"But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:28). If these ordinances were essential to salvation, then everybody would observe them with the view of being saved by them; but, inasmuch as they do not save, and were never meant to save, but are, in fact, only the privileges of those who are saved, the observance of them becomes a test of a mans true discipleship, for it makes it clear whether he will obey Christ or not. The Bible tells us that we need to take a good, long look at what is going on in our hearts when we partake in the Lords Supper. fall where they will. preparing my heart to commune with you. How Can I Examine Myself Before Receiving Communion?* - Jim Klukow.com I hope these words are liberating for those of you who struggle with inordinate anxiety before taking communion. Because there was unresolved sin in my life - I had argued with my sister before church! As mentioned in a previous blog, the wealthier members of the Corinth church were making merry with food and wine, excluding poorer believers and dubbing their experience the Lords Supper. He rightly rebukes them because they were distorting the covenantal nature of Communion. Certainly, we want people to be serious about becoming holy and Pauls words in this passage just begs us to remind believers of their need to examine themselves aboutwhat? Consume with reverence. sin much too lightly. Although you are not perfect, does your private life match your public confession? My books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. Give me a fresh set of eyes to see clearly the meaning of Jesus' body in the future. They have been ordained to soberly remind us of the high cost of Gods forgiveness (1 Peter 1:1819). Beginning the Journey (for new Christians). body." Different Ways of Celebrating Communion. I come from a heritage that excluded people of color and never saw this as a problem. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. We may think this is too harsh of God. repent without him applying pressure. Ask yourself these three questions. Help me and my brothers and sisters to Have I been untrue to friends? 11:27-30). God's Power for Our Battles Thursday, June 29, 2023. You can purchase one of Dr. Wilson's complete Bible studies in PDF, Kindle, or paperback format. I eat that bread, and I feed spiritually on that truth. Then I take the cup, and I say, This cup represents to me the blood of Christ, and I see in this cup the symbol that he died, the Just for the unjust, to bring me to God. Or, am I a stranger to him? He writes: Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. The below is a guide for confession of sin called The Traits of the Self-Life.. You know that I have no faith in the saving power of ordinances. A Sermon Delivered On Lord's Day Evening, October 2, 1881, By C. H. Spurgeon, At The Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. Jacob etc.) Have you been quickened into new life so much as to have a holy hungering and thirsting for more of the Christ who is already yours? All rights reserved. Before we partake, the Bible tells us to examine our hearts (1 Corinthians 11:28-29). The stirrings of anger or impatience, which, worst of all, you call nervousness or holy indignation; a touchy, sensitive spirit; a disposition to resent or retaliate when disapproved of or contradicted; a desire to throw sharp, heated flings at another? describe this: In two other passages Paul urges self-examination: Jesus, too, encouraged reflection when we come to worship God. Oh, that it might be no more I, but Christ who lives in me. 2 Corinthians 13:5-7 KJV - Examine yourselves, whether ye be in - Bible Would you please evaluate this to God alone and receive forgiveness (absolution) of our sins (1 John 1:9; Psalm of the least of these brothers of mine" was like a sin against Jesus himself. One of the primary passages about the Lords Supper derives from 1 Corinthians. Test yourselves. Has the Holy Spirit brought me into the spiritual world? Jesus and the Kingdom To prepare myself to eat and drink worthily is to seek to be reconciled. I take this wine to represent the blood of his atonement, the great fact that he died as my Substitute; and as I drink the wine, and it goes into my inward parts, I take the precious truth of substitution, Christ dying instead of me, and I put it into my very soul to nourish, to cherish, and to delight me. Now, that is the way to discern the Lords body, and that is the way so to eat of that bread, and to drink of that cup, as to be spiritually profited. Christ Powered Life (Rom 5-8) The fact that God took our nature upon himself, shall be as food to my soul. We love you, but we are weak; help us. you for this? 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine Yourselves - Bible Hub however, realize that it is no more or less sinful than other sins against Galatians Now, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke thus plainly concerning one of the two ordinances which he instituted: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Yet we have met with a number of his professed followers who say, Well, that baptism is not a saving ordinance. Who said that it was? It is your duty, as Christians, to see to it that ye eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, after you have examined yourselves, and proved that you are really on the Lords side. referred to in Matthew 5:23-24 cited above (. The Lords Supper, which succeeded the Passover memorial of deliverance from Egypt, was given, not as a sacrifice, but to remind the believer of what has been done for him by the one great sacrifice made by the Son of God (Hebrews 9:2528; 10:312, 14). Answer Self-examination is an important part of living as an authentic Christian, but by nature we prefer self-deception. Bible study by filling out a brief survey? A driving commanding spirit; a disposition to criticize and pick flaws when set aside and unnoticed; a peevish, fretful spirit: a disposition that loves to be coaxed and humored? What would you think of anyone who said that he was a disciple of a certain teacher, but he did not care to observe his teachers commands? It doesnt mean you have to be perfect to take communion. Let's read 1 Corinthians 11:27-34: 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Taken from Communion by Focal Point Ministries (used by permission). Partake with a grateful heart that can say along with generations of Christians, Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window). If you are living in secret, ongoing, unrepentant sin, you shouldnt take communion. To partake of the Lords Supper while looking down on those for whom Christ died is to misunderstand what the Lords Supper means, and thus to take communion in an unworthy manner. So, this Elder concluded we should "look both ways" during communion up and in. If you have been excommunicated, you shouldn't eat the Lord's Supper. Does he know me, and do I truly know him? the Lord's Supper (11:23-26), which we have considered in detail before. "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Are you ready to take communion in a respectful and thoughtful way? You know, in holy ordinances, almost everything depends upon the right understanding of them. Contact Us John's Letters Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. Before we consider eating and drinking unworthily, let's survey the context Do I believe that, by his dying, he offered to God such an atonement for the sins of men that whosoever believeth in him is justified from all things? "6 To partake in For many centuries the Roman Catholic Church has required regular confession Still, if it were only the picking up of a straw, and if Christ had commanded it, I do not see how a man could be sure that he was the servant of Christ if he did not pick up that straw when his Master told him to do it. Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Spiritual Warfare: 'Self-Examination Before Communion' Heartlight Provides Positive Resources for Daily Christian Living. The distinct object of the examination is that the communicant may eat and drink at the Lords table. As you read, examine yourself in the presence of God and ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify, confess, and hate pride, selfishness, and rebellion in your life. Make known to me my rebellion and my sin. Scripture: The main argument for "body" as the church is that references to "body" Its widely known among Christians that communion should be taken seriously. By prayer, hold your heart open to the searchlight of our gracious Father This has implications for all of us who are seeking to be part of the diverse church Jesus is building. I am not putting the question too strongly. Note, next, that another object of this examination is that every man may know that the responsibility of his coming to the Lords table rests wholly with himself: Let a man examine himself, and so let him come. Do I not, as clearly as I can speak, constantly warn you against that error? PDF EXAMINATION BEFORE COMMUNION - Spurgeon Gems At the was a good Jew who didn't eat with Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-14). Examine Yourselves - Grace thru faith Elijah This is the context. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so Not only recalling the inauguration of our relationship with Christ, but also seeking to discover if there is any unconfessed sin impeding our current fellowship with God (1 John 1:69). That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died (1 Cor. Do I hunger after Christ? Do not arrange the examination in such a way as to exclude yourselves unnecessarily. emphasize confession of sins before taking the communion - a matter of 2-5 minutes of examining oneself and saying a prayer of confession, then the bread and the cup are being passed. Philippians If you can satisfactorily answer all the questions I have given you, it is your duty to come to the table of your Lord, and to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. Do I speak with him in prayer? It is not in their power, neither is it in the power of any minister, to give you the right to come to this table, or to the other Christian ordinance: Let a man examine himself. Take the responsibility upon yourself, each one of you, for so the apostle puts it, and this will help you to come aright to the table of the Lord. The Spurgeon Library | Examination before Communion of the elements depicting Christ's suffering and death for our sins, we are In my office as pastor, it is my privilege to receive members into this church; but, by so doing, we never mean to imply that we thereby certify that they are really converted. Examine yourself before you take Communion. What is the Full Armor of God? That is precisely what the Bible teaches us to do every time we recall Jesus' death by participating in the Lord's Supper. In these outward types, now will I feed upon him. 1 Corinthians 11:28 The church at Corinth had various problems with unity, with divides between But many Christians at Corinth did not take the Lords Supper correctly. The spiritual significance of the act of partaking of Lords Supper must be studied from background of mans original state of perfection, his fall, and his redemption by God through Christ. The Lords Supper is a covenant meal, which means that every time they took it, they were remembering that they all belonged to the covenant.
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