Tag: judge yourself
Healthy self-examination!
Scripture reading for August 15th: 1st Corinthians 11, Psalm 12, Proverbs 7
1st Corinthians 11: 27-32 “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
The receiving of the Lord’s supper is to be an intimate time of fellowship with the Lord and healthy self-examination. This sacred meal consists of bread representing the sinless body of Jesus Christ and wine or grape juice representing Christ’s blood shed for our sins. We are to discern through His sacrifice for us our own sins and ask our Lord for mercy and cleansing. Some Corinthians were taking this meal with a frivolous and prideful attitude. This resulted in some falling to sickness and even some dying because of unconfessed sins. God’s desire is for us to judge ourselves so that we do not need God to judge us because of Christ’s sacrifice covering our sins. These are pure Words, given to refine us for His service!
Psalm 12:7-8 “The Words of the Lord are pure Words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; You will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for the Lord’s Supper and the opportunity to remember Jesus’ death on the cross for us and the forgiveness of our sins and healing of our bodies. Forgive me when I have taken this supper without a healthy self-examination. Give me fresh insight into Christ’s sacrifice and His current Body, the Church. Help me to forgive others as I have been forgiven and to walk in health.
Proverbs 7:4-5 “Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.”
Taking inventory!
Scripture reading for May 29th: Job 29-31
Soul-searching is a good thing for us if we can be honest with ourselves. We must have an understanding of “good” and “evil” before we can identify it in our life. If we have no core convictions of what is right and wrong, it is impossible to make progress. God has given each person a conscience that informs him in general of God’s law. But the conscience can be silenced because of repeated disobedience. We then need to go to God’s Word for the standard and re-activate the seared conscience by believing truth.
After enduring his friends accusations, Job was still suffering! He remembered his past time of blessing with a sense of joy. (Job 29) But the young men taunted him and he was driven to do a self-examination and moral inventory. (Job 30:1) We find Job going over his life actions in a systematic way to be sure that he had not forgotten anything. He was judging himself, so that God would not judge him. (1st Corinthians 11:31)
Job first dealt with his personal life. (Job 31:1-12) He was careful with his eyes, not to look lustfully on a woman. He stayed away from his neighbor’s wife. He knew that this would lead to trouble! He knew that sexual sin was something that God would judge! (Job 31:11) He also checked his honesty. God would weigh him with honest scales in this regard! (Job 31:5-6)
Job next dealt with his public life. (Job 31:13-23) He tested his heart for his treatment of his servants. Was he fair and respectful of them? He then looked to his treatment of the poor and orphan. Was he willing to give to help them with food and clothing? (Job 31:23)
Job also checked his spiritual life. (Job 31:24-40) How did he treat money? Was it a ‘god’ in his life? Did he secretly worship anything other than the God? He also checked his attitude about revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord–we must not get even or rejoice over someone’s misfortune. How had he treated strangers? Were his motives pure in all that he did?
What an inventory! Take time today and allow this 4000 year-old inventory to give you insight into your own walk with God. Remember, Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins and if we confess them to Him, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all sin! (1st John 1:7-9)
Recognizing the body of Christ!
Scripture reading for August 18th: 1st Corinthians 11:17-34
Paul next dealt with the problem of divisions in the church coming from how they were partaking of the Lord’s Supper, what we would call ‘Holy Communion’. In that day, this sacrament was usually a part of a meal called a ‘love feast’. The church came together to eat a meal and celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
Paul addressed their bad manners and lack of love for each other displayed during this meal. Some were coming early and eating all the food. Others were taking too much wine and getting drunk. (1st Corinthians 11:20-22) Paul warned them that they were despising God’s church and humiliating those who had nothing to eat. This caused strife and division during a meal that was to bring unity!
Paul explained the Lord’s Supper as he had received it. “The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (!st Corinthians 11:23-26) This sacrament was to help believers center their lives on the One who had given His life for them. The bread represented Christ’s broken body, offered as a sinless sacrifice. The cup represented the shed blood that sealed a new covenant of grace through faith with each person who would trust in Jesus. The cup also spoke of the second coming of Christ. When He returned, believers would receive a new body and partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven with Christ. (Revelation 19:7-9)
Paul encouraged each person to examine themselves before they partook of this precious meal. They should each judge themselves and repent of any sins or division. He even warned them that if they partook of the meal in an unworthy manner, the possibility of God’s judgment was there. Some had even died from failure to partake in the right spirit. (1st Corinthians 11:29-31) God’s desire was for all to be blessed! Take a minute to examine your heart today! Repent of any known sin and honor Christ’s gift of grace!