1 Corinthians 11:27-29
[27] Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
[28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
[29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
[30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
When I began to study upon this, my heart was immediately stirred and quickened to establish this thought within me: How does a person know when they have ate and drank in an “unworthy” way?
First of all, I am sure that in many cases a lot of us have passed right by this passage with no thought to the mystery that is dwelling here. I had recalled this passage before in times past when I read it, but something was different this time and was leading me to open my heart for something new. As I began to wonder the purpose, I realized the part that became more clear was “not discerning the Lord’s body”. In the lack of performing this simple act of discernment, we tend to ‘fall asleep’ and fall prey to the enemy, which leads me to say that many of us are asleep standing up (or even attempting to still serve God in some way and are weakly or ill!).
Secondly, as the cup of salvation dwells within you, you KNOW that you are saved and are renewed in that each day. This piece of the puzzle has a part of everyday life, but it is not what keeps me alone! Let’s remember the bread of life, the word of God, the very substance that will speak to us in the hardest of times! I know as a minister that it would be easy to get discouraged and deceive yourself into thinking that no one ever uses the word of God, but that simply is impossible! If there ever moments in your life when you are victorious, obeying God, working in charity, or overcoming the enemy…one thing is evident: the word of God is coming alive in you. Sure, knowing the promise of eternal life is vital to unlock the faith but how much more does the word of God come alive when used and discerned!
I can use myself as an example. When I accepted Christ as my Savior there was a bondage of addiction to drugs and alcohol (amongst the natural lack of having Christ). Salvation forgave me of my sins, and the word of God came alive and the power of the spirit of God delivered me from every bondage! I stand today a free man from so much of what I never thought I would walk away from. Life is so much simpler now to simply discern things and to make sure that I am partaking in the cup of salvation and eating of the bread of life! It is when I neglect to do so that I starve, grow weak and fall asleep (therefore in turn lay vulnerable to the enemy).
With all of this in mind, please take time in prayer to self-assess to see what you are partaking of each day. See if you are maximizing the full potential of what is dwelling from the freely given gift of Christ in your life.