Salvation: The Romans Road
- James Collazo
- Apr 26, 2022
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 23
In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul describes Christian soteriology—a study of salvation—against the backdrop of first-century Jewish life. For him, salvation is not a checklist or a rulebook. Faith, works, and law do not compete; they work together in a covenantal relationship with God. Faith is active trust, and the law guides faithful living under God's grace. Too often, Christians reduce salvation to a minimum; Paul shows it is the maximum: a life-transforming relationship with Christ. The apostle Peter declares, "Salvation is found in no one else" (Acts 4:12), and Jesus teaches that we find life through the narrow gate (Matt. 7:13–14). Salvation is a narrow journey—a true "Romans Road"—where faith, obedience, law, and grace intertwine in the disciple's life.
Order of Salvation
Salvation unfolds in three phases—justification, sanctification, and glorification—known as the "order of salvation" (Latin: Ordo salutis). When churchgoers say they are "saved," they typically mean they are "justified." More accurately, salvation (Greek: sōtēria, 4991, "well-being" or "deliverance") is a lifelong process. No ritual saves anyone by itself, whether baptism, confession, or an altar call. No one completes the order of salvation until death. Jesus teaches, "but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matt. 10:22, 24:13), and Paul agrees: "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life" (Rom. 6:22).
God the Father draws us toward justification, declaring us righteous by Jesus' merits alone. The apostle John wrote, "No one can come to [Jesus] unless the Father who sent [him] draws them, and [he] will raise them up at the last day" (John 6:44). Responding to his call, the Holy Spirit leads us into holy living through sanctification. At the final resurrection, we receive new bodies for our eternal souls in glorification (Rom. 6:19, 22, 8:30). These stages mark a lifelong transformation—growing more like God and reflecting his divine nature in every part of our lives (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4).
Justification: Making Us Right
The verb justify means "to prove something just, right, or reasonable." This legal term refers to a courtroom judge's decision to issue a verdict of "not guilty" in favor of the defendant. This verdict does not mean the defendant is innocent of wrongdoing; the ruling only shows that the accuser did not meet the "reasonable doubt" standard of evidence (first-century Jewish courts did not have prosecutors or a formal adversarial system). Forensic justification means that God, the highest judge in the ultimate courtroom, declares us "not guilty" based on Jesus' atonement for our sins. The term "forensic" highlights the knowledge and method behind this declaration. Faith saves us as we trust that Jesus' death on the cross removes the punishment we deserve for our sins and secures our standing before God.
Consequently, God grants us righteousness because Jesus endured our punishments and suffered for us (Isa. 53; Acts 8:26–35). This act of Jesus taking our punishment is the doctrine of imputed righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). We must not confuse God declaring us righteous with actually possessing or being infused with his virtue, which remains beyond our reach. The founding Methodist cleric John Wesley (1703–1791) taught that God both imputes and imparts righteousness: He declares us right with him and transforms our minds to reject sin (Jer. 31:33–34; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18). When God justifies us, the Holy Spirit breathes new life into us, rebirthing us "from above" (John 3:3, 7; 1 Pet. 1:23). God declares:
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. . . . you will be my people, and I will be your God (Ezek. 36:25–28).
The Old and New Testaments both declare that no one is righteous in God's sight—no one (Ps. 14:1–3, 53:1–3; Rom. 3:9–11). God sets the legal framework of justification through the Law of Moses, which he will use to judge all humankind on the last day from his bēma (G968, "judgment seat"), similar to a modern courtroom bench (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10). However, Paul tells us, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole'" (Gal 3:13; cf. Deut. 21:23). We fulfill God's intent for the Law of Moses by trusting in Jesus for our salvation.
Sanctification: Making Us Holy
The verb sanctify means 1) "to set apart for a sacred purpose," 2) "to free from sin," and 3) "to impart or assign sacredness." Sanctification also shapes the meaning of the word "church," which New Testament writers used for the Greek noun ekklēsia (G1577), a compound word meaning "called out" (ek, 1537; kaleō, 2564). Sanctification is an active expression of faith; we live it out by remaining faithful to God.
Jesus' brother James clearly says: "You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone" (James 2:24). Sanctification is the process of living out our justification, not earning it. It is a posture of gratitude and obedience. Some church leaders emphasize Paul's words in Ephesians 2:8–9 ("For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast") to downplay works against James' teaching. Yet Paul and James agree: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10). Living this way is the heart of sanctification.
Glorification: Raising Us in Glory
The verb glorify means 1) to make glorious by giving honor, praise, or admiration, 2) to raise to heavenly glory, 3) to shine brilliantly, and 4) to improve beyond the original condition. The final stage in the order of salvation fulfills this last meaning: it is the resurrection of the living and the dead in Christ. Paul describes what our glorified selves will be like when God raises us:
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being;" the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man (1 Cor. 15:42–49).
John also described glorification during his exile on Patmos: "Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years" (Rev. 20:6).
Conclusion
Paul's letter to the Romans reveals the power and depth of salvation. Reading his words in their historical and cultural context shows that faith, works, law, and grace do not compete—they work together in God's sovereign plan. Too often, people reduce salvation to a single decision, a ritual, or a box to check—but Scripture says otherwise. Peter declares that salvation comes only through Jesus (Acts 4:12), and Jesus commands that the way to life is narrow, demanding unwavering dedication (Matt. 7:14). The "Romans Road" is not a list of steps—it is a battlefield and a pilgrimage, a daily journey of surrender, obedience, and steadfast faith. Salvation is not an event; it is a life forged in Christ, a journey that transforms the heart, strengthens the spirit, and calls us to endure to the very end.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of heaven and earth! You draw our hearts to you. Guide our minds, fill our imaginations, and control our wills so that we may be wholly yours, entirely dedicated to you. Then employ us as you will, always to your glory and the welfare of your people. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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