All people live life experiencing the effects of sin. The only solution to the problem of sin is Jesus’ death on the cross which was cruel and gruesome. But this had to happen. Jesus willingly gave himself up for us. Below, we look at how the death of Jesus on the cross delivers us from the effects of sin, bringing us to freedom from sin and a relationship with God.

The Romans Road to Salvation is a list of verses describing the “road” to salvation using verses from the book of Romans (from the Bible).

1. What is our problem?
The universal problem is that all have sinned.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one’” (Romans 3:10).

2. What is the problem with sin?
The wages of sin is death.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

3. How does God forgive sin?
God provided a way for our sin to be forgiven and not held against us any longer.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

4. What happens when we receive forgiveness?
Salvation brings us peace with God.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

5. How can you receive that forgiveness?
We personally receive forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9,10).

“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:13).
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If you’re ready to be free from the grip of Sin in your life, contact me using the “Email Me” section of this blog.
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God’s kingdom is quite expansive. He is more generous than we’d like to admit. In
Matthew 13:47, fishermen cast a dragnet into the sea and “gathered some of every kind” into the net.

Although there was a separation at the end, it is crucial to note that an opportunity is given to “every kind.” Even my kind. The kind others may not care about. Others may despise them. The misfits. All are given an opportunity in the Kingdom.

Of course, at the end, there will be a day when God separates the wicked from the just. But this dragnet theology of mercy gives me an opportunity to be part of the Kingdom. To develop a relationship of love and obedience to the King.
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It is better to give than to receive, right?

Usually.

For some people, giving becomes their identity. But what if you spent time with someone who is hurting? Without giving them anything. They don’t really need anything other than your presence. But some people can’t do that. They have to give.

Isn’t giving good? Yes, but if one’s identity is tied to what they can give, then it gets complicated.

Then the idea is: “I am what I give,” so I must give.

Such people also have difficulty receiving. Receiving requires humility. That complicates the identity struggle.
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Some of you might be aware that I trade and invest in equities (stocks). I get a variety of comments and questions about that. Some call it gambling. Others see this as “bottom feeders” in an ocean of people trying to survive. Then there are many who see this as a game of the rich. And, you might have heard that it’s a scam.

Those comments are partially correct and mostly misleading. It is a path of knowledge, mindset, and discipline.

That’s it? The simplicity is what makes it accessible to almost anyone. But it’s that same simplicity that puts it out of reach for so many. Most prefer to do something fancy and cool. But this is too simple. And that makes it difficult.

“Every human being should have equal opportunity no matter what the situation is.” This statement fits well with the most prevalent world view these days. This is a modern perspective that most people would agree with in principle. 

But in the scriptures, God was not concerned about equality. He was focused on giving preference for the vulnerable, weak, forgotten, and downtrodden. Especially in the Old Testament, you’ll find multiple situations where God is warning his people that this is the kind of behavior that he expected from them. 

Others may behave differently, But this was God’s expectation regarding his own people. 

 

The parable of the ten virgins has always intrigued me because of its straightforward and blunt approach (Matthew 25:1–13).

The bridegroom was not interested in those who were unprepared. Instead, his preference was for those who planned ahead and took responsibility for their needs. But this raises a difficult question: how could he act this way? Shouldn’t he be merciful and kind to those who are weak, needy, or less privileged?

Yet this was not the point of the parable. Jesus was not dismissing compassion; rather, He was emphasizing responsibility. The message is that citizens of God’s kingdom are to be people of diligence, preparation, and disciplined effort. They are not to be those who habitually rely on others for a handout.

God desires His people to be prudent, focused, strong, and even materially equipped—while remaining fully dependent on Him for their entire being. It is from this position of strength and dependence on God that they are able to be truly generous toward the vulnerable, the weak, the forgotten, and the downtrodden.

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As the creator, God owns all land. So the purchase of land that you made is actually illegal. Isn’t it? How can we sell what doesn’t belong to us? So our land ownership is really like a Monopoly game. It’s just a game. It’s fake. 

So, what’s the point? The point is, we stress and fret over stuff that really is not our concern. We just need some peace in this life along with some basics like food, clothing, and shelter. So many people (beginning with me), get stressed over insignificant matters (as most of our stresses are). 

Just let it go. It’s not yours. 

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David wanted to build a house for God, but God told David that God would build him a house (2 Samuel 7). It’s a fascinating story to read in chapter 7 of 2Samuel. Actually David wanted to build a house because of his guilty feeling. It was driven by the guilt that he had forgotten all about God as he was building his palace. 

But God responds and says several things (In my assessment of the text):

1. God never asked for a house.

2. The response has a surprise element, where God is essentially saying “Will you build a house for me?

3. God promises that He will build a “house” for David (this house is not a physical one – David already built that.) But this house that God would build would be an everlasting Kingdom, eventually through the Messiah, Jesus. 

What can we “do” for God? Relax, God has you covered. 

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Yes, I know the common phrase is “Why worry when you can pray.” But in practice, we reverse the order, and worry without prayer. Or, our prayers are just a mention of our struggles. No focus and no urgency in our prayers. 

Yet the Bible is clear that prayer is to be the priority. 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil 4:6)

Prayer and supplication is not just casual advice. Those two words are to be the source of strength based on our faith and trust in the one who knows every struggle we go through. The word prayer is a general term for prayer, but supplication implies a greater sense of urgency and neediness. It’s much beyond a casual request. It’s an intense heartcry that touches the heart of the Father. 

So next time, when you’re tempted to accept worry over fear, turn to prayer. 

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Yes, the first chapter of Genesis clearly says that the earth was created in a literal 6 days, referring to the Jewish method of reckoning days. But since the concept of days only occurs after the Earth begins to spin and the revolution around the Sun starts, this gets complicated. Before the Sun, Moon, Stars, and the Earth began to “function” as it is today, there was no time to speak of. Eternity is beyond time and cannot be measured in terms of today’s calculations. 

So, how many days or years to create the earth and to bring it to it’s present condition? For me, the answer is: No. Such a discussion is invalid. It wasn’t six days or millions of years. Since time did not exist, we cannot use current measurements to measure immeasureable factors. 

It was in the 5th century B.C. that Antiphon, an ancient philosopher suggested that time was a human construct. Centuries later, in 1883, Ernst Mach made this concept of a timeless universe part of scientific discussions. Later, Albert Einstein also postulated various perspectives on time. 

For me, a discussion about time or time periods for creation that took place outside of “time” is beyond the purview of reason. So, how many days or years did it take to create the earth? 

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