Partake Worthily: The Communion, Christ-Consciousness, and The Cross

Friend, what keeps you from experiencing the fullness of God's blessing? What stops you from walking in the inheritance Jesus died to give you?

Not Unworthy, Just Unaware

My work in progress is a devotional about inheritance, and the Cup of Blessing is indeed a significant part of experiencing the very life of Jesus as our own here and now. It is so important that I couldn't wait for it to be published in the book, but I felt the prompting to address it here.

There was a time in my life when I wouldn't partake of the Lord's Supper, and it was because I was told that if I had sinned, even the slightest sin, I wasn't worthy of partaking and that I would be drinking judgment upon myself.

Here's the thing: the statement from the pastor sent me into a tailspin, thinking about what I had said and done over the past few days and months, for a couple of reasons.

First, he said we need to have no unconfessed sin before partaking. And here is the thing with that: we often confess the sins we know—overt sins, cursing, sexual immorality, and treating someone poorly. However, it is harder to discern when we are harboring offense or unforgiveness, as these are also sins. My point is that in that moment, we are trying to determine where we went wrong, not being conscious of what Jesus had done. We will touch on sensitivity to sin a bit later; however, when we come to the Lord’s table, it is about Him.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for confession of our transgressions to the Lord, but where I often differ is how and why, at least at this point in my walk with Jesus. Just to set the record straight: I don't confess to be forgiven; I confess because I already am forgiven. Jesus finished the work, and God doesn't see me in my sin; He sees me in His Son. This is precisely why I love Him, because I have been forgiven much.

Second, we seldom partook of Communion, usually on holidays or special occasions. I now know that the Holy Communion isn't something we only receive when we gather as a church body, but rather something we can receive individually, as a place of intimate fellowship with the Lord. We’ll touch on this a bit later.

The pastor quoted a portion of Scripture that was either misused due to ignorance or weaponized to instill fear. Nevertheless, it left me in limbo, and no doubt many others, sin-conscious, sins-suspicious, and afraid, and that shouldn't be. It kept me from walking in the wholeness Jesus died to give me.

Let's begin with the foundation: The Lord's Supper is one of Blessing and thankfulness, but we won't experience it in that manner if we are conscious of sin. We begin with the words of Jesus: Do this in remembrance of Him.

Divine Contrast: Partying vs. Partaking

Instead of beginning with the Scripture that was misused, let's take the Scriptures in their context. Paul is speaking to the Corinthian Church, which is often referred to as the carnal Church. They had received salvation, but in many ways, they were not following the way of Jesus, that being living set apart unto Him. There were disagreements, dissensions, and even divisions that had arisen among them. They had forgotten what the Lord had done, their calling to Him, and their position in Him. We know this from Paul’s gentle but firm rebuke, which tends to begin with, “Don't you know…” (1 Corinthians 3:16), over and over throughout his letter to them. They fell back into their fleshly appetites, suing one another, engaging in sexual immorality, offering food to idols, and eating, albeit partying, when receiving the Communion.

The Power in the Meal: A Heaven-Breathed Invitation

Let's begin with the importance of the Holy Communion. The reason we can determine this is that Paul wasn't one of the twelve who were in the Upper Room when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper. He also didn't obtain the revelation of it from the other Apostles. The Lord Himself gave Paul the revelation.

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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.”

1 Corinthians 11:23-24.

Discern the Body, Declare the Victory

“In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25.

I want us to consider that the power and importance woven into this New Covenant meal was so great that the resurrected Christ came to Paul to deliver this message, which should prompt us to slow down and digest this word all the more. The Lord himself is inviting us to be partakers. It is God who is setting the table for us to receive Him. Let that sink in.

Here are three Scriptures for you to meditate on.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Psalm 23:5.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33.

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

Revelation 12:11.

And now this crucial word:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s

death until he comes.”

1 Corinthians 11:26

Hell doesn't shake; demons don't tremble; the devil doesn't kneel when we gather together. It is what we do when we come together that makes all the difference. Obedience to the faith positions us to use the authority given to us, and the Bread and the Cup are an arsenal the enemy camp must bow to.

And know this: The enemy is fine with us having knowledge of the finished work of Jesus, but lacking the understanding within it because he knows it leaves us with access but no ability to function in His authority. It is much like a soldier with a gun shooting blanks in the middle of a war. The word of God says that the people perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), and this isn't just intelligence; it is revelation knowledge of the Lord, the very wisdom from God.

Two considerations for today:

The bread and the cup aren't reminders of our sin, but a declaration of the finished work and the victory we have in Jesus.

“As often..” Unfortunately, for so many, it is seldom that they partake. For many, this has become a religious practice, typically occurring only during church services and, for some churches, only on specific occasions. However, I'm reminded that the early church broke bread from house to house. They coveted this blessing so much that it was a part of their everyday lives.

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I'm also reminded of how the two are on the road to Emmaus. Jesus unveiled the Scriptures from Moses and the prophets to them, but they saw Jesus when they partook of the bread and drank the wine. Their hearts burned as He opened the Scriptures to them, but they knew Him when they partook of the Lord's Supper. Just a side note: When we read Scripture, it is through the lens of the Cross that brings it into focus.

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The Bread That Heals, The Cup That Covers

When the apostle Paul said these words, “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.” 1 Corinthians 11:28-29.

“That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” 1 Corinthians 11:30.

The focus and context were on how the Corinthian church was partaking. In this verse, Paul explicitly states that they failed to discern the Body of Christ. This isn't an emphasis on our own bodies, but the Bread from Heaven, Jesus' body. Often, people lump the Bread and the Wine together, not discerning the difference.

In many ways, the church today does the same thing, with an emphasis on the Blood for the forgiveness of sins, which is powerful and fantastic.

But altogether, omitting the importance and implications of the Bread and that Jesus was scourged, humiliated, and made naked for our healing and provision.

Let's pause and consider Isaiah 52 and 53.

“As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—”

Isaiah 52:14.

“For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Isaiah 53:3.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”

Isaiah 53:4.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5.

Healing is our portion! It is our inheritance!

Jesus is the only one who walked the earth perfectly. Everything about Him was perfect. I often contemplate what the earth must have felt like as His feet touched it. How the oxygen He created felt as He breathed in the very element He created. Do you ever think of things like that?

I am stung by the depictions of a weak Savior in the artist's paintings. Jesus worked as a carpenter for some time. Imagine what His arms, chest, and back must have looked like. Though He became a Man, though He was meek, He wasn't frail or weak. I say this so that we begin to think about the love of God for us. He had no sin of His own—He bore ours in His own body.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21.

“You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.”

1 John 3:5

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

1 Peter 2:22.

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God crushed the Darling of Heaven, who is lovely in every way, for us. When we partake, it is to remember Him—His work and that it is finished!

I will repeat it: healing is our portion! It is our inheritance!

Jesus once connected healing and deliverance with being the children's bread. (Matthew 15:26). The Canaanite woman got it, at a time when the dispensation was for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, by faith she grasped the hand of grace extended to her by our Lord.

To think, we live in the fulfillment where we stand under an open heaven with unlimited access to His grace. (Romans 5:2).

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If a tiny crumb could drive the demon out of this woman’s daughter, imagine what happens when we partake with revelation.

Examined and Exalted: Partaking Enforces the Will of God

How do we enforce the will of God? When they partook, it was done separately, distinguishing between the Bread and the Wine, just as our text for today instructs us.

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“He…took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you…” then “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”

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Jesus distinguished the difference; we should likewise. Notice Paul says, “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” 1 Corinthians 11:30.

Our Lord doesn't place words in the Bible to say them. Paul is serious here. Partaking in an unworthy manner isn't about being sin-conscious. It is the opposite.

Remember...

“Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?” Hebrews 10:2.

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Let's be clear: salvation and the freedom we have in Jesus will not make us live licentious, entitled lives—quite the opposite!

We are humbled by our Lord’s sacrifice and the grace extended to us. We live in light of His countenance, which compels us to live set apart unto Him. We live in Him, knowing we are not our own.

As believers, we have become sensitive to sin yet remain conscious of Christ. We are not sin-conscious, as noted in Hebrews 10:2. The reason for this is that the Holy Spirit resides in us. The Holy of Holies has a new address, and it is in us. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit; therefore, we don't want any part of it. We are one with Him.

This doesn't mean we don't sin, but we certainly don't make a practice of it. Sin is ill-fitting for believers. It is linked to a sheep being saturated in mud; imagine how uncomfortable that is.

I'm acutely aware when I miss the mark, and I'm sure you are, too. The Holy Spirit convicts us not that we are bad, but the conviction is much like Paul to the Corinthians… “You are a child of God.” “You are in Christ.” “You’ve been made the righteousness of God in Christ.” Hearing these words whispered in the depths of your soul does something incredible amid sin. It empowers us to live as the children of God because indeed we are.

For example, when I was offended by something someone said, I lashed out. I am also compelled to receive His grace, forgive myself, and then ask for forgiveness. I am not perfect, but I am so grateful Christ demonstrates He is formed in me.

This is why it becomes impossible to make a lifestyle of sin. When believers fall into sinful patterns, their lives become a living civil war within. I know this firsthand. People are so tremendously unhappy because the act(s) they participate in do not align with who they are in Jesus. I pray for those who have stumbled because there is often a lot of mental anguish and even physical symptoms that accompany the behaviors, particularly when they take things into their own hands, handling the war within.

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This isn't an essay on this matter; however, I do want to mention that sin opens the door wide for condemnation, and not by God but by the enemy. Sin is so dangerous because it gives the enemy leverage. After all, his accusation has some level of validity. We will revisit this 📌 at a later time. For now, let’s pray for those who find themselves in a backslidden state, that they may embrace the Cross, receive God’s forgiveness, walk as children of God, and join us at His table.

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Partake With Wonder, Not Worry

For now, we desire to partake with the revelation, which is partaking worthily.

When we examine ourselves, it isn't to see our glaring deficiencies but His glorious victory. We partake in faith focused on the finished work! It isn't being conscious of sin but rather being conscious of Him.

Beloved, the Table is not a place of fear; it is the table of fellowship, freedom, and finished work. Jesus didn’t invite the perfect; He asked the partakers, the ones who believed. The Bread and the Cup are not rituals but revelations. They declare to hell, to our hearts, and heaven that the work is finished!

So let’s come boldly, not with heads hung low, but with eyes lifted high, beholding the Lamb who was slain, the Bread who heals, and the Blood that speaks better things.

Let us not partake out of habit but with holy hunger. Let us not shrink back because of our scars but draw near because of His.

Your healing, your wholeness, your inheritance—it’s all on the table!

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The Wounds, The Table, and The Triumph

She cast off the grave clothes,

enveloped in loss, pain, and shame,

She turned her face toward the morning—towards hope,

signified by the empty tomb,

where death no longer had a hold.

She stopped studying her wounds, the aching gaps, the silent griefs,

the frailty of her frame.

Instead, she lifted her gaze to the Lamb, wounded for her healing.

His thorns, her crown of mercy.

His stripes became her song.

His Cross, no longer a monument of sorrow,

but a banner of unfailing, relentless love, stretched out.

She was not merely rescued;

She was reborn.

From His pierced side, she came forth,

blood-bought, water-washed,

Spirit-filled and marked by fire.

She took her place at His table,

no longer feeble and trembling.

For here was Bread broken in love,

and the Cup lifted in triumph.

Here was the fellowship of His suffering,

and the feast declaring her freedom.

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Let's Partake.

Assemble the elements and tie your own words to the prayer below.

Abba Father, Thank You for giving Jesus as the sacrifice and preparing the table for me. My eyes are on You.

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Lord Jesus, Thank You for your broken body. Thank You for taking my symptoms and sicknesses on the Cross so that I can have your health and wholeness. I declare that by Your stripes, by the beatings You took, I am healed and whole in Jesus’ Name, Amen. —Partake of the bread.

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Lord Jesus, Thank You for your blood that has cleansed me whiter than snow. Your blood has brought me forgiveness and made me righteous forever. I partake in the inheritance of the righteous. I believe and receive Your resurrection life in my body today, in Jesus’ Name, Amen. —Partake of the cup.

Partake as often as you like and remember Him.

📝 Journal Prompts for Deeper Reflection

1. What fears or false teachings have shaped the way I approach the Lord’s Supper, and how does the truth set me free today?

   
   

2. Do I live sin-conscious or Christ-conscious, and how does this awareness affect how I walk in my inheritance?

   
   

3. What would it look like for me to begin partaking of Communion regularly in my home with reverence, joy, and revelation?