DEVOTIONAL
THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
(text to follow)
Promise and Faith. It is vital to keep this in mind as we consider an example of a Divine promise and the necessity of faith in the Word of God. St. Paul records, "Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it and give it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take, eat; this is My Body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.’ After the same manner also He took the cup when He had supped, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; this cup is the New Testament in My Blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.’" (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)
This is a Divine promise of God and provides wonderful benefits to all who believe, benefits that Jesus earned when He suffered and died on the cross for the sins of all people. The promised blessing is the remission of sins, and where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also eternal life and salvation. That’s God’s promise. These are given through this Word of God and he that believes these words has what they say and express, namely, the forgiveness of sins. That shows the need for God’s gift of faith to trust such Promise of God.
Who, then, receives the Sacrament
worthily? He is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words,
"Given and shed for you for the remission of sins." Someone who
doesn’t have faith in this Word of God is neither worthy nor prepared. What
does this mean? What was given and shed? Not bread and wine, but Christ’s very
Body and His true Blood. Someone who
does not believe in the real flesh and blood Presence of Jesus the Christ along
with the bread and the wine should not attend since there is no faith in the
promise.
Someone who doesn’t have faith in this Word of God is neither worthy nor prepared. What does this mean? What is promised in the Lord’s Supper? What is promised is the remission of sins. Now, if a person does not believe that there is the forgiveness of sins in the Lord's Supper, then they don’t believe that there is remission of sins ... I mean, they are denying the forgiveness of sins that God has promised. There is no faith in the promise of God. He that does not believe the Word of God, or doubts, is unworthy and unprepared; for the words "for you" require all hearts to believe. We wouldn’t want to be responsible for someone being hurt by coming to the Holy Supper unworthy and unprepared, and so we practice what we term “closed communion."
At the same time, we do earnestly desire that all people would be ready and prepared to come to the Lord’s Supper and we are willing to teach and help anyone who desires to hear the Word, for it is through this Word that God works faith in His promise.
Our Apology to the Augsburg Confession has this to say: "The promise is accepted by faith; the fact that it is free excludes our merits and shows that the blessing is offered only by mercy; the merits of Christ are the price because there must be a certain propitiation for our sins. ... And so at every mention of mercy we must remember that this requires faith, which accepts the promise of mercy. Similarly, at every mention of faith we are also thinking of its objects, the promised mercy" (Apology, IV:49-56).
"That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may be guaranteed" (Romans 4:16). "This is how God wants to be known and worshiped, that we accept His blessing and receive them because of His mercy rather than because of our own merits. This is the greatest consolation in all afflictions" (AP IV:60).
Promise and Faith. Both given by God for your benefit for the sake of His Son who endured all in order that you might have forgiveness of sin, eternal life and salvation in His Name. What else can we say but this: Soli Deo Gloria ... To God Alone The Glory!
