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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.
Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ritual. Show all posts

Thursday, May 22, 2014

The Real Reason For The Lord's Supper

St. Augustine remarked famously in a dictum: "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity. Holy Communion or the Eucharist (which means "thanksgiving"), aka the Lord's Supper, first-served in the Upper Room was instituted for the Church as a command to do in remembrance of Jesus and to perpetuate the memory of His death, and the New Covenant by virtue of His shed blood on our behalf. There are no many things all Christians agree on, but this should be a source of unity everywhere, uniting us all. We are showing solidarity in Christ and He has promised a special blessing on it, with a peculiar presence of His divine nature (His human nature is seated at the right hand of the Father in the third heaven).

It is true that "wherever two or three are gathered together in His name that Christ is present in His divine nature ("For lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age"). However, there is a special grace of his meeting with us at this ordinance (let's not call it sacrament), which does not convey grace ex opere operato (by virtue of the act per se), but the actual instrumental means of grace is faith, not the outward motions or activities per se.

Some believers go to the extreme of this God-ordained ritual and do it on a daily basis, thinking they are more holy or sanctified that way. We are to "tarry for one another" and therefore this is a group effort to bring the testimony of Christ. This is our chance to regularly "examine" ourselves and that way not partake "unworthily" which could result in divine discipline or death. The table is to be open to all believers who profess saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and not discriminating or in any way showing favoritism. We are all equal before the Lord and there are no titles or ranks, classes, or castes. It is the quality, not the quantity of our obedience that the Lord is looking for.

The Lord's Supper is meant to be a meaningful ritual and not an empty one when one just goes through the motions thinking you don't need faith to benefit. It should always be an opportunity to instruct on the Seder that was celebrated by our Lord. It is a celebration and a privilege not to be taken for granted. If we partake and don't discern the body of Christ or have unrepentant sin in our life we bring judgment on ourselves, but only that we don't perish with the world.   Soli Deo Gloria!