Perfect Communion

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

PERFECT COMMUNION

1 Cor 11:27-34

27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

NIV

First, as we know, there is something extremely important spiritually about participating in the Lord’s supper, or as we are more familiar with, taking communion. Of course, we do not ascribe to transubstantiation, as we know they are symbols for us to remember what Christ did for us. Now, we must deal with what would be considered an unworthy manner when we take bread and wine, or juice. What are we examining within ourselves? Of course, we recognize the Lord’s body otherwise what would be the point of joining in communion. However, we do think that we should make sure that we have made our confession of sin, spiritually of course, before eating the bread and drinking the juice. We must know that we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and we are whiter than snow. If, however, we do not examine ourselves and are content with the level of sin in our lives and take communion because we do not what others to think something is wrong in our lives, or we just do it to be doing it because that is the traditional thing to do. So then we should judge ourselves before we do something that could cause us to be weak and sick. Taking a moment to examine ourselves, to look inward, deep within, and seek forgiveness, and repenting means to change the way we think and we could need to make a change in our lives. But if we do find within ourselves that which disqualifies us to take communion, we need only ask forgiveness, and be cleansed, and then we are able to partake in the body and blood of the Lamb, standing in perfect union with Him as well as our fellow believers. If we do not take that time to judge ourselves, God will judge us instead. Again, this waiting for each other gives us this pattern that we should all take the bread together and the wine together, no one should go ahead of anyone else. Then the perfect communion exists.