Order Of Service

Communion Ritual

Romans 3:10

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not, one.

Romans 8:33

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

Introduction

The Romans, in their pride of their Imperial city, said that all roads lead to Rome. The apostle Paul, no doubt, concluded that if all roads lead to Rome, then all roads must also lead “from” Rome. The Roman Road system was a technological marvel in its day. Many of its segments are still operable today. It was designed so messengers could keep the emperor abreast of all parts of the empire and also to facilitate the rapid movement of soldiers if unrest or insurrection occurred.

Paul had a brilliant strategic plan.  “If I can get to Rome and share the gospel with them, since all roads lead from Rome, the Christian message will spread rapidly and reach the entire world.” Although his plan was strategically brilliant, he was unable to implement it, because multiple impediments prevented him from getting there. Instead of feeling defeated by what he could not do, Paul grabbed parchment and pen, and did what he could do.  He wrote them a thoughtful letter.

Paul, an educated man, used many metaphors to convey his messages. Sometimes, he used sports analogies and would tell us to run the race with patience. Sometime, he would use military analogies and would tell us to put on the whole amour of God. The letter to the church at Roman is unique because he constantly uses legal terms to explain God’s saving work. In Rome, there were Hebrews converted to Christianity, who had been versed earlier into the legal system of the Old Testament, and there were Roman citizens who were versed in the Roman legal system. So, Paul expressed the gospel message in terms they could easily understand. He used a lot of legalese. These terms have become “dead metaphors” and are now standard theological terms.

The book of Romans is also unique because this is the only church to which he wrote a letter that he did not establish nor had visited in person.

Since there were no problems, like the church at Corinth, he proceeded directly with the gospel message.  In the process, he penned the most exhaustive theological treatise in the New Testament. He connected many dots between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

In this book, Paul uses the idea of a criminal case about to go to trial. As both sides prepare for the trial, Paul speaks as if he is both the prosecuting attorney and also the defense attorney. While it is an imaginary trial that never occurred, it speaks of the real saving work of Jesus, through His sacrificial death and His glorious resurrection.

Exposition

1. A Stringent Standard.

(God Has Assigned A Strict Standard Of Righteousness And Holiness.)

(Since We Are Created In His Image, He Requires The Same Standards As God Places On Himself.)

(Be Ye Holy, For I Am Holy - Leviticus 11:44; 1^st Peter 1:15-16.)

(Be Ye Perfect for I am perfect – Genesis 17:1; Matthew 5:48.)

2. A Solid Case.

(The Whole Human Race Is On Trial.)

(All Have Sinned And Come Short Of The Glory Of God.)

(Thirteen Counts In Romans 3:10-17.)

3. A Saving Pardon.

(The Evidence Is Factual, But Inadmissible.)

(There Is No Indictment – No Conviction.)

(We Have Been Pardoned.)

(Any And All Penalties Were Paid On Calvary By Jesus.)

(The Charges Did Not Stick.)

(We Are Justified - Just As We Had Not Sinned.)

Closing Statements

As we celebrate Holy Communion, let us remember that the blood of Jesus makes the evidence against us null and void. It cleanses us from all unrighteousness. His justification saves us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and the presence of sin. Justification brings about reconciliation with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When Satan accuses a child of God, the grand jury has to declare “No True Bill.”  Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!

End Notes

1. The word “charge” in Romans 8:33 in the Greek is enkaleo. It means to indict, to legally accuse, or to instigate judicial proceedings against someone.

2. The verb to justify in the Greek is diskaioo. The noun form is dikaiosune. The verb form and the noun form appear collectively more than two hundred times in the New Testament. The majority of the times, it appears in Paul’s letters. It means to acquit, to declare innocent, to declare righteous, to remove legal liability, or to pardon. Of all the terms used to refer to some aspect of salvation, justification is the most prevalent. It is mentioned much more than redemption or propitiation. It is the opposite of condemnation.

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