The Emblems and Focus of the Lord’s Table are the Fountain from which an unending stream of Gospel Truth flows. All that is the believer’s hope and reality is “embodied” in this commanded observance. It is not a mere “ordinance”, and though it is commanded by our Lord, it’s fulfillment isn’t in just doing the command, but in the thanksgiving and worship that grow out of almost any understanding gleaned in being humbled before it. I have chosen only one truth to consider as we “eat” the Body of Christ and “drink” His Blood as He said in John 6:53-58. If we have no hunger or thirst for His Body and Blood, if we don’t come and believe and marvel at all that is portrayed in this thanksgiving service(John 6:35), we have no life, eternal life, in us.
Here is but one example of humbling truth that is found in feasting on our Jesus. We come to a perpetual funeral service each time we gather around these two emblems of our Lord and His Sacrifice for us. Oh, it is not His funeral, it is ours. It is to be a constant reminder that when He died, we died. Our baptism declares this. Continual presence before this table increasingly solidifies our grasp of our union with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. Romans 6:4=baptism. Romans 6:5=our union with Him in His Death is our assurance we are united with Him in His Resurrection. Romans 6:6-7=our assured victory in our ongoing battle with sin (and the world, flesh and the devil).
And Romans 6:8 turns our focus to living out the life of our indwelling Lord each and every day. Either Christ is our Life, or He is nothing Eternal to us. Galatians 2:20 spells this out plainly. “I am crucified with Christ (ALL that I was died with Him, not just what I think is the bad stuff. Before the bar of God’s Righteousness, it is all bad, dead in sin.) nevertheless I LIVE; yet not I, but Christ Liveth in me: and the life which I now live IN THE FLESH (in my mortal body) I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” The verse doesn’t say “I was crucified”, but “I am crucified”, for His once done crucifixion is worked out moment by moment by the Holy Spirits continual “enfleshing Christ in His people”. And that is ONLY by FAITH in His Blood and Body being the only Body that the Father receives as satisfactory payment for my (even ongoing) unrighteousness. Our Jesus makes us His House (Hebrews 3:6), he doesn’t rehab our old one!! Continual presence at His Table is an essential aid to enable us “hold fast this confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
Here is but one example of humbling truth that is found in feasting on our Jesus. We come to a perpetual funeral service each time we gather around these two emblems of our Lord and His Sacrifice for us. Oh, it is not His funeral, it is ours. It is to be a constant reminder that when He died, we died. Our baptism declares this. Continual presence before this table increasingly solidifies our grasp of our union with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. Romans 6:4=baptism. Romans 6:5=our union with Him in His Death is our assurance we are united with Him in His Resurrection. Romans 6:6-7=our assured victory in our ongoing battle with sin (and the world, flesh and the devil).
And Romans 6:8 turns our focus to living out the life of our indwelling Lord each and every day. Either Christ is our Life, or He is nothing Eternal to us. Galatians 2:20 spells this out plainly. “I am crucified with Christ (ALL that I was died with Him, not just what I think is the bad stuff. Before the bar of God’s Righteousness, it is all bad, dead in sin.) nevertheless I LIVE; yet not I, but Christ Liveth in me: and the life which I now live IN THE FLESH (in my mortal body) I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” The verse doesn’t say “I was crucified”, but “I am crucified”, for His once done crucifixion is worked out moment by moment by the Holy Spirits continual “enfleshing Christ in His people”. And that is ONLY by FAITH in His Blood and Body being the only Body that the Father receives as satisfactory payment for my (even ongoing) unrighteousness. Our Jesus makes us His House (Hebrews 3:6), he doesn’t rehab our old one!! Continual presence at His Table is an essential aid to enable us “hold fast this confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
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