After we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we need to remember that we no longer belong to ourselves or of this world; we now belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as with any purchase, ownership transfers from the seller to the buyer. Paul thought it was important to remind the early Christians and church of this very concept: Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God (I Corinthians 7:21-24). This transfer of ownership is absolute, there’s not a money back guarantee, and there’s no payment plan.
As our pastor began reading in I Corinthians 11, he called for us to reflect on our hearts and mentioned how even the apostle Paul had warned about partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily. This time of self-examination provides us an opportunity to remove any sin-barriers that keeps us from enjoying perfect fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Unconfessed sin, strife between ourselves and other Christians, unfaithfulness to His will, or even ignoring the leading of the Holy Spirit can all serve as barriers to our fellowship with Christ. When we have these sin-barriers in our lives and willfully partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are inviting condemnation of God into our lives. The apostle Paul told the early church and the generations of Christians afterwards that 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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body (I Corinthians 11:27-29).
Paul continues his teaching in verse 30: For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world (I Corinthians 11:30-32). I wonder how many Christians have left this world prematurely because they would not turn from their sins! I wonder how many Christians are not only suffering the physical affects of weakness and sickness, but also suffer spiritual weakness and spiritual sickness because of an unrepentant heart! Our society is full of spiritual wickedness and in many cases, Christians are either turning a blind eye or even participating in these sins. The results are sick and weak Christians in sick and weak churches. I wonder how many churches have closed and locked their doors because its church members decided that it was better to keep their sin-barriers than to repent of them and to build stronger relationships with God.
