SLAVERY REMEMBERED My Fabulous Emancipator
012 SLAVERY REMEMBERED: My Fabulous Emancipator
Romans 7:24-25
August 24, 2025
As I’ve been studying the doctrine of sanctification
I ran across an article on Bible.org by a man named Steven J. Cole.
He was writing about the sinfulness of sin, and in that article he wrote:
“In the lifetime of many of us, sin has been redefined: first, as crime – that is, as transgression of the law of man rather than transgression of the law of God – and second, as symptoms. Since “symptoms” are caused by things external to the individual, they are seen as effects for which the offender is not responsible. Thus it happened that sin against God has been redefined (and dismissed) as the unfortunate effects of bad circumstances. And no one is to blame.
We now view many behaviors that the Bible calls “sin” as psychological or emotional issues for which therapy, not repentance, is the solution…Churches offer anger management classes (not anger repentance classes) or groups to help you overcome your “addictions” (not sins). Sin has become a disease that we treat therapeutically, not a behavior for which we’re responsible.”
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-38-utter-sinfulness-sin-romans-711-13
Certainly he is on target with that assessment.
There has been a wholesale movement, even in the church
To redefine or reclassify sin and sinful behavior.
The real tragedy is that most of the time this is done, not to eradicate sin,
But to redefine it in terms that we are ok with.
· If we call it an addiction instead of sin we are more prone to let people keep it.
· If we call it a behavior instead of sin we tolerate it more easily.
· If we call it natural or “just who I am” instead of sin, it’s easier to overlook.
We understand why the world would be so eager to reclassify sin.
They love it and they want to keep it.
· If they can call homosexuality an alternative lifestyle then we might be able
to keep it.
· If they can call abortion women’s healthcare then maybe they’ll let us
continue.
· If they can call living together outside of marriage basically the same thing
then we can keep doing it.
I GET WHY THE WORLD WANTS TO RELABEL SIN.
BUT WHY HAS THE CHURCH BEEN SO WILLING TO JUMP ON BOARD?
And perhaps one of the reasons is because
We have come up against the same problem
Paul has been exposing here in Romans 7.
We have realized that don’t have an answer for sin.
At least not one that the human flesh will accept.
The church in the 21st century has tragically lost her answer
For addiction or immorality or anger or things like that.
Someone comes to us and says, “I’m an addict and I can’t leave my sin”
We don’t really know what to tell them.
· So we ship them off to some therapy and hope for the best.
· Or the prosperity gospel gets ahold of them and offers them some cheap
counterfeit miracle.
The reality is that the church has been compliant in relabeling sin
Simply so that we don’t feel like failures
When we don’t know how to help people out of it.
THIS IS A PROBLEM…A BAD PROBLEM.
The apostle James actually gave direct orders to the church regarding this problem.
James 5:14-16, 19-20 “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much…My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
Now, I know that verse mentions sickness and anointing with oil
And the types of things we see in the charismatic movement.
And without spending too much time here, but because this text is worth it,
Let me just tell you that it is not physical sickness that James has in mind here.
This is the 5th chapter of the letter
· James hasn’t mentioned physical sickness once.
· He has however spent the entire letter speaking of the spiritual infirmities of the body of Christ.
Here when James asks if anyone is “sick”
He is referring to spiritual weakness, not physical sickness.
The word is: ASTHENEO
And yes, “sick” is an acceptable translation.
But it can also be translated “weak, powerless, needy, poor”.
Paul uses it that way in:
Romans 14:1-2 “Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.”
And the anointing with oil there is METAPHORICAL.
Psalms 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”
What James is referring to is spiritual weakness.
And sometimes that spiritual weakness is even the result of sin.
James says that the function of the church, especially the elders,
Is to pray for such a one so that the Lord will deliver him from sin.
IN SHORT, when men and women are weak and stumble in sin,
· The job of the church IS NOT TO re-label their failure as something else and ship them off to therapy.
· The role of the church IS TO put that brother or sister on the right path by taking them to Jesus.
James said, we turn them back form the error of their ways.
And we take them to the only One who can deliver from sin.
The church should understand how freedom from sin is accomplished.
Paul wrote to the Galatians:
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
There you see it again.
The church is supposed to know the answer to sin.
WHAT IS THAT ANSWER?
We have a FABULOUS EMANCIPATOR!
We have the best slave deliverer who ever lived.
As the old hymn goes:
“He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free.”
And that is what Paul has been pointing out to us
For the last several weeks in our study of Romans 6,7,8.
We saw FREEDOM REVEALED (Romans 6:1-7:6)
Recently we have been looking at: SLAVERY REMEMBERED (7:7-25)
Paul has taken us on a journey backward
To remember what our slavery was like
So that we might remember how terrible it was and how we escaped.
When Jesus crossed the sea with the disciples He warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees.
Mark 8:16-21 “They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? “Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Don’t you remember?
· Bread is not an issue.
We need to do the same regarding freedom from sin.
· Don’t you remember how you got out?
· Don’t you remember how you overcame?
You need to remember it as you minister to the lost
And as you pursue sanctification in your own life.
So we have taken a journey backward into our former slavery.
LAST SUNDAY MORNING - “My Fatal Epiphany” (7:7-12)
We saw how Paul was walking along content and happy as you please
· Then he read in the Law “THOU SHALL NOT COVET”.
· “No problem” he thought.
· But no sooner did he think that than did something inside of him revolt
· Not only did he not stop coveting, but it actually got worse.
And Paul asked if that law killed him?
Paul asked if that law was sin?
IS THE LAW THE PROBLEM?
And Paul said, “NO! It was sin!” The Law merely exposed it.
LAST SUNDAY NIGHT – “My Futile Effort” (7:13-23)
Where we saw Paul, in full agreement with the Law of God, do everything he could to will himself into compliance.
· He was determined to whip his body into shape and obey God’s Law.
· And yet all he found was failure.
Paul said that there was “a different law in the members of [his] body, waging war against the law of [his] mind and making [him] a prisoner of the law of sin which was in [his] members.”
HE WAS A PRISONER; A SLAVE OF SIN
AND NOW HERE WE ARE.
Paul has learned (thanks to the Law) that he has a massive sin problem.
· Not only does sin dwell in him, but sin is apparently calling the shots.
· Sin has enslaved him, and made him an enemy of God and brought him under
God’s condemnation.
· He is a lost and sinful man and that there’s not a thing he can do to fix that on
his own.
IT IS A DARK MOMENT FOR SURE.
BUT, this section of Scripture is NOT about defeat.
In fact, the verse that inspired this entire section was:
Romans 5:20-21 “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The point of the section is not how sin defeated me,
The point of the section is how grace defeated my sin!
AND THAT IS WHERE WE COME THIS MORNING.
As we look at MY FABULOUS EMANCIPATOR
(You know what an emancipator is. You’ve heard about the emancipation proclamation. It is one who sets slaves free.)
Let’s listen to Paul as he talks about this freedom he found.
4 points
#1 MY STATUS
Romans 7:24a
“Wretched man that I am!”
That is Paul’s culminating declaration
After realizing that despite his best efforts
He will never be able to please God on his own.
“I can’t do it!” He cries.
The Greek word behind “wretched”
Is a word that speaks of intense suffering and anguish.
It can be external suffering, but it can also be internal suffering.
You see the same anguish in that tax collector in the temple.
Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’”
You see it in Isaiah when he enters the temple.
Isaiah 6:5 “Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
In just the last 20 verses PAUL HAS LEARNED that
· He is a coveter (7:8)
· He is dead in sin (7:9-11)
· Nothing good dwells in him (7:18)
· Sin dwells in him (7:17)
· Evil dwells in him (7:21)
· He is a prisoner (7:23)
Even in the request we will look at next he says, “Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
John MacArthur often explained this
· According to an ancient eastern form of capitol punishment for murderers.
· Where the victim is strapped to the back of his murderer until the infection
eventually seeps into the back of the murderer killing him as well.
Paul says, “I’ve got a dead man strapped to my back”
· I can’t get loose
· I can’t break free
· I just keep falling more and more into foulness and sin and guilt and judgment
and failure.
If I died today, I’d be in hell.
THAT IS A HARD PLACE TO BE.
It is a painful place to be.
BUT LET ME BE CLEAR
That is a NECESSARY place to be.
That brokenness is the gate through which you enter the kingdom.
Matthew 5:3-4 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Until you are broken and humble and truly defeated by your sin,
You are not yet ready to cry out for help as you must.
As long as one shred of dignity or self-confidence remains
You will forever resist the self-denial Christ requires
Hoping that one day you might actually get this sin under control.
You must be broken.
James 4:9-10 “Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
We think of that Canaanite woman:
Matthew 15:26-27 “And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
We think of that slave who owed 10,000 talents:
Matthew 18:26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’”
This status is painful, but it is necessary
Paul here realized he could not defeat his own sin.
That was his status
#2 MY SUPPLICATION
Romans 7:24b
“Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
· I AM ENSLAVED to sin.
· I AM ENSLAVED to a flesh that loves sin.
WE KNOW WHAT SLAVERY LOOKS LIKE
When we studied Titus we learned about the Cretens:
Titus 1:12 “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
· It’s who they are, and they can do no other.
Paul wrote about men of the world:
Philippians 3:18-19 “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”
· Paul says “their god is their appetite” (literally their stomach)
· It is their flesh that calls the shots.
And there is only one way to escape it.
(And it’s not by pushing harder or trying the Law more)
HERE IS THE WAY:
Matthew 16:24-25 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
You’ve got to turn your back on you.
· It’s NOT JUST turning from sin, though you must do that too.
· It’s turning from your own accomplishments and strengths and abilities.
You’ve got to see that sin is in you, sin is killing you,
And you’ve never done a single thing to stop it.
· All your plans, all your efforts, all your good deeds must be scrapped.
· You must see that you are a wretch.
And you must, with your face in the dirt,
Lift your hand to Jesus and beg for help.
· Just like those 4 friends who tore a hole in the roof to get to Jesus.
· Just like that hemorrhaging woman who fought to touch Jesus garment.
· Just like that blind Bartimaeus who wouldn’t stop screaming until he got to Jesus.
· Just like that Canaanite woman wouldn’t take “No” for an answer.
You run to Jesus, throw yourself at His mercy and refuse to let go
Until He sets you free because He is the only hope you have.
That is how you cry out!
His status, His supplication
#3 MY SAVIOR
Romans 7:25a
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
There He is!
· The Liberator!
· The Emancipator!
· The Freedom Winner!
· The Savior from sin!
When Paul came to the end of himself he cried out to Christ
And Jesus Christ delivered him from his sin!
YOU WANT TO SEE IT?
You want to see it in Paul’s life?
When Paul was in prison in Rome,
He received a care package from the poor Christians in Macedonia.
In response he wrote them a letter, and at the end here is what he said:
Philippians 4:10-13 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
· I can be content even when I’m hungry in prison?
· I know how to get along with humble means?
· I know how to be content when suffering need?
Where is this man who couldn’t stop coveting?
· Where is this man who couldn’t produce an ounce of contentment?
· Where is this man who had coveting of every kind?
He said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
(And he wasn’t talking about dunking a basketball)
The sin I could not defeat on my own,
Is defeated through Christ who strengthens me.
THAT IS DELIVERANCE!
THAT IS FREEDOM FROM SIN!
John 8:34-36 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
And we should know this about Him:
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 12:18-21 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. “He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. “A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. “And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”
Luke 4:17-21 “And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
THERE HE IS!
TURN TO: COLOSSIANS 2:8-14
· You see Paul making sure the Colossians don’t get swept away by some philosophical argument.
· Don’t let someone turn you away from Christ and turn you towards philosophy or therapy.
THERE IS ONLY ONE SAVIOR.
(READ 8-11)
I hope you caught that.
“in Him you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, IN THE REMOVAL OF THE BODY OF THE FLESH by the circumcision of Christ;”
What was it Paul wanted to be set free from?
(24) “the body of this death”
That’s exactly what Christ did! He removed it!
HOW?
(READ 12)
Through IDENTIFICATION in His death, burial, and resurrection.
· When you ran to Him, He united you in Him and in His death you found freedom from sin and the Law.
In fact, look at how he says it here.
(READ 13-14)
· Christ freed you from the jurisdiction of the Law.
· He figuratively nailed it to the cross.
Someone showed up with a list of laws you had to fulfill
In order to be pleasing to God.
That list which condemned you and stirred up your sin.
CHRIST GRABBED THAT LIST AND NAILED IT TO THE CROSS.
PAID IN FULL.
Free from the body of sin, free from the Law
And that’s not all, Paul listed a third here:
(READ 15)
He set you free from Satan’s dominion.
· No longer are you his slave either.
THAT IS WHAT CHRIST DOES!
HE SETS MEN FREE!
· When you come to the end of yourself.
· When you deny all that you are and have done.
· When you in humility cry out to Christ.
HE TAKES YOU TO HIMSELF.
· You are immersed into Him
· And by reason of His death, burial, and resurrection you are free!
JESUS CHRIST SETS YOU FREE!
That’s what He did for Paul.
His status, His supplication, His savior
#4 MY SUMMATION
Romans 7:25b
This is where Paul ties his point up with a nice neat bow.
He started the problem in 7:14 “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.”
And we said, “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?”
· A question he answered in verses 15-23.
· Because I don’t want to sin, but I can’t stop.
It was his way of telling us why he needed a savior;
Why he couldn’t do it on his own.
And he completes his thought here.
“So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”
Now what does that mean?
What is his point?
I told you I had a moment when I changed my mind on Romans 7.
On that day, I wrote an article just to bring clarity to my own thoughts
As to why I changed my mind.
I want to read you part of that article here in reference to this verse.
“That “so then” is the final application and explanation of the whole point that Paul has been making since verse 5. That just because your mind wants to obey God doesn’t mean your flesh will follow. Salvation is not a matter of the will. Salvation is not a matter of knowledge. Salvation is not a matter of education or trying harder or twelve step programs. The flesh is too strong! The flesh will override your knowledge every time. Our world (and especially our religious majority) has spent countless millions trying to educate young people on the dangers and ramifications of sex, but education doesn’t change the impulse of the flesh in the heat of passion. That is Paul’s point! If all salvation was about was changing the mind then the Law would be enough, but there is a much bigger issue in play. We are talking about a sinful flesh and for that we need a Savior to deliver us.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
That is what Paul is saying here.
· I was serving God’s law with my mind, but that wasn’t enough.
· It wasn’t about a decision.
You can take an addict
· And show them scary pictures and blood-curling statistics.
· And hold an intervention with their whole family in tears begging them to stop.
· And guilt them over and over.
BUT THEY CANNOT JUST DECIDE TO STOP.
It’s not about a decision.
It’s not about being educated.
Don’t kid yourself.
Paul would say, “I don’t care if you agree in your mind that the Law is good if in your body you are still serving sin.”
DON’T FOOL YOURSELF.
You are slave of the one you obey.
Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”
Paul said all the right things too.
· “I agree with the Law”
· “The willing is present in me”
· “I joyfully conquer with the Law of God in the inner man”
All that is well and good, but it doesn’t’ mean you are free.
You are a slave of the one you obey.
Matthew 23:23-33 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ “So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. “Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?”
They knew all the answers but they were slaves of sin.
DON’T KID YOURSELF.
Agreeing that the Law is good is not enough.
· You need a Savior!
· You need a Deliverer!
· You need a FABULOUS EMANCIPATOR!
Someone to come and break the chains of sin.
Someone to circumcise off your body of sin.
And you need to cry out to Him in full trust and full surrender.
That’s how you are delivered.
That’s how you are saved.
AND CHRISTIAN
THAT’S HOW YOU GET SANCTIFIED TOO!
Paul asked the Galatians who were considering being circumcised and coming under the Law in order to be more pleasing to God.
Galatians 3:1-5 “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
Do you really think you are saved by faith and then perfected by works?
THE SAVIOR FROM SIN IS STILL THE SAVIOR FROM SIN.
THE JUSTIFIER IS ALSO THE SANCTIFIER.
You need Him.
SO LISTEN TO ME THIS MORNING.
IF YOU ARE UNREDEEMED AND A SLAVE TO SIN,
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OUT
That is by humbling yourself and crying out to Jesus.
· Take a page from Paul.
· Take a page from that tax collector in the temple.
· Take a page from that Canaanite woman.
· Take a page from Isaiah when he saw God’s glory.
You are a wretch and it’s time you own it and cry out to Jesus.
IF YOU ARE REDEEMED, BUT THERE’S A SIN YOU STRUGGLE WITH.
What is your solution?
IT IS THE SAME!
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS!
AND THIS MORNING HE IS THE ONE WE CELEBRATE.
And as we partake, we commune with Him here.
We in essence come to Him again.
The Lord’s Supper is a good tool for our sanctification.
· Not only does it point us back to the Savior’s work on our behalf,
· But what is it that we are called to do when we partake?
1 Corinthians 11:27-30 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.”
This very ordinance is an ordinance of self-examination.
We examine ourselves, we recognize our failures and we run to the Savior.
We, in essence, relive our salvation.
· We come out of the prison again.
· We cry out to Him again.
· We relive our redemption.
And when we trust in Jesus:
Regardless of how we entered this room, we walk out free.
THIS MORNING AS WE PARTAKE
Let me encourage you to take your sin to Jesus.
· Humble yourself again.
· Cry out to Him again.
· Place your faith in His perfect righteousness.
· Place your faith in His spotless blood.
· Place your faith in His victory over sin and death and hell.
YOU TRUST HIM
He will make you free.
And if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
LORD’S SUPPER
· Deacons Come Forward
Romans 8:1-5 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
· Give Bread to Deacons
· Deacon Prayer
· Deacons Pass out Bread
Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
· Take Bread
Colossians 2:11-15
“and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”
· Give Juice to Deacons
· Deacon Prayer
· Deacons Pass out Juice
Matthew 26:27-28 “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”
· Take Juice
· Deacon Prayer