~ Why Do You Take Part in the Lord’s Supper? ~
The Word of God does not allow for “Lone Ranger Christians” who isolate themselves from being a part of a local assembly of Christians. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Some try to justify their not being part of a local fellowship because of past hurts or the sin of the others. The wag has said, “If you ever find a perfect church—please don’t join it!”
Here are seven reasons which relate to partaking of communion—the Lord’s supper—together with a community of other Christians.
It Is An Act of Obedience ~ “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you’” (Matthew 26:26-27). And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body’” (Mark 14:22). “And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me’” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
It Is An Act of Remembrance ~ “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me’ (Luke 22:19). “And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me’” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
It Is An Act of Testimony to His Death ~ “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
It Is An Act of Confession That Salvation is Only Through His Blood ~ “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9). “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
It Is An Act of Fellowship ~ “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
It Is An Act of Praise and Thanksgiving ~ “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me’ (Luke 22:19). “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). “And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me’” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
It Is An Act of Silently and Powerfully Proclaiming the Second Coming of Christ ~ “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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