The Basic Things: Communion
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. — 1 Corinthians 11:28
Communion has always been one of the integral parts of following Jesus in my life. It is one of the few things that Jesus did that the church still continues to do to this day. It is a renewing of the covenant that we have with Jesus.
One aspect that is not emphasized enough is a time of examination. There must be a time of examination and reflection prior to the renewing of the covenant.
This examination process is one in which I feel that has been left behind from the original commands of the Bible.
It is tough to examine our lives. It is equally tough for us to be honest with ourselves about our lives. Humans have an amazing ability to rationalize any decision in our lives. Even when those decisions are not good for us we can rationalize it.
A great way to see this in action is to look about the amount of money people spend on things that we do not need. Yet we can convince ourselves that we do in fact need those items. The same can be said about the actions we partake in. There are many times in life where people can find themselves on “auto-pilot”. We move from day to day without every stopping to examine what we are actually doing. Are you actually living the life that God has planned for you?
This is why we must stop before we renew our covenant with Jesus.
Are our lives in-line with what Jesus taught and commanded?
This is a question that people need wrestle with and answer for themselves.
Are there unrepented sins in our lives?
We need to be sure that we keep short accounts with God when is comes to our sins.
I pray that you would heed these words from Paul and spend that time in examination. I pray that you would resolve issues in your lives and grow spiritually in our Lord Jesus Christ. Then take the bread and the cup to renew that covenant with Christ.