Our Identity in Christ Part 4 Our Confession (continued)

Introduction

In my previous post (Our Identity in Christ Part 3 Our Nature and Confession), I discussed how the church often misrepresents the confession of sin as a practice for believers. One of the aspects I mentioned was regarding communion; i.e., we are often called to examine ourselves for any unconfessed sin before taking the bread and the wine. I felt compelled to follow-up on this particular practice because it is so prevalent in the church.

Examine Yourselves

The practice of confessing sin in connection with the Lord’s Supper comes from a passage of Scripture in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:

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. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:27-32, NASB®).

This passage contains some sobering thoughts. There are ramifications for taking communion improperly. However, the “unworthy manner” discussed here has nothing to do with unconfessed sin. The Corinthians had some problems, one of which was division in the church. The factions caused disunity when they came together to eat the Lord’s Supper. This celebration was not the way we take communion today; it was a meal the church was to enjoy together. So, Paul’s description of the church’s behavior before his rebuke explains the problem:

But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you. Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. (1 Corinthians 11:1 -22, NASB®).

Paul reminded the church why Jesus instilled communion; it was to remember Him and the new covenant He established with his people, the church. Paul then concludes his reprimand of the Corinthians with this remedy:

So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come. (1 Corinthians 11:33 -34, NASB®).

We must remember this was a real letter to a real church experiencing real problems. The Apostle Paul describes an actual historic event handed down to us as an example. The Christians at Corinth were disrespecting each other at a celebration that should have stressed unity and fellowship. Hopefully, we don’t have the same problems as the church at Corinth; nevertheless, there are lessons for us today. Sadly, the current church has applied the wrong lesson from this passage.

I find it paradoxical that Christians feel they must cleanse themselves before taking communion. When we come to Christ for salvation, we know we are sinners who can do nothing to make things right with God. So, we accept the gift that Jesus purchased with His body and His blood; we are redeemed, forgiven our sins, and born again to new life. The purpose of the Lord’s supper is to remember Jesus, His broken body, and spilled blood; it is not for us to focus on ourselves. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves worthy of Jesus’ sacrifice. That said if God brings to mind some sin in our life, what do we do? Well, just as we should do at any other time, we thank God for His forgiveness through Jesus. We then decide to turn away from sin and live in the righteousness and holiness Jesus provides for us. Also, if our sin has caused harm to others we seek reconciliation and recompense.

The lesson Paul is conveying is when we focus on the body and blood of Jesus; we also appreciate His body, the church. The word communion is from Latin, meaning fellowship, mutual participation, and sharing. In the New Testament, the Greek word used to signify this same idea is koinonia. When we come together for communion, we remember what Jesus did on the cross and how it brought us unity with God and with each other. This remembrance is the good confession.

Today is Good Friday, a special day we devote to remembering Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Typically, churches would have communion as part of the service. Unfortunately, most of us cannot gather because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are still unified by what Jesus did for us on the cross.

One of the ways we commemorate Jesus’ passion is by reading the story of His betrayal, trial, and crucifixion. We also read and think about Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, where He is in agony and asks His Father if there is a different way. However, Jesus had another prayer not often included in our Good Friday services. Before his betrayal, Jesus beautifully showed His love and care for those who the Father gave Him. Today, as you remember Jesus, please read John 17 to see how much Jesus cares about our communion with God and each other.

Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:23-24, NRSV)