Paul explains are filled with a marvelous light. It is in the darkness

of ones lost estate that the man who finds that he has no righteousness of his own that is

acceptable to the Lord nonetheless discovers that he can receive from God a

righteousness standing. In that righteousness he may enter without rebuke into theglorious presence of the Lord of Glory.

This dark scene which stands at the beginning of Pauls explanation of the saving gospel

of Christ has caused many to attempt to place a message at the beginning of the gospelpresentation to soften the gospel and make it more appealing and more acceptable to the

lost. Thus one often hears the gospel presentation begin in this way. God has a

wonderful plan for your life! No matter how hard one tries to fit that message into thePauline approach of presenting the gospel in the Pauline manner which is found here in

Romans, he will not find a place in Pauls great soulwinning handbook for that aberration

from the gospel message. The Spirit of God knew what He was doing when He directedPaul to present the gospel as it is found in Romans. That should become obvious

immediately in the next section.

C. INTRODUCTION TO THE SECTION: Pauls explanation of a major achievementof the gospel.

1. Pauls explanation that the gospel should produce a twofold means of revealing

Gods righteousness to the world (Rom.1:1617)

This painful but initial part of the gospel message will be seen to be absolutely essential

and properly placed at the beginning of the exposition of the grace of God which onepresents to the lost. That is what will be seen in the larger setting of Romans 1:156:10.

Mans failure in the light of the righteousness of God is the introduction to the

remarkable fact that the Lord has made available His own righteousness to the man who

comes to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. The remarkable fact of the gospel, when


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has said Im sorry, Lord. In Gods court crime must be paid for by the sinner or at least

by someone who steps into his place and takes his punishment for him. And the gospel,

the message which Paul preached wherever he went (1:16), the good news that providessalvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile (v.

16), is a message which reveals precisely what God is like. For therein is the

righteousness of God revealed (v. 17).But Paul says that there are actually two ways that the gospel reveals to fallen man that

God is righteous. That truth is unfolded in verse 17 which actually is the key to the entire

book. He says of the gospel that Therein is the righteousness of God revealed

from faith to faith, as it is written, the one who has been justified shall continue to

live by means of faith. * But how does this statement unfold two ways by which a man

may come to recognize that God is righteous? The answer is discovered in the phrase,

from faith to faith. But what does that mean? Paul has been speaking in verse16 of the fact that the gospel is the power of God to everyone who believes. In an

amazing way this reveals the righteousness of God. God requires that the man who comes

to him must believe something in order to receive this righteousness of God. Just what

that something is will be revealed later in the book of Romans. But it is obvious that Godis requiring a response to something that He Himself has done for mankind. He requires

man to respond in faith to that which He Himself has done, that is, by believing thegospel, the good news which relates to the sinners need. Paul will unfold what that

good news is in the chapters which immediately follow. It is there that the sinner will

begin to understand the great things that God, of His own self, has done for fallen

mankind. As a result, God can count the one who believes to have received righteousnesswhich actually qualifies him to enter into His presence without being judged.

3. The life of the justified believer should be a means of revealing the righteousness

God (1:17b)

There is a second way in which the gospel reveals the righteousness of God, a way which

too often is missing when the soul-winner attempts to present the good news to the lost.Indeed, it is this means of unfolding the truth that God is righteous which most often

attracts the unsaved man to the Lord. It helps him to see in contrast that he actually has

spiritual needs which he cannot meet by himself and by his own efforts. This second wayin which the gospel reveals Gods righteousness is stated in the last half of Romans 1:17.

It is the counterpart of the first statement of the verse. For therein [in and by means ofthe gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written,

The just shall live by faith.

This second means of revealing Gods righteousness is by the transformed life of the

believer. Not only does the message of the good news that God has done something to

meet the need of the unbeliever display the fact that God is righteous, but the believer, theproduct of that good news displays that God is righteous through his righteous life. This

is a marvelously effective means of attracting the unsaved man to the Lord. He comes to

appreciate the good news of the gospel when he recognizes that his acquaintance hasbeen transformed and really is altogether different, inside as well as outside. The believer

becomes recognizable as one who has been transformed by his acceptance of the good

news of what God has done for fallen mankind. Actually this last half of verse 17

provides the divine outline of the last half of the book of Romans just as the first half of


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the verse provides the outline for the first half of the book. That is why I say that this is

the key verse of the book of Romans. In chapters 1 through part of chapter 6 Paul will

unfold just what is that good news which meets the sinners need. From the second partof chapter 6 through most of the rest of the book of Romans Paul focuses upon the

transformation of the life of the believer so that he really may become a showpiece of the

gospel, attracting the lost to the Lord. But Paul also displays a concern that the believerslife may begin to display the characteristics of the One who has given Himself to bring

the one who believes up out of the desperate plight of sin and condemnation in which he

lies.That man can in no way enter into the process of making himself righteous soon becomes

the focal point of the Apostles message in Romans four. Every device of man which he

has brought forth as a means of becoming righteous is set aside. That faith alone is the

means of accessing this glorious state is hammered home repeatedly by the greatSoulwinner.

As a result, in the fourth step of his great presentation of the steps of the soul-winner,

Paul tells the man how this provision of righteousness has been made possible through

the person and work of Jesus Christ. Whereas chapter three had only opened the door inthis regard, chapter four focuses upon the person who had done the work of opening the

door so that the sinners sins may be resolved and so that the righteousness of the Saviormay bring about his justification. It now becomes clear that the work of the one man,

Jesus Christ, is the focal point of redemption, just as the one man, Adam, was the focal

point for mankinds universal state of condemnation.

Just how this Person and His work was made relevant to the sinner is the theme of thefifth step which must be taken by the Soulwinner. It is essential for the sinner to

understand something of the remarkable legal transaction which takes place in the courts

of Heaven. It is a part of the gospel which must not be omitted. The very real transactionaffecting the believing sinner is set forth very precisely by the Apostle in the early part of

chapter six. There Paul explains the means whereby the Godhead is able to reckon the

death of the God Man as the death of the believing sinner. That explanation also includesthe remarkable basis whereby the righteousness of the Savior now can be reckoned to the

account of the one who is coming to the cross in understanding faith. While Paul does not

give a detailed explanation of this point in this book, he makes it clear that the baptismwhich accomplishes this union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection is not

water baptism. He also makes it clear that this is an event which must occur at the

moment of the new birth for one to move from the category of being an unsaved sinner to

the category of being one who has been reckoned on Gods books positionally as ajustified saint.

The best way to examine the subject, What should I tell a man as I begin to try to lead

him to Christ? is to examine the approach which the Apostle Paul used as he sought tostir hard Roman hearts to consider the Lord Jesus Christ and what He had done for them.

Of all of the books of the Bible, Romans most clearly sets forth the full details of that

pattern which we should follow in seeking to lead a man to Christ. Many have used whathas been called the Roman Road, a collection of verses from the book of Romans

dealing with Gods provision of grace that is arranged to help a person see his lost estate

and Gods marvelous solution. The book of Romans is extremely useful in this regard for

showing a man the steps that he must take in coming to the Lord Jesus. It is so easy to


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turn from verse to verse in this great book and to show an individual what he needs to

know. But it is also easy to shortchange the gospel, leaving out important elements of

Pauls presentation. There is a reason for the remarkable collection of salvation versesfound in this great book that rarely is recognized. The book of Romans, more than any

other book of the Bible was written to show lost man his sad condition and to make clear

to him what he must to do receive what God has done so that his lost condition may becorrected.

In recent months I have been entranced with a remarkable series of statements which the

Apostle John made in the little Epistle of First John. In it the writer has made a series ofstatements about Gods loving the world and sending His only Son into the world to

accomplish many things for the lost. I have put it together in a little tract which brings

together all of Johns statements about the love of God and its benefits to us.

DID YOU KNOW THAT GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT

HE SENT HIS SON ?

I. SO THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM? In this was manifested the

love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, thatwe might live through him (1 John 4:9).

II. SO THAT HE MIGHT PAY THE PRICE OF OUR SINS? Herein is love,not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation [the

redemption price that He paid] for our sins (1 John 4:10).

III. SO THAT HE MIGHT BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD? And we

have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (1

John 4:14).

IV. SO THAT HE MIGHT GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE IN HIS SON? And

this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that

has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son of God has not life (1 John 5:1112).

V. SO THAT WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND, KNOW GOD AND HAVE

ETERNAL LIFE? And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us anunder-standing, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in

his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).

VI. SO THAT WE MIGHT BECOME CHRISTLIKE CHILDREN OF GOD?Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called

the sons of God. We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we

shall see him as he is (1 John 3:12).There is much stress upon the love of God in Johns statements above, and yet it is clear

that this is not Johns only emphasis or even his initial emphasis as he spoke of the nature

of the gospel. There is a chain of truths which are woven into the text in such a way thatit appears that we have before us at least part of the pattern which the beloved John used


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in his work of winning men to Jesus Christ. John began with the lost estate of fallen man

just as Paul begins there in Romans. Both show mankind their need. Perhaps you will

remember that in First John 4 the Apostle tells us that God so loved the world that He

sent His Son that we might live through Him (v. 9). In the work of the cross our God

was meeting the awful, desperate need of mankind. What that need was also is clearly

taught in First John. Man has a sin problem and God was dealing with the sin problem ofhumanity when He sent His Son into the world. It also is found in First John 4 that God

sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (v. 10). The price that was paid for our

sins was the death of Christ! Similarly Paul says that the wages of the sin nature are

death (Rom. 6:23) * There is a message in Romans to those who already are

believers. Paul speaks to them in Romans 8 about how they should go on and mature out

of childhood as believers to become mature sons of God. Similarly John repeatedly

teaches in his epistles that we are to go on in our spiritual lives. That is his thrust in 1John 1:810.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we

confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from

all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and Hisword is not in us.

It is quite obvious that John and Paul had the same matter in mind, the concern on thepart of God that mankinds sins should be paid for without mankind having to die for

those sins. Therefore it is appropriate that we believers who have the responsibility of

sharing the gospel with the lost should do it in the Biblical manner. The message begins

with mans need.

4. Gods wrath revealed against all unrighteousness (1:1532)

a. The major theme of the gospel: Gods righteousness (1:16)

The gospel as it is found in the book of Romans begins exactly at that point. It first

considers the sin of man. Romans 1:1517 begins to set the stage for that truth that Godalready has made that provision which man so desperately needed, the payment for his

sins. Now the gospel as we meet it at this point in Romans very clearly is a specific entity

in the mind of the Apostle. He says:

For I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are in Rome also. For I am not

ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every

one that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of

God is revealed from faith unto faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

b. Its initial revelation by means of the gospels requirements (1:17a)

In verse 15 Paul has expressed his earnest desire to preach the gospel in Rome. In verse16 he expresses his utter confidence in the gospel as the power of God untosalvation, whether it be preached to the Jew or to the Gentile. In verse 17 Paul explains

that the gospel is a remarkable means of displaying the fact that God is perfectlyrighteous. In it [in the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith. Now as I said earlier, the divine outline of the book of Romans lies right here where Paul

first begins to discuss the gospel. Paul has said that The gospel of Christ is the power of


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God unto salvation (1:16). In verse 17 he continues: for therein is therighteousness of God revealed.

This is an amazing thing! The gospel shows the righteousness of God! But how does thegospel display the righteousness of God? Paul explains. The righteousness of God isrevealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Now I may be

wrong but I am inclined strongly to feel that the first phrase here, from faith refers back to the faith which is required for the reception of the gospel, the good news.

That God requires the one coming to him to believe the gospel concerning Christ and all

that He has done demonstrates that God is righteous! Not only has He provided in Christthe means of salvation to a lost world but He also has required one to believe this good

news if he would have the salvation which Christ provides.

It is clear that the gospel, the means which God has provided so that a man may be saved,

demonstrates that God has found a way to save one who believes without compromisingHis own righteousness in the process. That God requires the unsaved man to approach

Him in this way and in this way alone demonstrates that God indeed is righteous. There is

no other way for a man to become righteous except through the way that God has

provided, that is, through the finished, earthly work of Jesus the Messiah when He died inour place and for our sins. And the faith which is required of us when we approach Him

for salvation is a tacit admission that God is righteous. There is no other way that we cancome in our own righteousness or by any righteous act to satisfy the judgment which He

requires for our sin. For the wages of sin are death (Rom. 6:23).

The book of Romans in chapter 10 clearly shows that this is precisely the problem which

stands in the way of the Jew today. As a nation and individually the scattered people ofIsrael are attempting to establish their own righteousness before God and are refusing the

righteousness which would come to them through their believing in the person and work

of their Messiah. The first statement focuses upon the remarkable fact that God has founda means whereby a man can receive salvation from God by his act of believing faith. That

requirement which stands chronologically before the salvation of every man is a means of

demonstrating that God is righteous. In a later section of the book Paul will explain thatGod cannot and will not accept any other inadequate approach of man attempting to

establish his own righteousness as equal or at least acceptable to a holy God. No, mans

feeble and inadequate attempts at earning salvation never can be accepted by a righteousGod. This demonstrates the fact that He is indeed righteous. That he requires man simply

to accept that fact, and the fact that God alone has been able to make a provision for

fallen mankind which would be able to save all who would come by faith to Him, also

demonstrates the righteousness of God.

c. Its ultimate revelation through believers who live by means of faith (1:17c)

I also conclude that the second faith found in Romans 1:17, to faith , looksforward to the life which the believer lives as a means of revealing the righteousness of

God. Paul says: to faith, as it is written, the [justified one] shall [continue to] live

by [means of his daily] faith. * That is precisely the meaning of this phrase inHabakkuk 2:4 wher

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