The Holy Communion - The Tree of Life

How do you partake of the Holy Communion in an unworthy manner and eat and drink judgment to yourself? Definitely not by partaking when you're not 'righteous' as is being preached in many churches today! 1 Corinthians 11: 29 says it's by "...not discerning the Lord's body."

"27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep."

Notice that eating and drinking in an unworthy manner is by "not discerning the Lord's body" and not because you committed some sin before partaking. No one is worthy except the Lamb of God. With Christ as our righteousness and forsaking that which is borne of works of the law, we are righteous in God's eyes 100% because "...He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

It is not a matter of whether one sinned or not. It is the manner in which some believers partake that is unworthy: By "not discerning the Lord's body" - not making a difference between His body that was broken for us (healing us of our sicknesses and pains) and His blood that was shed for us (by which all of our sins are forgiven and we are made righteous in Him). By not knowing that we eat in remembrance of His body that was broken for us and that through His sacrifice, we enjoy perfect wholeness and health in mind and body; not understanding that each time we eat His body, we partake of His finished work "surely He has borne our sicknesses and diseases and He has carried our pains" and that "by His stripes we are healed."

In essence, by partaking without regard, acknowledgement or reverence for His body that was broken for us and why; according to Isaiah "His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man." All for our sake- the price of our wholeness paid in full!

Many people eat and drink to "see if it will work" or believe that it is for the forgiveness of sins, lumping the purpose of the Body and the Blood into one! Our Lord's body was broken to make us whole, healthy and at peace. His kind of peace, not as the world gives.

Each time we deny ourselves of this wonderful blessing because of some 'holy' individual that forces us to be sin-conscious, we put ourselves in the precarious position of those that Jesus spoke about in John 6:53 - those with no life in them. 53 "Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you."

Bear in mind that without God's gift of righteousness in Christ, no one is righteous. Our good behaviour and law-keeping, wonderful as these things are, do not and cannot make us righteous in God's sight according to Romans 3:20- "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are."

The Law shows everyone up as guilty, just as it showed Adam and Eve how sinful they were after they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (a picture of the Law which tells us good from evil.) Adam and Eve became conscious of their nakedness (unrighteousness) and covered themselves with fig leaves that they sewed together (a picture of self-righteousness/works of the Law done to be "right" with God)

According to Genesis 3:7 - "Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." Adam and Eve's eyes were open to their unrighteousness when they ate of the tree and they tried to cover their unrighteousness with their own works. God shed the blood of an animal for them and dressed them with its skin. Only He can make righteous.

Remember Christ's words to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3, the ones who thought they had it all together by their own "fig leaves" effort: "17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed;" These ones, in their self-righteousness  (fig leaves coverings) did not even know that they were naked.

But the bible records another two whose "eyes were opened" in a different way in Luke 24 - Cleopas and his companion (probably Mrs. Cleopas:)) who were blessed to have Christ as their Teacher and Companion on the road to Emmaus. They had no idea it was Christ who travelled with them. Their eyes were prevented from seeing Him. These two were sad because they felt all hope was lost since Jesus had been crucified, was dead and His body was not in the tomb. Christ told them:

"26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures."

And what other chapter in the bible describes His suffering for our sake than Isaiah 53! He bore our sicknesses, carried our pain, was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, punished that we might have peace and by His stripes we are healed! These two heard this and their hearts felt on fire! All without knowing that it was Christ who spoke with them. 

But how does this relate to the Holy Communion? Their eyes were opened to see Him when they partook of His body, the bread of the communion: "29...So He went in to stay with them. 30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight." From their sight but always with them, for He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and their eyes were opened their sinfulness. The Law shows us how sinful we are; the letter kills. They died. When you partake of the Communion, you get to see the Lord our Righteousness, Christ Jesus, the Bread of Life! You see that you are made 100% whole by His body that was broken for you and made 100% righteous by His blood that was shed for you. You get to LIVE.

Eat of the Tree of Life - our Saviour Jesus Christ - and Live.

What's more, Cleopas and his companion, who just did a seven mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus, in that same hour made the trip back to Jerusalem. The Lord strengthened them in their partaking of the bread, the body of Christ, as it is written in Psalms 104:15- 

"And wine that makes glad the heart of man,

Oil to make his face shine,

And bread which strengthens man’s heart."

And look what they told the disciples when they arrived (verse 35) "They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread."

Christ is revealed to us in the breaking of the bread.

Believers in Christ, partake in our Lord's Supper often, discerning our Lord's body. Do it as often as you can. In church. With your believer friends. In the privacy of your kitchen. With your family. Alone. Everyday. Five times a day. As often as the Spirit enables you to! By yourself. Anytime the Spirit leads you to.

Are you sick? Are you trying hard to kick a bad habit? Did you think about it just before the call to partake of His body and His blood? Partake, knowing that His finished work has made you completely whole, including your brain where the bad thoughts are processed!

By His grace, you will not be robbed of this wonderful blessing of Holy Communion that our Saviour has blessed us with by those who say you have to be "sinless" or worthy before you partake. These people are robbing you of the life giving power of the Bread of Life. Partake as often as He gives you grace to!

The world has been condemned to get sick, stressed, have no peace, be fearful and die - all the things Christ suffered for us as recorded in Isaiah 53. Each time we deny ourselves of this wonderful blessing because of some 'holy' individual that forces us to be sin-conscious, we group ourselves with the world; we put ourselves in the precarious position of those that Jesus spoke about in John 6:53 - those with no life in them. 53 "Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you."

See yourself as the righteousness of God in Christ, "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord" and be transformed to the same image from glory to glory "just as by the Spirit of the Lord"! With Christ as our righteousness and forsaking that which is borne of works of the law, we are righteous in God's eyes 100% because "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21.

You will not continue to sin because "The Lord is my Shepherd." We are sheep. Trust in Him and He will lead you on the path of righteousness. We are lost on our own.

Pretty long:)

Believe Right and you will Live Right!