Pathway to Victory

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Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory and Dr. Robert Jeffress.

We're dedicated to bringing you bold biblical teaching that transforms your life and strengthens your walk with God.

And you can study God's word alongside Dr. Jeffress in person on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

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Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking majesty of massive glaciers rising from crystal blue waters?

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Or stood in awe as bald eagles.

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Soar over snow capped mountain? I want you to experience these unforgettable moments with me on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th, 2026.

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Join Dr. Jeffress and the Pathway to Victory family for a spectacular seven-day adventure aboard Holland America's luxurious Koningsdam.

Indulge in elegant staterooms, world-class dining, and expansive decks perfect for breathtaking views.

Visit historic ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, where wilderness and frontier history await.

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There's something powerful about connecting with God.

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And fellow believers in the majesty of his untamed wilderness.

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I truly believe this journey will refresh.

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You spiritually, physically and emotionally.

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Cabins are filling quickly, so reserve yours today. To book your spot on the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

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Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program.

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On today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

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How can a person have a right relationship with God? How can he know for sure his sins are forgiven and that he will be welcomed rather than turned away from heaven?

Today we're going to look at the verse of Scripture. It's actually one sentence that I think most clearly answers that question.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. The most important question a person can ask in life is how can I have a right relationship with God? And the verse with the answer might just be the most essential verse in the Bible.

Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress answers this critical question with help from an inconspicuous verse in Romans chapter four. But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates.

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Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. In a moment, I'm going to reveal to you what I believe to be the most important verse in the Bible, and my choice will likely surprise you.

But first, I'm eager to remind you that I will be hosting the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, sailing from June 13 to June 20. Join me and Amy for an unforgettable week exploring the great Frontier together. Imagine waking up to breathtaking views of towering glaciers, spending your days in idyllic Alaskan villages, and witnessing God's creation in all its glory. This family-friendly cruise provides the perfect setting for Christian fellowship while enjoying world-class amenities and service. You'll return home refreshed, inspired, and filled with incredible memories.

To reserve your spot today, go to ptv.org. And remember, tomorrow is the final day to request my book called "How to Make Wise Decisions: The Joy of Discovering God's Will for Your Life" while it's fresh on your mind. Please reach out and request a copy today.

How do we make personal decisions that are in alignment with God's will? For instance, when a job opportunity comes our way and it requires relocating to another state, how do we calculate what God truly wants for our family? Or when your son or daughter is trying to choose a life partner, how do we help him or her make a sound decision? My book will help you understand and act upon God's plans for you. You can request a copy of "How to Make Wise Decisions" when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

Now let's consider what I believe to be the most important verse in the Bible.

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Admittedly, a pastor's setting himself up for trouble when he announces he's going to talk about the most important verse in the Bible because everybody has a different idea of what that verse should be. Maybe for you, the most important verse in the Bible is one you memorized as a child. Maybe it's one that your mom or dad taught to you. But I think you would agree with me that if you had to select the single most important verse in the Bible, it ought to be one that answers the most important question in life. And that is, how can a person have a right relationship with God? That's the question, by the way, Job asked thousands of years ago in Job 9:2. How can a man be right with God? The answer to that question not only affects your life now, but if there really is a God, the answer to that question affects your eternity.

So where do we go to find the answer to that question? How can a person have a right relationship with God? How can he know for sure his sins are forgiven and that he will be welcomed rather than turned away from heaven? Today we're going to look at the verse of Scripture. It's actually one sentence that I think most clearly answers that question, and it's found in the Book of Romans, chapter 4, verse 5. Turn there, if you would, as we discover the most important verse in the Bible.

Now, for those of you who may not know about the Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote it to a group of Jewish and Gentile believers. The theme of the Book of Romans is that the righteousness of God—that word righteousness simply means a right standing with God—is available to anyone who trusts in Christ for his salvation. In the first three chapters of the Book of Romans, Paul explains how nobody is in a right standing with God. There's not one righteous person among us. No, not even one. You say, why? Now wait a minute. I'm not sure I believe that. I mean, what about the pagan who has never heard the name of Jesus Christ? Surely he gets a pass and is allowed into heaven. No, Paul says, not the pagan. He is condemned by God.

Well, then surely the moralist, the person who lives by a good moral code, lives by the golden rule. He's exempt from hell. He gets into heaven, doesn't he? He says, no, the moralist is condemned. Well, what about the sincere follower of religion? What about a religious person? He's allowed into heaven, isn't he? Paul says, no, not the religious person. There is none righteous among us. In Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Well, if religion won't do it, if morality won't get you into heaven, if ignorance is not an excuse, then how do we have a right relationship with God? And that brings us to Romans, chapter 4, verse 5. Paul says, but to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned. It is counted as righteousness.

And what I want you to notice in this simple sentence are three characteristics of the person who is in a right standing with God. And what's interesting is these three characteristics are completely contrary to our human reasoning. Will you notice what those three characteristics are? First of all, whom does God forgive? Who is assured of heaven? First of all, God forgives those who admit they are ungodly. Look at verse five again. But to the one who does not work, but believes in him. And underline this, who justifies the ungodly? The Bible says the people whom God declares not guilty are the who? The ungodly.

Now, if you ask the average person on the street, who do you think is gonna be in heaven? They say, well, people you know, who go to church, people who read the Bible, people who do nice things for little old women. You know, that's who gets to go to heaven, right? No, he says it's not the godly. It is the ungodly. The King James Version says, the wicked, the wicked, those are the ones God forgives. When Paul says the ungodly, he's talking about people who are opposed to God. And guess who that is? Every one of us. We are born with an inclination to oppose God. We are born with this inclination. When God says yes, our first inclination is to say no. And we've all inherited that sin tendency. Romans 3:23 says, for all have sinned, not just some have sinned. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Now, you know we don't understand that. We like to point to people who are worse than we are, to measure our morality by them. We compare ourselves to other people. But God sees no difference in humanity. We are all on the same plane. There is no difference in God's eyes between the pastor and the prostitute, between the governor and the gunman, between the lawyer and the lawless, between the sophisticate and the savage. We are all sinners who need a savior. And the first step to being forgiven is to recognize, to admit that we are ungodly.

But to the one who does not work, but who justifies the ungodly. The second characteristic I want you to notice here is that God forgives those who realize they are incapable of earning salvation. Notice in verse five again, to the one who does not work, God forgives those who refuse to work for their salvation. Now again, that turns our expectations topsy turvy. We think just the opposite. In fact, we're taught from early in life that any good thing that comes into our life is because of our hard work. I mean, we're taught as children, if you study hard, you earn a good grade. We're taught as athletes. Athletes are taught, if you train hard and compete hard, you end up winning the game or you win the trophy.

You say, well, Pastor, why is it that God doesn't allow us to work to earn his forgiveness? Well, Paul explains that in verse four. The verse before verse five, Paul says, now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. When he uses that word, wage, you understand what he's talking about. Let me ask you a question. How many of you, when you get your check on the 15th and or 30th of every month, how many of you go into your employer and say, thank you so much for this? I can't believe you would do such a thing. I wasn't expecting this. Thank you so much. What can I ever do to repay you?

Anybody ever do that? Sometimes I wish the staff did come in and do that, but they don't. Why? Because what they receive is not a gift. It's not a favor. It is an obligation. Your employer has an obligation with you. You've made a deal with him. You work and he pays you for what you do. It's not a gift from him. It is a wage. It is what you are owed. And, ladies and gentlemen, if we work for our salvation, then salvation is not a gift from God. It is what God owes us. And God refuses to owe any man or woman salvation.

Now, some people say, well, I can accept that most of the way, but surely we play a little bit of a part in it, no? Because even if salvation is 10% or 1%, what we do, it changes the whole nature of a gift and makes it an obligation. And that's why the Bible says God doesn't allow us to do anything to earn our salvation. It is those who do not work who earn eternal life. That is what the Bible says. To the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

Whom does God forgive who can be assured that they're going to be welcomed into heaven one day? First of all, those who admit that they are ungodly and need God's forgiveness. Secondly, those who realize they are incapable of earning in any way their salvation. And then finally, and this is key, God forgives those who trust in Christ to save them. Look again at verse five. But to the one who does not work but believes in him, underline that. Believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.

Earlier, in chapter four, Paul has been explaining to this mainly Jewish audience how salvation is God's gift. It's not of works, lest any man should boast. And as exhibit A of that truth, he uses Abraham as an example. Now, you have to understand, to a Jewish audience, Abraham was kind of like George Washington is to Americans. He was the father of the country, the father of the Jewish people. He was the most revered character in Jewish history, Abraham. And the Jews thought, if any man could be in heaven because of his good works, it was Abraham. I mean, just think about what he did. God told him to go to a country, leave everything familiar to the country. He would show them, and he picked up and he went there.

When he got into dispute with his nephew Lot over who could have the best land, he voluntarily gave the best land to his nephew Lot. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, his beloved son Isaac, he was willing to do that. There is one guy who certainly could inherit heaven based on his works, couldn't he? Not according to what Paul says. Look in verse 3 of Romans 4. He says, for what does the Scripture say? And Abraham believed God. And it that belief, that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness, a right standing with God.

The event that Paul is referring to goes back to Genesis, chapter 15, verse 6. Remember, before Abraham had done anything good, God said to Abraham, Abraham, I'm going to make you the father of a great nation. Me, I'm 75 years old. I can't be the father of one, much less a multitude. He said, Abraham, go outside, look into the stars and the heavens and count the number of stars. Can you count them? No, he said, so shall your descendants be. And then Genesis 15:6 says, and Abraham believed God. And God took that belief of Abraham, and in the great accounting room of heaven, that faith of Abraham was exchanged for God's righteousness. At that moment, Abraham was declared not guilty. He was in a right standing with God.

And Paul uses that same word, believe, to describe how we're in a right relationship with God. The word believe doesn't just mean intellectual assent to a set of facts. It is a belief that means to trust in, to cling to, to put your full hope in. It's the kind of faith that motivates you to do something. Abraham, yes, he believed what God said, but he believed it so much that he uprooted his family and left everything familiar to that land that God would show him without knowing where he was going. It was the kind of faith Noah exercised. When God said to Noah, I'm gonna destroy the world with a flood, he didn't just believe intellectually the world was gonna be destroyed. He believed enough that he was willing to build an ark and be called a fool for doing so and putting his family into that boat.

And it's the same thing with us. To believe in Jesus Christ for your salvation doesn't mean just to believe intellectual facts about Jesus. It means to believe, to cling to, to trust in what Jesus said about himself, that he came and died on the cross to forgive us of our sins. It means to trust in that and that alone for our salvation.

Maybe I could give you two illustrations of that that would help illustrate what I'm talking about. A few weeks ago, I was in New York City for two days to do some television and radio interviews. And no sooner had my plane landed at LaGuardia than I lost my voice completely. And I thought, what am I going to do? I'm supposed to talk to millions of people over the next two days and I can't say a word. Now I knew what I should do. I had this happen about twice a year. And I called Dr. Madeley and he gives me a Z pack. And almost instantly, as soon as I take that first tablet, my voice starts to clear up.

I picked up the phone and Dr. Madeley was kind enough to order a Z pack for me. I went down the street from the hotel to the pharmacy to pick it up. I picked it up, had it in my hand. But did it heal me? No. I had to be desperate enough, I had to depend enough on that medicine to heal me that I was willing to open my mouth and put one of those tablets in my mouth. Now that's what it means to believe. To believe enough to do something.

Perhaps this illustration will help you even more understand what biblical belief is. Some of our folks have seen this before, but it so well illustrates what the Bible means when it says believe. Believe isn't just a set of intellectual facts you agree to. You know, I could believe that this chair is sturdy, that it is well made, that it is capable of supporting my weight. I believe that intellectually. Is this chair supporting me? No. Intellectual assent is not enough. I could say, well, I kind of believe that this chair can hold me, but I want to hedge my bets. And so I sit down. But I also put some weight on my feet. I don't want to put my whole weight on it because this thing could break. Is it really holding me? No, it's my feet as well as the chair.

To really believe in this chair means I put my full weight in this chair, no weight in my feet. I transfer the responsibility from my feet completely to the chair to support me. Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is the same way with believing in Jesus Christ. To believe in Jesus Christ doesn't mean to believe certain historical facts about Jesus. You can believe that Jesus is the son of God. You can believe that he died for the sins of the world. You can believe that he rose from the dead on the third day and still split hell wide open when you die. Did you know that? How do I know that? Because you know, the demons and Satan believe all of those things about Jesus. They believed that he was the son of God. When the demons confronted Jesus, they said to him, why are you here, O Son of God? They understood who Jesus was. They believed that he died for the sins of the world. They believed that he rose again from the dead. In fact, they believe those things more than you do, more than I do. Because they were there. They were eyewitnesses to those things.

But that kind of belief is not what saves you. It is when you are willing to appropriate that faith in your own life. When you come to that point of desperation, when you believe that Jesus is your only hope of heaven. When you kneel before a holy God and you say, God, I know I am ungodly. I know I have sinned. I know I deserve your eternal punishment. But I believe that you sent your son Jesus to die for me to take the punishment on the cross that I deserve to take from you. And right now, I'm trusting in Jesus and Jesus alone. Not my good works, but in Jesus and Jesus alone to save me from my sins.

And the Bible says, the moment, the instant you say that to God, just like Abraham, God takes your faith, no matter how small it is. And in the great accounting room of heaven, God exchanges your little bit of faith for his everlasting forgiveness and righteousness. To the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

As a young girl, Charlotte Elliot had heard that truth all of her life. One day, when she was nine years old, her village pastor came by to see her. He said, Charlotte, are you ready to come to Jesus today? She said, pastor, I'd like to, but I don't know how to come. He said, just come the way you are. And that night, little Charlotte Elliot knelt beside her bed and she prayed this prayer. Dear God, my pastor said, I don't have to wait any longer to come to you. If you will take me just the way I am, I'll come to you.

Now, years later, as an adult, Charlotte Elliot used that experience to pen one of the most loved hymns of all time. Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou bids me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come. As a little girl, Charlotte Elliot understood a truth so simple that wise men have stumbled over it. And that truth is this: to the man, the woman, the boy, the girl, who does not work, but believes in him who forgives, justifies the ungodly, God takes his faith and counts it as righteousness.

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Romans 4, verse 5 says, "but to the one who does not work but believes in him, who justifies the ungodly. His faith is credited as righteousness." Isn't that a relief? It's such a delight to bring this message to our global family of listeners today. I know that someone is listening right now, perhaps you who needed to hear this powerful truth.

You're hearing this program right now because someone gave a generous gift to Pathway to Victory, which enabled us to deliver today's teaching on radio, television, and the Internet. And we invite you to step forward and give a generous gift as well. God will use your investment to bring truth to someone in spiritual darkness.

To express my thanks for your generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'm pleased to offer my book called "How to Make Wise Decisions: The Joy of Discovering God's Will for Your Life." If you're serious about following God's will, this book is the perfect place to start. The Bible teaching in this book will help direct the next steps for your family, the next decision for your business, or God's choice for your marriage.

I'd be happy to send you a copy of my book "How to Make Wise Decisions" when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Thanks for giving generously to Pathway to Victory. We are taking on new territory and new stations because we believe our greatest days of impact are still in front of us.

And we're moving ahead with boldness because generous people like you are standing beside us together. God is using our collective efforts to pierce the darkness with the light of His Word. Here's David with all the details.

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You're invited to request a copy of how to Make Wise Decisions when you give a generous gift to Pathway to Victory. In this very practical book, Dr. Jeffress explains how God makes His plan known to His children and how to act upon those plans. To request your very own copy of how to make wise decisions, call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. When your gift is $75 or more, you'll also receive the complete CD and DVD teaching set for the series how to Make Wise Decisions. Call right now, 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. If you'd prefer to send a check, write to P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. That's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222.

I'm David J. Mullins. It's disappointing when a prayer goes unanswered, but there is one request that God responds to every single time by saying yes. Discover the one prayer God always answers. That's Tuesday on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes.

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