Taking communion unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:26-30)

In 1 Corinthians 11:26-30, Paul talks about taking communion "unworthily" and "not discerning the Lord's body."  He was admonishing the church in Corinth because they were coming together without having a reverence for communion or respect for one another.  

They were getting drunk, fighting among themselves, and eating all the food before others arrived. This led to sickness and early death.

Taking communion "unworthily" does not mean that you are a worthless person. It means you are partaking of it in a casual, flippant, selfish manner instead of seeking the true meaning of Jesus' sacrifice.

When Paul says, "examine yourselves", he was not saying examine yourselves to see if you have sin. We have all sinned.(Romans 3:23) If sin would keep us from coming to Jesus to receive the covenant meal (His body and His blood), everyone would be disqualified!

Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, God sees us spotless through the blood of Christ. Jesus qualified us.

So as we take communion, let’s take a moment to understand, deep within our being, the whole of Salvation: Eternal life, deliverance, victory, welfare, health, prosperity, delivered from distress, our present help in times of trouble, kept safe from our enemies, and catastrophes, kept from plagues, famine or sickness. (#3444 in the Hebrew Lexicon) We can see this in Psalm 91 where God is showing us His Salvation, and again in 3 John 2.

It means that Jehovah is the God of our Salvation and Satan is defeated in our lives through Jesus' work on the cross. 

This is how we "discern the Lord's body", and take communion "worthily.” It is all about Jesus and all He accomplished for each of us on the cross.

As we eat and drink of communion today, let us rejoice in all of Salvation that has been accomplished for us on the cross.

Blessings on your day!

Karen

Romans 5:3-4 “…We rejoice in our sufferings..."

Being extremely frustrated that my spiritual life was growing TOO slow, last night I cried out to the Lord, 

“What is taking so long? Why can’t I seem to get the revelation of Your Word? What am I missing?”

Early this morning my mind was taken to the butterfly. The most critical time in the butterfly’s life is when it is trying to get out of the cocoon.

Years ago I read a story of how someone was troubled by watching the butterfly struggle to get free of the cocoon and took some scissors, made a snip and the butterfly was free. The butterfly emerged crippled and could not fly. For it is in the struggle the butterfly develops the strength it will need to fly.

This is true with us as well. It is in the struggles our faith is strengthened for the journey ahead. If God allowed us to forgo the struggles we would not become strong enough to complete the journey.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”

Romans 5:3-4 “...We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

Hebrews 10:36 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him."

James 1:2-3 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

God does not bring the trials and temptations to us. However; as we encounter them He will walk with us through them if we invite Him into our situation. Then, we will emerge victorious.

Today we celebrate Jesus and His finished work on the cross as we partake of communion.

We eat of the wisdom of God both in His word and His steadfastness. 
We drink of His love and mercy given through the blood of Christ.

Blessings on your day!

Karen