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THE LORD’S TABLE BY PASTOR SANTHOSH DAVID AND SHERLY SANTHOSH Kingdom & Glory Ministries Trivandrum 2014 Kingdom & Glory Ministries All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems - without written permission from the publisher By Santhosh David & Sherly Santhosh First Edition August 2014 Copies 3000 Published by Kingdom & Glory Ministries, Kingdom and Glory worship center, Kurissady junction, Nalanchira Trivandrum Pin - 695015 e-mail :
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PREFACE The early church celebrated the Lord’s Table to remember Jesus, to meditate on the mystery of His body and blood, to declare the death of Jesus, and in the hope of the promises in the new covenant the glory of God and Kingdom of God. Until the third century they did this in a simple way without any priests, without any churches, and without any religious formalities gathering in their houses. In AD 312 Constantine the Roman emperor received the Christian faith and declared Christianity as the religion of his empire. When the emperor became Christian all his people from different religions joined with him without forsaking their religious practices and without having a newborn experience. Instead of the way of faith they adopted the way of works for salvation. Instead of house churches they gathered in big buildings called churches. The revelation about the church as body of born again believers was lost. The simple bread breaking in their houses was shifted to the big church buildings. Priests were appointed to do this holy sacraments and its name was changed to Holy Communion, holy sacrifice etc. The bread and wine were considered as holy elements as idols of heathens. This practice is continued in many churches even today. Whenever a reformation happened in Christendom there were arguments about the teaching about the Lord’s Table. Each reformers propagated their teachings and their groups performs the Lord’s table according to their teachings till today. Recently the arguments about the Lord’s table in the media was viewed by many with pain. Instead of clarifying the real meaning of the Lord’s table people who were claiming them as God’s children were putting forward silly and childish arguments in channels used for worldly pleasures. Although it is appropriate to use the media to propagate the gospel it is inappropriate and defaming for the church to discuss these matters in the media which should be discussed only in spiritual forums. This practice is really deplorable. Lack of revelation in the Word of God, intellectual thinking, and immature knowledge are the reason for these arguments. Because man is not perfect nobody can establish a flawless teaching. Those who are growing to the perfection of Christ will distance them from the teachings which is detrimental to the spiritual growth but useful only for intellectual exercise. When a man is growing toward the perfection of Christ he will increase in humility and perseverance and his teaching will become very simple. In this peculiar circumstance the necessity to write a book that will help the common believer to understand the subject was deeply felt. This is not a reply to the recent arguments and we don’t think that the arguments will subside by this book. The arguments will continue until Christ’s second coming. Instead of being infants tossed by different teachings by speaking the truth in love this book may help you to grow to the fullness of Christ in every way. Since we are not perfect we accept that this book is not perfect. Though we long sincerely to become mature to the full measure of Christ since the revelation of the Word is progressive we don’t think we can achieve perfection during our lifetime. We have explained many subjects in this book which may be contrary to the traditional teachings. If we go near to this subject without any prejudice Holy spirit will teach you the spiritual meanings of this. Many have helped in preparing this book, we remember them with gratitude and pray that they may receive rewards in eternity for it. We bestow all honour and praise to the Father who gave His son so that we may receive the eternal glory and the eternal life, we surrender this book for the spiritual edification of the body of Christ. In the service of Jesus Santhosh David & Sherly santhosh. Tripura, Agartala
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CHAPTER ONE Baptism and the Lord’s table are the two simple covenant ministries God has established to be united with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ .But we can say without doubt that there are no other teachings in Christendom which have been tampered and wrongly interpreted other than these. This is not like the old covenant custom of sacrifice. The greatest event and the glorious message of this universe are the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since the Lord’s table is a symbol, declaration and remembrance of these glorious facts, it is very important. But God has not commanded these to be holy as the old covenant customs and practices. If this was an old covenant practice these elements would have great sanctity. Here the importance is not for the bread, wine or the vessel in which it is served but for His death, His blood and his body. Our aim of this book is a study about the Lord’s Table in an orderly and factual manner. But to understand the complete meaning of the Lord’s table we consider it is necessary to understand a total and complete teaching in the Bible. We shall discuss the important teachings in the Bible in a nutshell such as the purpose of writing the Bible and what does it reveal etc. 1. First of all the Bible reveals the mystery of the glory of God, the mystery of his thought and His pleasing will. It is the revelation of the plans about man hidden in the heart of God from time eternal 2. Secondly the Bible reveals the purpose behind the creation of man. 3. Thirdly it reveals the plan of God to restore man through Jesus Christ to the original purpose of creating him and continue in God’s will thereafter. Many books are required to explain the whole subjects discussed above. When the things that is written in the last pages of the book of revelation is fulfilled the restoration of man and the whole creation will be completed and man will enter into the full purpose of creation. But keeping justice to the main subject we wish to discuss them in short in the following pages. GOD’S MYSTERY The Holy Bible is the revelation of God’s secrets. We can see a small description of that revelation in the first chapter of Ephesians 1:9-14. That mystery is that all things in heaven and earth to become one again in Christ. That means in the consummation of time heaven and earth will join together and God and man will live together, or kingdom of heaven will be established on earth In Revelation 10:6-7. And swore by him that lives forever and ever, who created the heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there shall be delay no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God, according to the good tidings which he declared to his servants the prophets. In Rev11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become [the kingdom] of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and ever. The mystery that was revealed to his prophets right from genesis was that the kingdom of heaven will be established on earth. This is the mystery that was finished when the seventh trumpet was sounded. When the new Jerusalem is established on the new earth and when God lives with his people ,this mystery will be fulfilled. To bring back man to the fullness of God’s glory who was separated from God’s life due to sin, is the second Mystery. Glorification is the completion of salvation. This glory of God is our inheritance in God. He gives this glory so that we become the brilliance of his glory. 2.Cor.3:18. Says-But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. During the second coming of Jesus this glorification will be completed. The most important mystery of God are the Kingdom of God and the glory of God. When man shares the glory of God and God’s kingdom the fullness of the mystery of God will be revealed. GOD’S PURPOSE BEHIND THE CREATION OF MAN 1. From everlasting God was alone and he wanted some sons and daughters in his image and likeness, that means he wanted a family. 2. God the Father wanted to express himself in man .He was pleased to express himself in man with his life and glory and wanted to reveal his glory ,righteousness, love and holiness in man. 3. From everlasting God created man because he wanted a fellowship, or God wanted to live with man. 4. God created man to be kings and his kingdom. God wanted man to reign upon everything he created on earth or to be kings on earth. God was the king of kings and we were his subjects. Kingdom of God means God is ruling over man. THE REASON FOR CREATING MAN The basic reason of creation is the plan of his will and the pleasure of his will so that man should become the praise of his grace and glory.
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THE FALL OF MAN FROM GOD’S PLAN Man disobeyed God’s commandment and sinned and fell from the purpose of creation. Thus man became the victim of curse and destruction which he undergoes now. MAN’S BASIC PROBLEM Man’s basic problem is sin, decay, death and no life of God. Man sinned against God and became a sinner in God’s eyes, and fell into judgment and God’s wrath. 1. As a result of sin man was separated from the fellowship of God- this is spiritual death. 2. Because of sin decay started and death started to reign in him. 3. The end of decay is physical death. Man who was created to live eternally became slave to death 4. Physical death led to eternal death, that means without any relation with God to live in eternal hell in all eternity. The man who should have lived all eternity with God receiving God’s life was destined to live in hell eternally without God’s life. A person will become perfect only when God lives in him with His life. A man’s poverty of spirit will be changed only when God fills him with His glory. Good tasty food, beautiful house, comfortable travelling facilities, good education, a peaceful family life, several pleasure giving gadgets will give you happiness to your body and mind and you will become satisfied. But a man’s spirit cannot be satisfied with these worldly pleasures. He will be always poor, only when God fills him completely he will be satisfied. The man who should have lived with God in all eternity filled with God’s glory , how dreadful it is to live in hell away from God’s presence .It is similar to a fish which should have lived in water is put into burning sand. This is the greatest punishment for a man who is sinning. THE PURPOSE OF CREATION AND THE GREAT PROMISES 2 Peter1:4 - whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in that world by lust. All these great promises are concerned with the future world. The great promises reveal the purpose behind creating man or the great promises and purpose of creation are the same. 2Cor 7:1 says about these promises.“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence to God.” We can see these promises in 2.Cor 6:118. And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Throughout the Bible these promises are inscribed. CALLING AND ELECTION Man who fell from the purpose of creation, God again called him for the same purpose and elected him. In all the portions mentioned in the Bible about these calling and election this meaning is evidenced. The calling and election, great promises, the purpose of creation are the same since it is difficult to explain all these subjects in this book, to understand them easily it is given below in table form. And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty Since we cannot now write in detail these subjects we are giving that in a table. The purpose of creation The purpose of calling and election Great promises Completion God wanted sons and daughters in the I will receive you and will be your God wanted a family of In the day of redemption likeness of Jesus(Ro.8;14,16,23-25, 28- father and you will be my sons Sons and daughters (Rom 8:23) 29) and daughters (2Cor 6:17-18) You are called to receive the glory of I will dwell in them (2 Cor 6:16). In the day of redemption To be fused into man with God (1Th 2:11-12; 2Thes 2:14, 1 Pet God dwells in a man with His (Eph 1:13-14, 1Thes 4:13HIs life and glory 5:10; Rom 8:17-30; 2Cor 3:18) glory 18, 1 Cor 15:35-38) 1. For God to live with man God wished to have 2. Emmanuel-God with us Now the dwelling of God is fellowship with man, He I will walk in their midst (2 Cor 3. Holyspirit with us with man, He will live with wished to live with man 6:16). 4. Father and Son dwells in us (John them(Rev 21:3). (John 14:16-17). 14:23) To reign (1 Cor 6:1-3). Judge the To become kings and the world, judge Angles, authority To reign(Rom 5:17).To experience the Kingdom of God.(When over nations (Rev 2:26,27; 2Cor In the millennial reign. In kingdom (1 The 2:11-12, 2 Peter God rules over man the 6:16). I will be their God and new earth, new Jerusalem. 1:10,11 ) kingdom of God is there) they will be My people. (God reigns over us - Kingdom of God)
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CHAPTER 2 THE SALVATION PACKAGE God in his plan finished everything through his son Jesus Christ to bring back man to eternity who fell from his purpose. He made this possible through the blood and body of his son. This redemption was accomplished through the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus. God has established the Lord’s table to remember the body and blood of Jesus Christ and to declare his death. In the redemption package God has completed not only the forgiveness of sins and the punishment, but also many other spiritual matters. We wish to call it the salvation package. Forgiveness of sins, escaping from the punishment of sin (salvation), water baptism, spirit baptism, etc are only the beginning of the salvation package. We can compare it with a kid getting admission in the first standard. But the kid has to grow study in the upper classes and acquire knowledge. As a person acquires the complete knowledge of various things what God has accomplished through the crucifixion of Jesus, that person will be rooted and established in the hope of the eternal glory and the eternal kingdom. We are giving below a small description of the salvation package A package is referred to a bundle of things which are packed up or tied up together. In the same manner, God has prepared many things in Jesus Christ on the cross for the salvation of mankind. This is what we call the Full Gospel. The more a person understands the truths in the salvation package, the more he increases into the stature of God. • RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD: God is Holy and a righteous judge. He judges sin according to His righteousness. If He is not judging the sin then He is not a righteous judge. God judged Adam according to His righteousness. Thereafter the entire humanity condemned to eternal death as the punishment of sin. Death means eternal separation from God and being the state of not having the Life of God. Man must live eternally in the Hell. Hell is a place in this Universe where there is no presence of God at all. The absence of the presence of God makes Hell real. The man whom God created to be filled with God’s Glory and to be in fellowship with Him condemned to live in the Hell without God. This is the meaning of death. Why eternal death is given as a punishment of sin? This is because of God’s holiness. God is a Holy God and He cannot tolerate sin. A sinner must stay away from His presence, so eternal death (Hell) has given as the punishment of sin. But when the fullness of time has come, because of His love and mercy towards mankind God has sent his only begotten Son to this world. God has transferred the sins of the whole world on the body of His Son. Jesus bore our sins on his body and went on the cross. And God made him to be sin for us. By seeing the sins of the whole world on the body of His Son, the righteous anger of God against sin came upon Him and judged sin on the body of His Son. Whether it is of human beings or His only begotten Son He must judge sin according to His righteousness. God has revealed His righteousness by judging our sins on the body of His Son and declared that He is a righteous judge. God accounts faith as righteousness on those who believe the righteous work of God which He accomplished on the body of His Son Jesus Christ. •
REDEMPTION: The word redemption means to buy back by paying a ransom. Why is redemption needed for mankind? Man committed sin against God and came under God’s judgment i.e. eternal death or hell. God is holy and righteous and He will not tolerate sin. To save man from eternal judgment, God declared that someone should die as a substitute for humanity. Someone should give his blood i.e. life to God as a ransom for the redemption of humanity. Jesus Christ came to this world and through His death on His cross, He gave His blood to God and thus saved humanity from eternal judgment. As a result of this redemption, man got freedom from the law of God and from sin, death, curse and bondage to satan all of which illegally kept humanity under their power and authority. " What is the price of redemption? The blood of Jesus or the life of Jesus. " To whom was the redemptive price given? To Father God. " From what did He redeem us? From the wrath of God and death i.e. eternal hell.
" Why should He judge man? Because He is the righteous judge, He has to judge sin according to His righteousness. " Why did He desire to redeem man? Because He is the Father. His love, mercy and grace forced Him to redeem man from His wrath. • PEACE WITH GOD: God has forgiven our sins, demolished the enmity in the relationship between God and man which happened due to sin and made peace with Him through the blood of Jesus which was shed on the cross. Now we have peace with God because Jesus is our peace. So the message of redemption is known as the Gospel of Peace. (Col: 1:19-20 Eph: 2 :17, Rom: 5 :1, Isa: 53 :5, Eph: 6:15 ) • RECONCILIATION: Man was separated from God because of sin. But God made Jesus to be sin and punished sin in the body of Jesus. And in the body of Jesus, He reconciled man to Himself. That is why this Gospel is known as the Word of Reconciliation and our ministry is called the Ministry of Reconciliation i.e. to reconcile everyone to God through Christ.(Col: 1:21,22, Eph: 2:16, 2 Cor: 5:18,19)
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REPENTANCE : Repentance of former ways of life and turning back to God. When a person hears the message of salvation, a divine wisdom is communicated to the sinner and he recognizes the need for salvation. FORGIVENESS OF PAST SINS: When a person comes to know about the redemption on the cross, the Holy Spirit gives him the conviction of his sins. As he cries out to God, he gets the forgiveness of his sins by the blood of Jesus. BORN AGAIN: To have a second life or to be born of God.When a man confesses his past sins, the Holy Spirit enters into his spirit and gives him eternal life or God’s life and brings him back into fellowship with God. GIFT OF SALVATION: Saved from the punishment of sin, which is eternal death or eternal hell. God made Jesus to be sin and punished sin on the body of Christ as a substitute for all of mankind. Now there is no judgment for those who believe in Him. To obtain salvation, a person should confess with his mouth that ‘Jesus is the Lord’ and believe in his heart that God raised Him from the dead.(Rom: 10:9) GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: God imputes His righteousness which He revealed in Christ to those who believe in Jesus. To receive God’s righteousness, one should believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. (2Cor: 5:21, Rom: 10:10) JUSTIFICATION: God considers a person whose sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus as if he had never sinned in his life. The person is justified by the righteousness of God which is in Christ Jesus [Rom: 5:9,Rom: 3:21-26] DECLARED AS RIGHTEOUS: Changed the title of ‘sinner’ to ‘righteous’. The heavenly court declares a believer to be the righteous of God, because of the obedience of Jesus. (Rom:5:19) DECLARED AS SAINTS: Set apart for God. When a person believes in Jesus, God cleanses him and sets him apart for Himself. Hence he is called a saint. TOTAL HEALING OF SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY: We are healed by the stripes of Jesus. FREED FROM ALL CURSES : Jesus became a curse for all of mankind by suffering the death on the cross and giving them freedom from all curses. (Gal: 3:13). DELIVERED FROM THE AUTHORITY OF SATAN AND HIS KINGDOM: Jesus, by His death on the cross, defeated satan completely and disarmed him. He cancelled the authority of satan and made a public display of him by triumphing over him by the cross. (Col: 2:15). " Now satan has no authority to bind or attack the one who believes in Christ. " God has given the Church authority over all the powers of satan and his kingdom.
" There is no counter attack. " God has permitted him to work through his tricks to tempt the people of God, which ultimately leads to the perfection of the people of God. • CRUCIFIED TO THE WORLD AND ITS LUSTS: This world and its systems and all that is in it are against God and His people. Remember that Christ’s crucifixion is a substitute for the crucifixion of the entire mankind. So a person who puts his faith in Christ Jesus is crucified to the world through the cross and is able to overcome the world. [Gal: 6:14] • OLD MAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: The ‘old man’ refers to our sinful nature or the Adamic nature. Sin always tries to subdue the old man to its will. God has crucified our old man with Christ, so ‘sin’ no more has any influence over our old man. Don’t forget that Christ’s crucifixion is a substitute for our crucifixion. God has created a new man in us according to His image, one who was born again and one who cannot sin. Now you have to put on the new man against the old man and must walk according to the Spirit of God. [Rom: 6:6] • DIED TO SIN: Now sin does not have power over us because we have died with Christ to sin and are freed from sin. When sin tries to subdue our body to commit its will, the power of the death of Christ which is in us will move into our body and keeps our organs as though they are dead. Hence our body will not react to sin. To make this practical, we have to walk according to the Spirit. [Rom: Ch: 6: & 8] • DIED TO THE LAW AND ITS DEEDS: Jesus obeyed all the commandments of God for the entire humanity and fulfilled it. He put an end to every deed of the law by His death on the cross. Because I died to the law through the body of Christ, I am not under the law that I may fulfill its demands. But, the One who gave the commandments lives in me by His Spirit and helps me to obey all the commandments so that I may please God. (Rom ch:7) • DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD: It means freedom from the elementary principles of the world and from the ways of man, whereby the desires of the flesh are subdued. There are many rituals and practices according to man’s
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way (man’s wisdom and philosophy), to subdue the flesh. There is no need for those who are in God’s way (Christ Jesus) to indulge in such practices to subdue the flesh [Col: 2:16-23] •
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DIED WITH CHRIST: Christ has suffered the death on the cross for the punishment of the sins of the humanity. The death of Christ is a substitute for the entire world. “We are convinced that One (Jesus) died for all, and therefore all died”. Everyone has died in the sight of God when Christ died.(2Cor: 5:14) BURIED WITH CHRIST: God considers the burial of Christ as the burial of all human beings. (Rom:6:4) RAISED WITH CHRIST: God raised Christ from the dead in place of every man. The resurrection of every man has already been accomplished in the heart of God. (col.3:1) SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD WITH CHRIST: Jesus ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God after finishing the redemption of mankind. It was done in place of every one. Hence in the heart of God, all are seated with Christ in heavenly places. So the position of man in the eternal kingdom is assured (Eph: 2:5-7, Col: 3:1-4). God’s redemptive work for man was accomplished in Jesus Christ on the cross. Salvation, beginning from peace with God, forgiveness of sins and to the entry into the Eternal Kingdom, is a finished work of Father God. Whatever God completed through Christ, whatever God did to Christ, whatever happened to Christ is for the entire mankind. Those who believe in this completed work of God will be saved. FAITH BAPTISM (FULLY IMMERSED IN WATER):Baptism is for a person who believes in the redemptive work of Jesus. It is done to be united with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Baptism in God’s way is not a ritual as it is practiced in man’s way of salvation.(Rom 6:3-5) BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT: God imparts Holy Spirit to a believer to accomplish the redemptive work in him which He had achieved on the cross. There are three different levels of work of Holy Spirit in a person 1) Holy Spirit abiding in a person (indwelling Holy Spirit). 2) Holy Spirit abiding on a person (baptism by Holy Spirit). 3) Holy Spirit with a person (fellowship with Holy Spirit).
" Holy Spirit dwells in a person and helps him to obey all the commandments in the Word of God. The indwelling Holy Spirit also sanctifies a person, reveals His character and fruit in and through him. To walk according to the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit is very important in order to experience the blessings which God accomplished on the cross and to have a victorious life. God will raise his body on the day of redemption by the Spirit who abides in him. " The Holy Spirit abides on a person and helps him to perform the supernatural ministry of the Kingdom of God by empowering him, anointing him and giving him His gifts. " The Holy Spirit is with a person to bring him back into the fellowship with Father God, thus leading him to the fulfillment of the purpose of creation that is God living with His children. • GROWTH FOR SALVATION: Salvation is a finished work of Father God in Christ Jesus on the cross. But it is not yet completed in a person who believes in Christ Jesus. It will be completed when his body will be redeemed. To grow for salvation one needs the Word of God. He should work out his salvation with fear and trembling. When he begins to work out his salvation, God starts working in him, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure and brings his salvation to completion. Your salvation will be completed by the grace of God.(1Pet: 2:1,2;Phil: 2:12,13) • COMPLETE SANCTIFICATION: God sanctifies a born again person’s spirit, soul and body completely. It is a gift of God and man cannot attain it by his deeds. To sanctify a person God needs his active participation. He has different agencies to sanctify His people. These include the Word of God, Holy Spirit, chastisement etc. Father God who has called you to the Eternal Kingdom and His Glory is faithful and He will complete it (1 Thes: 5:23,24). • BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF MIND : This is a very important factor for the growth of salvation. A person’s mind gets filled with the desires of the flesh and the world. These desires guide his thought pattern and bring death to him. Sanctification or sin begin in a man’s thought life. Renewal of the mind is an absolute necessity to realise the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. God searches man’s thoughts and judges accordingly. • SELF DENIAL AND CARRYING THE CROSS: ‘Self’ refers to the person himself. Instead of God’s rule in his life, person rules himself. But now Jesus becomes the Lord of his life and starts ruling his life instead of himself’. Even the most unimportant things in life should be done according to His opinions and decisions. God works in a person by breaking his self-will and helping him to be under the rule of Jesus. Even though ‘the power of self’ is broken, it is still there to rule the person. Here comes the need to carry one’s own cross upon the ‘self’ so that self may no longer rule him. The cross refers to the most brutal, cruel, gruesome and accursed death. Christ’s cross refers to His death and my cross to my death - my death with Christ. My ‘self’ was also crucified with Jesus. So I have to carry this death (cross) upon my ‘self’ so that it will never show up with its opinions and desires to rule me (Matt: 16:24, Luke 14:26,27). • WALK IN THE SPIRIT: A born again person should walk according to the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not force anyone to follow Him. The decision to walk in the Spirit is entirely his. The Spirit leads him and he has to follow. Those
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who walk in the Spirit are the children of God. Those who walk according to the Spirit will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Rom: 8:1-16, Gal: 5:16-24) •
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BECOMING A COMPLETE MAN – THE MANHOOD OF CHRIST : Jesus Christ is the only complete man who had ever lived in this world. All other human beings are incomplete and their manhood is broken because of sin. Now the redeemed people who are in Christ grow in the manhood of Christ and become perfect persons. Please remember that it is not to attain the divinity of Christ but it is to attain the manhood of Christ. (Col: 1:28, Eph: 4:11-16) PERFECT MAN – TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST: This speaks about the church as a whole or Universal church but not about a person. Church should be filled with the love of Christ and should become one as Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. Like the body grows into fulness, the church grows in unity and love to the fullness. The perfect church will be transformed in a moment and, will be glorified and taken up to meet the Lord. BECOMING AN OVERCOMER: The person who grows in Christ always engages in spiritual warfare. The works of sin, the flesh, the world and the satan are his enemies. By doing spiritual warfare he is able to overcome the lust of the flesh, sin, the lust of the world and every scheme and temptation of the devil. (Rev: ch: 2&3) REDEMPTION OF THE BODY – SONSHIP [GLORIFICATION]: This is the completion of salvation. God will redeem the body of a person in Christ on the last day from death and will give him a glorious body. There will be no more death nor decay. He will be given the glory of God. He will be transformed to the image of Jesus and thus he will accomplish the sonship. (Rom: 8:23) ENTRY INTO THE CITY OF NEW JERUSALEM IN THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH: The present earth and sky will be burnt away. God will create a New Earth and a New Heaven. The city of God, the New City of Jerusalem, whose maker and builder is God, will descend from heaven to the New Earth. Here heaven and earth will be joined together again. “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them”. The New Jerusalem will be the capital city of the new earth. God will rule His people. Here is the complete manifestation of the kingdom of God. Glorified people from all generations will be present here and will live in the presence of God forever and ever. There will be no more death or curse. The purpose of creation will be thus fulfilled here. This was the hope and faith of all the forefathers and the people of the Old Testament. The hope and faith of the New Testament church is to obtain the Kingdom of God and the glory of God. The one who overcomes will inherit it through the grace of God.(Heb: 11:9-16, 2Pet: 3:10-13, Rev: 21:1-3)
SPECIAL NOTE: God has done everything for the salvation of human beings in Christ Jesus on the cross. One can receive it freely by faith in Jesus. This from beginning to end is by the grace of God. From the forgiveness of sins till the glorification and entry into the Kingdom of God is the work of Father God. Yes, surely it is by the grace of God. But to fulfill this salvation in one’s life He needs the active participation of man. ETERNAL JUDGMENT: Those who disobey God and reject this so great a salvation which he receives in the name of Jesus will be liable for eternal punishment that is hell. Hell is the one and only place in the whole universe without the presence of God. It is the punishment for a sinner who in reality was created to live eternally with God and to be filled with the fulness of His glory.
CHAPTER 3 A STUDY ABOUT THE LORD’S TABLE FROM THE FOUR GOSPELS We shall discuss four important scripture from the gospels below. 1) Matthew 26:26-28 - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. 2) Mark 14:22-24- And as they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is my body. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them: and they all drank of it. 3) Luke 22:19-20 - And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, [even] that which is poured out for you. 4) 1Corinthians 11:24-25 - (This is what apostle Paul received from the Lord and wrote to the Corinthian church) and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.
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The contents of these portions 1. The Bread we are breaking during the Lord’s table represents the body of Jesus. Since the body of Jesus was given for us we should break the bread in remembrance of that. 2. The cup we are sharing in the Lord’s table represents the blood of Jesus. Since the blood was given for the forgiveness of our sins, we should drink from it in remembrance of that. These portions reveals two specialities of the blood of Jesus. 1. Blood for the forgiveness of sins. 2. The blood of the new covenant. We shall discuss them later. THE BODY OF JESUS Jesus said “this is my body I am giving to you” Each time we break the bread we remember the body of Christ. Why did he give his body for us? What is the speciality of his body? Man violated the commandment of God and fell from the purpose of God and became slave to sin and death. Men did more sin against God and became victims of God’s wrath and eternal hell. God is most holy and just. Because he is most holy he cannot suffer sin. Since he is a righteous judge ha has to judge sin according to his righteousness. But God is also love. He is full of grace and mercy. His righteousness demands to judge the sinner, his love longs to redeem men from his judgement. So in order to exhibit his righteous judgement and his love God sent his son to this world as a substitute to the whole mankind. Jesus is a substitute to the whole human beings A substitute means, one person comes in the place of another man and does everything the other person has to do. A substitute coming instead of an injured player is an example for this. Just like that Jesus came into this world as a substitute to the whole mankind. ♦ God considers what has happened to Jesus as that has happened to every human being. ♦ Whatever punishment had to be given for the sin of man was given to the substitute Jesus. ♦ Whatever had to be done for the redemption of man was done on Jesus. ♦ Whatever was done on Jesus ,God considers as done on every human beings. ♦ Whatever Jesus had accomplished through his life was done as a substitute for others ♦ Whatever position Jesus has in the presence of God is available to every person. ♦ That means Jesus and a person who believe in Jesus has the same position as Jesus in the presence of God. What God did on the body of Jesus instead of us Isaiah 3:6- God has laid on him (the substitute )the iniquity of all of us. Jesus bore the sin of all mankind on his body when he was crucified. (Iss. 53:11-12, 1.Pet 2:24, Hbr.9:28.) Isaiah 53:6- All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 1.Pet.2:24.who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. Hbr.9:28. so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation. Jesus who never experienced sin was made sin for us by God. Jesus who is on the cross is the son of God, but for God he is the sin of all mankind. That means god saw his son as the sin of the world. When God saw the sin of the world on Jesus the Holy God had to forsake him. The Son who was one with his Father in the past eternity was separated from him on the cross. In fact Jesus was suffering hell on the cross by this separation. This is the greatest punishment for sin. When sin was seen on the body of Jesus the wrath of God according to His righteousness was shown on his son. The judgement of sin was done on the body of Christ and he was destroyed on the cross. We have been subjected to his righteous anger and punishment by sinning against God, but now the sin is on the body of Christ. God has to punish sin according to his righteousness when sin is seen on us or on the son. Thus God revealed his righteousness on the cross by judging sin on the body of Christ(Rom.3:25-26, 8:3-4)Rom.8:3-4. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. God did not spare even his son when he was judging sin (Rom8;32). He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? Thus God judged sin on the body of Christ and reconciled the mankind to him and made peace with them. Colossians 1:21-22- And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreprovable before him: We were alienated to God and were enemies to him because of the evil works we did. But our sins were put on the body of Christ and judged sin on the cross and reconciled us with the Father, so that we may be presented to Him holy, innocent and without sin. Since sin was judged on the body of Christ we don’t have any judgement.(Rom8:1-2).
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Ephesians 2:14-16- For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in the flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, [so] making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Here it is recorded another importance of his body. The law which separated the Jews and gentiles was destroyed by his body and made both parties one. In him he made both Jews and gentiles in to a new man and ended the enmity among them and reconciled them to God through his body. In Isaiah 53:6 we saw that God put all our iniquities on him. But see 53:4-5 - Surely he hath borne our grief's, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (1Peter 2:24). This is not only the deliverance from sickness but also from sin and its curse and the healing from all destruction of our Spirit , soul and body. Our sin was put on the body of Jesus. God saw Jesus’ body in the place of sin and God judged sin on the body of Christ. We were reconciled to God through the body of Jesus. Because of this we have real fellowship with God. This is the meaning of breaking the bread in Lord’s supper. THE BLOOD OF JESUS We have explained early that God who is Holy cannot suffer sin and since he is righteous judge he has to judge sin according to his righteousness. The judgment of God is that the person who sins has to die. God did not create man to die but to live with him eternally receiving his life. First of all death is a separation from God( this is spiritual death). Secondly it is the decaying of the body (gradually going to physical death) thirdly eternal death or second death (eternal separation from God living in hell without experiencing any presence of God). Hell is a place in this universe without any presence of God. The man who was destined to live with God eternally, filled man with him or filled man with his life, and his glory living in hell having no presence of God is the greatest punishment for the man who sins. Not only that Satan and all the evil spirits will be there in hell. Satan is now working on this earth, but his full evil in full measure is not revealed now, because the presence of the Holy Spirit is there in this earth. The evil of Satan in full measure will be revealed in hell because there is no presence of God there and the life of the people living in hell will become unbearable. Because of his eternal love God declared his plan to redeem man from eternal judgment . That declaration was that to redeem man from God’s wrath and eternal death by receiving a sinless blood (life) instead of man’s life. God the son became a sacrifice on the cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of the sin of mankind. He gave his sinless blood to God as a ransom. He with his blood entered the holy place (mercy seat) and accomplished a redemption forever. Heb 9:11-13. The son gave his blood not for sin or to Satan, but to God the Father. Sin, death and Satan were the enemies who captured us without reason. We violated God’s law and fell into God’s righteous wrath and judgment. To purchase man from God’s wrath and eternal death and the law, Jesus gave his own blood to God as a ransom. The old covenant sacrifices were a shadow of Jesus’ sacrifice. The man who sins must die is an unchangeable judgment of God. (Heb.9:22). Therefore for the life of those who sinned under the law God commanded an arrangement to receive an animal’s life. On the great day of atonement the chief priest sacrifices an animal and with its blood enters the mercy seat and sprinkles the blood on the mercy seat and in front of that. This is giving the blood of the animal as a redemption price to God instead of the life of the people. (Lev.16, Heb.9:7). The enmity between man and God due to sin was removed by the blood of Jesus and made peace in the relation between man and God. This is one of the speciality of the blood of God. Col.1:20. and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, [I say], whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. God was pleased to do this. Isaiah 53:5- But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The punishment for making peace between man and God was put on Jesus. Sin brought enmity between man and God. We lost the peace agreement with God. This verse clearly says that the punishment for bringing peace with God was put on Jesus. Eph 2:13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:14-16 But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Thus Jesus became our peace. In verse 17 it says that Jesus preached peace to those who were far (gentiles) and those who were near (Jews). Verse 18 says that both parties have entrance to the Father through one spirit. This is not a peace that comes into one’s heart but the peace that was brought to the relation with the Father .Eph.6:14 says that the gospel is a gospel of peace. Rom.5:1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: SUMMARY:- Jesus gave his blood as a ransom for our life and subsided the wrath of God and fulfilled the righteousness of God. He forgave our sins and purified us and removed the enmity we had in the relation with God and made peace with him. This is the meaning of the cup we share in the Lord’s table.
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Chapter 4 A Study Regarding The Body And Blood Of Christ From The Book Of Hebrew. The book of Hebrew is considered as the summary of other 65 books. The message in the other 65 books are summarised into the book of Hebrew. The important subjects of hope and faith are the main theme of this book. Hope is the longing or expectation of the promises God has given. Faith is the confidence in the things we hope and the surety of the things we have not seen and we hope. The greatest of God’s promise is “so great a salvation” or glorification which is the ultimate aim of salvation. That is from forgiveness of sins to glorification. Kingdom of God is another promise. That is in the new heaven and earth we will dwell with God in eternity in the city with foundations which God is making.( Hbr.11;9-16, 12:26-28, Rev.Ch 21-22, Isaiah.65:17-19.). In short God’s kingdom and God’s glory are important things in the great promises. The old covenant and the chief priests and their sacrifices could not give full peace in the mind of the worshipper. It could not give confirmation of forgiveness of sins and justification. Not only that after describing in this book that this could not give hope and faith it says that Jesus the high priest who came in the order of Melchizedek through his death has given the conformation of the eternal hope of this promises. From Heb.10:5 onwards it says that when Jesus came into this world to do God’s will a body was prepared for him. What is the will of God in our life? It is to receive His life and His kingdom. What is the purpose of God in sending Jesus? It is to take away the sins of mankind and bring him back to eternity. The blood of oxen and rams could not take away the sins of man, and God was not pleased in these sacrifices. When the Son was sent to earth to do His will a body was prepared for him. In Jesus’ body the punishment for our sins were judged and the blood which flowed from his body was received as a ransom and gave us life. The meaning of the prayer Jesus made in the garden of Gethsemane is made clear here. Luke 22:42 - saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. He was separated from his Father because his body was made sin bearing the sin of the world. The one who was with the Father from eternity was separated from him and suffers hell. The holy one could not suffer sin, Jesus was prepared to do this to do the will of God. Then from verse 10 it is made clear that by the sacrifice of his body (body and blood) we are sanctified. We are set free for ever from all the sins of our past, present and future and we are made clean by that blood and were sanctified. That means we are set apart for God. This is only a positional sanctification before God. This means that in the sight of God he sees us sanctified through Christ. The 14th verse makes it clear that the sanctified are made perfect forever. This perfection is the perfection before Christ. In Col.3:10.it says in this meaning: and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him. Then God makes us grow into Christ’s perfection. Not only that this verse makes it clear that God is continually sanctifying us. The meaning is that we stand before God not in our merit but in Christ’s. He reckons Christ’s merit in us. Because Christ is righteous we are also righteous before God. Because Christ is holy we are also holy in the sight of God. Because Christ is the son of God we are also the sons of God in Christ. Christ is the first born and we are his brothers. Our identity is not in us but in Christ. This is our merit to take part in the Lord’s table. In verse 16-17 the witness of the Holy spirit is recorded. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws on their heart, And upon their mind also will I write them; [then saith he,] And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. This portion clarifies that no more sacrifice is required for sins. Because of the blood and body of Christ the remission of sins is available for ever. SUMMARY:- Because of the sacrificial death of Christ by his blood and body God has forgiven our sins for ever and sanctified and made us perfect before God. We come before God not in our merit but in Christ’s. That is the meaning of sharing in the bread and wine which is the symbol of the body and blood of Christ.
Chapter 5 What Has To Be Done If We Fall Into Sin After We Are Saved We are made righteous, holy and perfect before God because of the body and blood of Christ. But because we live is this world where the presence of sin is too much the chance of falling into sin is there. Because our body is full of the elements of sin and it is a body of sin the chance of falling into sin is too much. A person who is born again is full of Holy Spirit and is walking in the spirit. Rom 8:14 says that a man walking in spirit is the son of God. If this person falls into sin his fullness of spirit is immediately lost and the peace of God in him is also lost. He will feel inside him an emptiness and misery. This does not mean that the Holy spirit inside a man will be lost. THE Holy Spirit will continue to stay inside his spirit, but he will lose the presence of God inside him. Because he cannot go forward without the presence of God he becomes weak. 1.Cor.11:30. For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and a few sleep. He will understand in his body that he has sinned and grieved the Holy spirit from these experiences. Immediately he comes before God and confess that he has sinned and repents and receives God’s mercy and forgiveness of sins and experience the fullness of the spirit. Hebrew 4:16- Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help [us] in time of need.
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The background of this verse:- If we look into the real background of this verse we can understand the real meaning of it. In the beginning of the book of Hebrew we see that God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken through his son. The essence of this message is the Kingdom of God and the glory of God. To give us this Kingdom of God and the eternal salvation God allowed his son to be sacrificed on the cross. This book clearly says that those who are called to receive this kingdom and glory will have temptations and trials. When you are tempted and suffer you may have the temptation to backslide from the way of eternal salvation. Israel who received the good news as we, when they were tempted in the desert what they heard did not transform into faith but backslid in to unbelievers. But when we are tempted we need not backslide and be defeated as the Israel. We have a high priest who was tempted, suffered and became victorious to help us. Since he is able to sympathise in our weakness he is also powerful to help us. When we are tempted we should confess his name.(Hb.3:1). We should draw near to the mercy seat with confidence. After saying all these things in the previous chapters in 4:16 it says Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help [us] in time of need. RECEIVE GRACE Because of God’s compassion, pity, mercy and the love he had for the unworthy and helpless man the eternal purpose for him especially since man was unworthy and helpless to achieve salvation the work that was revealed for man, help or his favourable attitude is Grace. The meaning of grace in this verse is the help God gives when we are tempted. Grace is God’s power to overcome temptation. When Satan tempts us with world, flesh and sin, when our faith is tried by the temptation of persecution and suffering, when any temptation comes to backslide from the path of faith, we should immediately ask for grace to come to the throne of grace to win over the situation. God will give grace and we will win over the temptation. RECEIVE MERCY Grace is for the future and mercy is for the past. Just as grace is God’s help to win over present sin, mercy is for the remission of the past sins. A person who is destined to the death penalty is eligible to seek the mercy petition before the President of the Country, who has the authority to pardon the death sentence. AT THE VERY MOMENT When we face temptation and fall into sin and are not able come before the mercy seat and seek pardon, we do not have to bear the guilt and retreat from the presence of God. However, God invites us to boldly come before His mercy seat and seek his mercy at the very moment and gain forgiveness of sin. At the very moment would mean that we can approach the mercy seat at the time when we are tempted or at the time we fall into sin. MERCY SEAT As per the old covenant, the mercy seat in the holy of holies is the place where the glory of God comes down. This is called the mercy seat in the old covenant books. (Ex.25:10-22). The mercy seat is the throne of the most holy God in the earth. Ordinary men cannot enter this place. If a sinner enters this place he will fall dead instantly. Once in an year there is a great atonement day for all the twelve tribes of Israel. Few days before this day the chief priest leaves his family and stays in the temple and does all the cleaning ceremonies prescribed in the Moses’ book of law. He had to repent and confess all his sins. On the great day of atonement the chief priest first sacrifices an animal and enters the holy of holies with its blood and the incense. Before he faces the mercy seat he makes a cloud of smoke with the incense. Because with his bare eye he is not permitted to see the glory of God. After that he sprinkles seven times the blood of the animal he had sacrificed for his sins in front of the mercy seat and over it. After that he enters the mercy seat again and sprinkles the blood of the animal he had sacrificed for the people. ( lev.16, Heb.9:7.) Here the blood of the animal offered as a ransom for the life of man is the shadow of the blood of Jesus offered for the ransom for our life. But each time the high priest enters the mercy seat with fear and trembling. If there is any sin which he has not repented or which he is not forgiven, he will instantly fall dead in front of the mercy seat. The people of Israel and their priests were unable to come in to the presence of God were separated by a curtain to the mercy seat lived throughout their life in fear of death.( Lk.17:71-75). But when Jesus experienced in his body the punishment of sin and gave his life as a ransom for the life of man, the curtain in front of the mercy seat in Jerusalem temple was torn from top to bottom. Thus God opened the way to the mercy seat for all mankind. According to the old covenant a man with sin has no entrance to the mercy seat. But according to the new covenant due to the body and blood of Christ God has given grace to a man with sin to enter the mercy seat. Now God has given the freedom to come in to the presence of God along with his sin and confess his sin and receive mercy. From these portions it is evident that we are not coming in to the presence of God due to our merit but due to the merit of Jesus. This is the meaning of raising the bread and wine in the Lord’s Table. We shall explain below three great things that helped us to come before the mercy seat with courage. Three great ways The matter of discussion is Heb 10:19-22. We considered up to verse 19. After saying that because of the great sacrifice of Jesus (Blood and Body) hereafter no sacrifice is required in verse 19 -22 says Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. These verses exhorts us to draw near with full assurance of faith. It is also written about entering the house of God (this is the most holy place) with boldness and removing an evil conscience.
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Sin always corrupts the conscience of man and that leads to condemnation of heart. Due to that he loses the Godly peace inside his heart and his heart will be filled with fear not able to face God. Eg. When Adam sinned he lost the peace of God inside him and fear entered his heart and he hid from God. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live in God’s presence. When we fall in to sin we lose the peace inside our heart and an emptiness fills there. We lose the fellowship with the Holy Spirit inside our spirit. This is the death of the spirit said in Rom.8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Thus he will become weak in the spiritual warfare and he lose the power to fight against Satan’s tricks. Satan starts to blame him in front of God. Those who have the guilty conscience self accusing has not the power to stand against Satan. Even now that person may be praying speaking in tongues and operating in the gifts of the spirit he lose the intimate fellowship with the Father. He thinks that he is not worthy to come before the Father. All his prayers will be about his sins and weaknesses. If this is the condition of your prayer your heart’s condition will be as described above. This mental condition happens because you do not have revelation of the word to handle sin when you fall into sin. Another reason is that he does not have inside him the armour of breast plate which God has freely given and conscience of righteousness. Another reason is that he is not taught to walk in the fullness of spirit and to walk according to the spirit. According to the verses we have seen if sin comes in to a person’s life he has the privilege to boldly come before the mercy seat without guilty conscience or evil conscience. This portion teaches us about three things that help us. 1) A new and living way-the body of Jesus Verse 19 says about a new and living way opened through the curtain that is his body. In the old covenant the curtain in front of the mercy seat is described by the holy spirit as the shadow of the body of Christ. In the old covenant there was no way to enter the mercy seat. But now the body of Christ is established as the new way to enter the mercy seat. We have seen before the importance of the body of Christ. God put my sin on Jesus’ body and he went to the cross instead of me carrying my sin and judged the sin on his body. I was made even with Heaven when his body was destroyed on the cross. Now I have no judgment but have salvation. This destroyed body is the new way to the mercy seat. That is why Jesus said I am the way ,truth and life. The faith in this gospel is said in Acts as the new way. This is the meaning of breaking the bread. To remember Jesus and to confess his death are the meaning of these things. 2) Jesus’ blood on the mercy seat By the blood of Jesus we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place. The second thing that helps us to enter the mercy seat is the blood of Jesus. Heb.9:12 says that the blood of Jesus was offered to God and redeemed me from the wrath of God and eternal death. It is also said that not with the blood of goats and calves but he entered the most holy place once for all by his own blood and obtained eternal redemption. Jesus with his own blood entered the heavenly mercy seat and redeemed us forever. The blood of Jesus satisfied the righteousness of God. The enmity that came due to sin was removed and made peace with God. The blood cleansed us and made us perfect and holy. Heb 9:14. how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrew 12:24- And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. All the blood that was shed in this earth cries to God for the revenge of their life. But we have come near to a holy blood that speaks better than the blood of Abel. 1John1:7- says that the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. This is the message to the church which was purified once by the blood of Jesus. This says about the sin that comes in us after we are saved. 1Jn.1:8 says that If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Verse 9 says about what we have to do for the sin that comes after we are born again. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Verse 10 says If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Even after confessing the sin if one continues in guilty conscience and self accusation there are other spiritual reasons for that. It is not possible to describe that here. If one continues in the guilty conscience of the past sins he is rejecting the power of the blood of Jesus. Those who fall into sin needs the blood of Jesus and need not continue in guilty conscience. Guilty conscience and conscience of sin are two different things. When a born again child of God falls into sin he lose the fullness of spirit and lose the peace inside him. Thus the holy spirit convicts him of sin and will lead him to repentance. If one does not have conscience of sin in this way he will have it when he hears a sermon or when some prophets tell him. Or when he prays and searches his heart or reads the Bible he gets the conscience of sin. The conscience that is not taught by the revelation of the word of God is the origin of guilty conscience. If you have any guilty conscience remaining after you have confessed your sin you should handle that with the blood of Jesus. Some guilty conscience may have a reason and others does not have any, both we should purposely reject. Two thousand years before the blood of Jesus redeemed me from the wrath of God and gave me an eternal redemption. Even if I fall into sin now the blood of Jesus is there for the forgiveness for sin. The meaning of the cup in the Lord’s Table is this. Do this in remembrance of him and declare his death are done in this meaning. 3) Jesus the high priest. The third reason we are able to approach the mercy seat with boldness is Jesus the high priest. Heb.10:21-22. says And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Jesus after doing away my sin with his blood and his body he has entered the mercy seat instead of me in advance. The hope of this eternal glory is an anchor for my spirit. It is sure and permanent and is
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connected with mercy seat. In Heb.6:19-20 confirms our hope saying, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. whether as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Heb.7:26. For such an high priest meets us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; The name of Jesus is the only way to enter into the presence of God. Those who come in this way to the Father has an advocate in the presence of God to intercede for us for ever. So he is powerful to save them completely. Glorification the culmination of faith is this complete salvation. Romans 8:33-34- says Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Romans chapter one to eight chapter 30 th verse very clearly says about the eternal salvation by the body and blood of Christ. Up to this it says about forgiveness of sins, salvation, justification, the way to win over sin, how to please God according to the word of God, walking in spirit, sanctification and glorification. In verse 31 it says What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?( Against our glorification). God revealed his righteousness by not sparing his son in judging sin on him. Now will he not give us everything. 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (forgiveness of sins to glorification) 8:33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Nobody can condemn whom God has justified. 1John 2:1- My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: Here the advice is clear do not sin. We don’t have a licence to sin. Jesus died not only for the remission of sin, salvation and justification but also to make us victorious over sin. Rom chapters 6-8 and many other portions in the Bible talks about victory over sin. We have not only forgiveness of sins but also victory over the power of sin. But if one sins he need not go from God’s presence due to guilty conscience. Because Jesus died on the cross and gave his blood as a ransom by the new way made through his body relying on his blood we can go to the mercy seat with confidence. Jesus as an advocate intercedes for us in God’s presence. He is the propitiation for our sins. By his blood and his body he made a solution for our sins. The meaning of propitiation is that the wrath of God due to sin was appeased made us even with God and brought the mercy of God. Because Jesus is the propitiation for our sins we can go to the mercy seat at any time. Summary:- Lord’s Table is the remembrance of what Jesus has done and the ministries he is continuing in heaven. All the words like confess Jesus, confess the faith, confess the hope, declare his death reveal the same meaning in principle. Our forgiveness of sins, salvation, and our entry into the mercy seat are assured by the body and blood of Jesus. To make it more sure Jesus is there before God as our high priest
Chapter 6 I Do Not Praise You In This In this chapter we shall think about what Paul has received from the Lord the teaching about Lord’s Table in 1Co. Chapter 11 especially in an unworthy manner. We shall study from verse 17-32. For convenience of study we shall divide this into five parts. Verse 17-22. In the Corinthian church the unworthy manner in which they did the Lord’s Table is recorded. Verse 23-25 the revelation apostle Paul received about the Lord’s Table. Verse26. The new meaning about Lord’s Table. Verse 27-32. The judgment for taking part in the Lord’s Table in an un worthy manner and the escape from that. Verse 3334.suggestion to rectify the unworthy manner and conclusion . The unworthy manner of Lord’s Table in Corinthian church The apostle commands certain things to the church. In verse 17 he says that he does not praise them for what he is going to command them. In verse 22 he says that he certainly will not praise them. But in 1.Cor 11:2 He is praising them for holding on to some of his teachings. The reason apostle is scolding them instead of praising them is because he saw in them something he has not commanded and some actions against the word of God. In verse 17 he says that you are coming together not for good but for harm. The word come together is used five times in this chapter. It denotes the strong relation between husband and wife. This is a usage exposing the love, unity and fellowship relation inside the church. The first century church came together to break the bread and to have fellowship together. When they came together to break the bread there was exhortation, teaching, psalms, praise, adoration, singing and worshipping. This is evident in Acts 20:7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. They came together on the first day of the week to break the bread. (We will discuss this later) The verses 17, 18, 20, 33, & 34 explains about coming together. In verse 18 it says it is the meeting together of the church. Church is not a beautiful building or an organisation it is the gathering of the born again people. When the church met together some of their wrong manners became for harm. If that is so correct way of coming together will happen for good is implied in that. The punishment mentioned in verses 27-30 is the meaning of harm. Verse 18 details the problems in the church when they come together to break the bread. First of all I hear that there is disunity among you. One of the unworthiness was their disunity.
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We doubt that whether the reader can understand the fearful results of the dangerous spiritual sins of disunity and quarrels in today’s spiritual realm. We are going to venture in to learning this subject relying on the Holy Spirit. Disunity a deadly spiritual sin From the beginning of the letter to the Corinthians apostle is writing in strong language about their disunity. From the 10th verse of the first chapter to 4th chapter apostle is dealing with their quarrels inside the church. When you write a letter it is quite natural to write first the matters striking the writer. We should understand that this is more important than many other doctrines dealt in this letter. Note the words used by the apostle in 1Co. 1:10. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. What a wonderful advice.In verse 12 Paul says that the church is divided in the names of Paul, Apollos, peter, Christ etc. Paul is rebuking them in strong language, Is Christ divided. Dividing the church is equivalent to dividing Christ. The condition of the Corinthian church is horrible and lamentable. Now it is relevant to consider Christ’s high priestly prayer what John has recorded in Ch 17:11, 21 & 23. Vs 11.I will not remain in this earth any more but they remain here, I am coming to you. Vs 21.That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Vs 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Human intelligence cannot understand the fact that the Father and the Son are one. But this is the symbol of complete unity. There will be division in any group that is not protected by God. Hb 12:14&15 says that they have fallen from the grace. John 17:21- says that they may be one so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The world will believe that the Father has send Jesus by the unity of the disciples. Jesus is praying that as the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father we should be in the Father and the Son. ( see the chapter about the purpose of creation ) To fulfil the purpose of creation we should be in perfect unity. Vs 23 says that the world will know that You love them as You have loved me and that you have sent me by the perfect unity seen in them .Vs 22 says that I have given to the disciples the glory you have given me. The result of that is that the world may know that God has sent Jesus and has loved the disciples as He has loved Jesus. We should be one as the Father and the Son are one. We should be in Jesus as the Father and Son are in perfect unity. The first century church which received the glory of Jesus was in perfect unity. It is said that they came together in one accord. Their unity, love and perseverance toppled even the world empires. In front of the love and unity of the church even the enemies were wonderstruck. The prayer for unity by Jesus was virtually reflected in the church. The political foul play of power, money and nepotism divided the body of Christ. The question Paul is asking is Christ divided is a warning note to these people. Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptised in the name of Paul? Paul uses these strong words to rebuke those who started a church in the name of Paul. This is a strong rebuke to those who start churches and ministries in their name and to those who boast about their organisations. Paul says that if you start a ministry in your name that means you are crucified for the people and you are baptising in your name. The full third chapter and up to 6th verse of chapter 4 records the division in the church. But in between in 3:16-17 speaks about the local church the temple of God. It does not speak about the body of a born again Christian. From 6:12 onwards Paul talks about the physical body and sexual sins and then in 6:19 says about the body as the temple of God. We can understand from the back ground that the first reference is about the temple the body of Christ. In 1Tim 3:15. but if I tarry long, that thou may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Wherever the glory of God dwells it is the temple of God. Because the glory of God dwelled in the Jerusalem temple and the tabernacle those became the temple of God. All the gathering of the church are places where God’s glory comes down. Because God’s presence is there in these gatherings of the local churches they can be called the temple of God. God will destroy those who destroy the temple of God. The church is destroyed due to division. Thus those who destroy God’s temple will be destroyed by God. This is the judgment mentioned in 1.Co.11:30. It is very difficult to bring the presence of God where there is division. In psalm 133 we see that the presence of God, the life eternal and the blessings of God are there where the brothers are living in harmony. If there is no presence of God in the church there the spirit of division will increase and all sorts of sin will increase and the church will be destroyed. In James 3:14-16 we see that where there is jealousy, bitterness and selfishness there is disorder and every kind of evil. God judges a person who makes division by withdrawing God’s presence or the fullness of spirit from him. He becomes weak. If he does not repent this weakness of spirit gradually makes him sick and he dies before he reaches old age. After explaining about the divisions in the Corinthian church up to the 4th chapter in the 11th chapter division is mentioned connecting the Lord’s table. We shall end this subject by adding some lessons about divisions in the scripture. The reason for division is due to the bitterness towards a person or the difficulty in forgiving a person and sometimes due the difference in teaching. 1. In Matthew 18:16-20 Jesus has commanded that those who cannot live in peace with his brothers should be considered as a gentile or a tax collector as per the decision of the church. 2. Matthew 6:14-15-says that the sins of those who do not forgive the sins of his brother will not be forgiven by God. 3. Hebrew 12:14-15- A person who has bitterness in his heart is not in grace, he has fallen from grace, he has lost the protection of grace. 4. Galatians 5:18-21- Those who have the works of the flesh such as hatred, anger and divisions will not inherit the Kingdom of heaven. 5. Titus 3:9-11- Those who create fight and quarrels in the church should be expelled after giving two or three warnings because they have condemned themselves being crooked minded. 6. James 3:13-17- In the groups and persons having jealousy and selfishness the spirit of division dwells, this is earthly, primitive and demonic.
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We saw that the first problem in the gathering of Corinthian church was divisions. The second reason of their dishonouring the Lord’s Table is given in 1.Cor. 11:20-22. Only when we understand the way in which the first century church did the Lord’s Table we will understand the shortcomings or the unworthy manner in the Corinthian church. Acts 2:46- They had their meals together in homes after breaking the bread and eating with gladness and humble hearts. Breaking the bread and eating the meal was there from the beginning of the church. In act.20:11 we see that Paul was not only breaking the bread but also eating the meal because from the circumstances we understand that he was teaching them till morning but in between they broke the bread and ate their food . But this is not what we call the love feast. They broke the bread in remembrance of the lord’s body and afterwards they ate their meal also and after that they shared the cup also. The Corinthian church also continued in this manner. They used to bring their food when they gathered together. They considered the Lord’s Table as a covenant meal. Many of the covenants in the past was followed by a meal. We cannot consider this as love feast. In verse 32 & 34 it is said that when the church meet together you have to wait for others and if somebody is hungry let him eat at home otherwise the meeting together(for the lord’s table) it will be a reason for judgment. If this is a love feast there is no question of judgment. In verse 20 they met together and ate, but it is said that they were not eating the Lord’s Table because the way in which they ate was not in the proper manner. That is why it is said in 32& 34 that it is reason for judgment. In verse 21 it is said that in Lord’s Table each one is eating his supper first. So it is evident that each was coming with his meal for the Lord’s Table. But what is the unworthy manner? It is that one was not waiting for his brother to come. Those who were hungry ate their food first without waiting for the other. That is why it is said inverse 34 that those who are hungry let them eat at home or meeting together will be a cause for judgment. Some are intoxicated because they drank the wine, that means the cup of the Lord’s Table also. In verse 22 it is said that you are belittling or despising the church of God and put to shame those who don’t have. Those who could not bring the food were hungry and the rich ate their food. Those who became hungry ate without waiting for others. For one group the Lord’s Table was an opportunity to eat and drink excessively. They did not break the bread after giving thanks together, they did not remember the body and blood of Christ, for they did not even declare the death of Christ. Not only that there was the disparity of the rich and the poor in the Lord’s Table. There was no equality. Those who had did not share with those who did not have. The greatest uniqueness of the church was equality. The word that all is one in Christ was violated. They did not take part in the Lord’s Table in the meaning the Lord established it or in the manner in which the early church practiced it. They did not wait for others. In Acts 20:7 it is said that the lord’s Table was conducted in the middle of the preaching of the Word. So those who came late also were able to take part in the Lord’s Table. Here we see that those were hungry started eating. The manner in which they did was not in an orderly manner. After saying that I do not praise you for this he explains the meaning and order of the Lord’s Table he received from the Lord. Therefore it is said that those who eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of Christ. Here the word unworthy is not an adjective but an adverb. Here it is not the condition of the person who takes part in the Lord’s Table but the manner in which they conducted it. It is not the eligibility of the person taking part but the manner in which they took made them unworthy. To understand the guilt we should understand what the body and blood has given us. The body of Christ has bore my sin and suffered my punishment. The blood of Jesus was given to the Father as a redemption price and redeemed me from death. Thus I have received reconciliation and peace with God. Thus if you are despising the Lord’s table which is for remembering these things you are becoming guilty. This most important subject they considered silly. Because they ate their food without waiting for others they gave more importance to their fleshly desires and selfishness. Thus by despising the Lord’s table they dishonoured the body and blood of Christ. In the body of Christ Jews and gentiles were reconciled, and in Christ made both a new person. Now everybody is one in Christ, Jews ,gentiles, men, women, poor or rich, complete equality. Unity and love were established through the death of Jesus. Putting to shame the poor and belittling the church of God and destroying the church of God are guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Examine oneself Verse 28. Let a man examine himself and take part in the Lord’s table. The meaning of this is that each should examine if there is any sin that is not been confessed and repented. Of course we should confess each sin in the presence of God. But think weather the sins has to be confessed just before the Lord’s Table. To wait for one week or one month to confess the sins before the Lord’s Table and to teach like that is ridiculing the scripture. A person who is born again has to confess his sins just when the holy spirit prompts him and live in fullness of spirit. As explained before one has to search his heart whether he is taking part in the Lord’s Table in an unworthy manner. One has to examine whether he has disunity, looking down on the poor, does he love everybody and whether his attitude towards the Lord’s Table is with respect. Discern the body The body mentioned here is not the body of the person who is taking part in the Lord’s Table but the body of Christ, the church. This meaning is projected in most of the translations. In verse 27 Lord’s body and blood is mentioned. In verse 28 one has to examine himself. In verse 29 we see that one has to examine the body. So we can understand that this is not the body of Christ or the body of the person but the body of Christ the church. We are not discerning the blood of Christ. The word used here is discern, discern means understand. There is no benefit by understanding the person’s body who is taking part in the Lord’s Table. If it is to understand the sin of the body of the person who eats, the word discern will not be used but the word examine should be used. If it means the sin of the body of the person who eats one has to confess only the sins of his body. Because people has this idea people consider only the sins that the spiritual world considers as sin such as drinking and smoking, but does not consider deadly sins such as strife, hatred, envy, bitterness etc.
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As in the old testament times these people consider only the outer cleaning of the body and wearing special dresses and emptying their stomach so that these holy elements are not contaminated with other food. Because of this thinking the sins in the heart which Jesus and his disciples taught as severe sins are not counted by them as sins. In 1.Cor.10:15-17 also prove that the body mentioned here is the body of church. I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ? seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we are all partake of the one bread. We are all partakers of one bread. In verse 15 the apostle asks to consider what he is going to say. In verse 16 he emphasises that the cup and the bread are the fellowship of the body and blood of Christ. Fellowship means take part or sharing to relate etc. We are taking part in the blood and body of Christ. It does not mean that we are literally experiencing the body and blood of Christ but we are enjoying the benefits of the body and blood gives. To prove this see verse 18-21. Behold Israel after the flesh: have not they that eat the sacrifices communion with the altar? What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? But [I say], that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. Those who are drinking and eating in the Lord’s Table are partaking in the blessings of the body and blood of Christ or we are becoming the shareholders with Christ. We being many are one body Verse 17 says we being many are one body, for we are all part of that one bread. This bread is the symbol of the body of Jesus. This means with the body of Jesus we being many are made as one body. This body is the church which is the body of Christ. In Eph.2:15.it is made evident that Jew and gentile are made into a new man in Christ and reconciled with God. This new man is the church which is the body of Christ. Eph 3:6 says that gentiles are made co heirs with Jesus, one body and partakers of the promise by the gospel. This mystery was not revealed to men in olden times. But to the ministers of the new covenant this mystery was revealed by his spirit. Here the people of one body means the members of the church which is the body of Christ. Like this in many parts of the letters there is mention about the church which is the body of Christ. Let us be acquainted with one more portion. In 1 Cor 12 after describing about the gifts of grace from verse 12 -28 the body of Christ is interpreted as parallel to the human body. If you study this portion we can understand the statement in 1Co.11:29 discerning the body. Human body is not one organ, but it is group of organs having no similarity and with different shapes, functions and character. This beautiful body is made up of these different organs but it is called organs but body. Although all the organs have different functions they are not functioning without the help of other organs. Each organ has to give and take from other organs. Even the weak organs are required for the body. The organs which is less honourable we give more honour. We decorate weaker organs. God has created the organs giving more honour to less honourable organs so that each should care for each other. Therefore if one organ suffers every organ suffers. If one organ is honoured all organs enjoy that, there is no competition strife hatred or envy between organs. They have complete unity, equality and love. 12:27 says Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof. Here the body of Christ is the church. Now come back to 11:27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Without understanding the meaning of the body if you are putting to shame the poor and weak and belittle the church by dividing into groups is equivalent to dividing the body into different parts. Without understanding the meaning of the church if you forgo the unity and equality and eat and drink in the Lord’s Table you are eating and drinking judgment. Eating and drinking judgment If you are taking part in the Lord’s Table in an unworthy manner the judgment is weakness, sickness and death. Weakness.:- This is spiritual weakness, not bodily weakness because bodily weakness is sickness. When one falls from grace the root of bitterness is sprouted from inside and his spirit , soul and body are contaminated. With this bitterness (beginning of division) they become impure.(Hb.12:15). Thus he becomes weak and impure. When this person is tempted by the devil to win over the temptation when he comes to the throne of grace he won’t get grace from God. Because he is not getting grace from God to win over the temptation he falls into sin. Now if he prays for the remission of sin he does not mercy from god. This is the reason why some are living bearing the guilt feeling. They don’t get the conviction that God has pardoned their sins. Because he has sins not forgiven and has guilt feeling his mind becomes impure and he loses the peace of God from his heart. Because he loses the fullness of spirit and his heart becomes empty and he becomes weak. Although Holy spirit is inside him he loses the fullness. Even in this stage he may be ministering and people are delivered he is weak in his personal life.Because he has lost the fullness of spirit he cannot walk in spirit. Because he has indulged in the flesh he is spiritually dead, because he has lost the fellowship with God. He loses the fellowship of the Holy spirit in his spirit. Now he walk in the flesh. This is the death in Rom 8:13. If he kills the acts of the flesh with the help of the spirit he can live in spirit. Because he has guilt feeling in his heart he cannot stand against the tricks of the devil. He succumbs to many temptations and falls into many sins and becomes weak in the spiritual warfare. This weakness is temporary When a man confesses any sin he has committed and is cleansed from it, he regains the fullness of spirit and the peace of God. As such this weakness is temporary. If a man prays publicly that he is weak and empty and needs a fullness the church leaders should find out how he became weak and help him to win over that situation. The church should not say amen to his prayer but reprimand him.
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The weakness is a chastening A man walking in fullness of spirit losing that is a terrible condition. His heart becomes empty and he feels a sort of compression inside him. Inside a death has taken place, he has become weak, he cannot continue in this condition. When God gives him a punishment like this, he understands his shortcomings, repents and comes back to the grace of God. When this type of chastening happens several times he becomes a complete spiritual man with discretion and learns to live in fullness of spirit. Sickness is a chastening The reason for many bodily diseases are due to not reconciling the problems in relations and living in bitterness and hatred. God who gives healing sometimes gives diseases as a chastening. When you take part in the Lord’s Table in an unworthy manner and becomes weak and continues in that condition and does not enquire about the root cause and rectify that it becomes a root cause for many diseases. This type of diseases will not be miraculously healed. But if he confess the sins God will sanctify him and he will be healed. Death is a chastising This is death before reaching long life. Those who become weak by taking part in the Lord’s Table in an unworthy manner without examining his spiritual weakness and continues that he becomes sick. Even after he becomes sick if he continues to take part in the Lord’s Table that sickness leads to an untimely death. 1.Jn.5:16-17 also deals with this untimely death. Sin that leads to death If any man sees his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask God, and [God] will give him life . There is a sin unto death: not concerning this do I say that he should make request. Most of the Christian society thinks that the sin leading to death is the sin against the Holy spirit. This belief is agreeable and wide spread among Catholics and new generation pentecostals. But the revelation we received is against this teachings. The sin for death mentioned in john is not the sin against Holy spirit. So before dealing with the sin that leads to death we shall examine what is the sin against the Holy spirit. Sin against the Holy spirit The Word of God does not clarify what is the sin against the Holy spirit. Instead it is said that the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be pardoned. These blasphemous words will not be pardoned in this world and the world to come. This is recorded in Mt.12:32, Mk.3:28-29 and Lk.12:10. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. To understand the meaning of this verse we should know the background of this statement..This he said when he was healing the blind and dumb man. But he Pharisees and the scribes blamed him saying he was doing this with the help of Beelzebub Jesus said the above statement when he was replying them. Some people think that saddening or quenching the Holy Spirit is this sin. If that is the reason nobody will reach eternity, because each time we fall into sin the Holy Spirit is sad. There will not be a single believer who has not sinned at least one time. When we are walking in the flesh we are saddening him and when we do not walk in the leading of the Holy Spirit we are quenching the Holy spirit. So calling the Holy Spirit evil spirit is the sin against the Holy spirit .When this discussion ends it is stated in Mk 3:30 they had said that Jesus had an evil spirit. This was not said by ordinary people but by scribes. Who are these scribes? They are sitting in the seat of Moses who were supposed to interpret the law and the deeds of God in the correct way. Regarding spiritual matters their word is the final word for Israel. Because they said that it is not the Holy Spirit that is on Jesus but an evil spirit, it is a serious matter. They did not go wrong in understanding the Holy Spirit in the old testament men of God. They interpreted that because Moses had the Holy Spirit he was able to do miracles. They did not go wrong in interpreting that Joshua was able to make the sun stand still because he had the Holy Spirit. They were very correct in interpreting about Gideon, Jephthah, Barak etc. They saw the spirit in David also. But being born of the Holy Spirit in Mary, Holy spirit coming on Jesus in a bodily form when he was baptized and after fasting for 40 days doing miracles that Israel has never seen they could not interpret that Holy Spirit is working in Jesus. They said in public that the spirit that is in Jesus is not the spirit that dwelt in the old testament saints but an evil spirit , it is Beelzebub. This is the Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, this will not be pardoned in this world and the world to come. Mark records that they said that he has an evil spirit.But John the apostle has said about the sin that leads to death. He does not mention anything about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Sin that leads to death In his letter the apostle is discussing mainly two subjects 1 .Love your brother 2. Jesus is the Messiah . He is repeatedly discussing these subjects in different angles.
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Those who do not love their brother. 1 john 2:3-5. Those who do not love their brother and are violating the rule is a liar 2:9-11.those who hate his brother is 1. In darkness 2.walks in darkness.3.darkness blinds his eye. 4. He does not know where he is going. In 2:18 says claiming that you have fellowship with him and if you are walking in darkness you are telling a lie, we are not doing the truth. Here walking in darkness is explained in 2:9-11. Those who are hating his brother are walking in darkness. But in 2:17 it says as he is walking in the light if we are walking in the light we have fellowship together. The blood of Jesus cleanses all our sins. The meaning of living in light is explained in 2:10 says who loves his brother walks in the light . Now see 3;10-24. 3:10 those who does not love his brother is the son of the devil. He is not from God. 3:14 those who do not love lives in death 3:15. Those who hate his brother is a murderer, in him there is no eternal life. 3:22-23. and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment. If you are believing in the name of Jesus and love one another according to his commandment we will receive any thing we ask. 4:7-20 records some commandment regarding love. 4:8. Those who do not love his brother has not known God 4:17.Those who do not love will not have the courage to face God on the day of judgment 4:20.One who hates his brother is a liar. After writing these subjects before concluding his letter he writes the words of 5:14-15 And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us: and if we know that he hears us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him. This is a repetition of the verses 3:22-23. and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment. After saying these commandments it is said in 14&15 about sin for death and sin not for death. See the words used about a man hating his brother, he is a liar, he abides in death, he is a murderer. After saying this, the sin for death and not for death is mentioned. After saying that those who hates his brother abides in death it is said about sin for death. Those who do not love his brother lives in death and that leads to the physical death. This is the untimely death mentioned in 1.Co.11:30. Those who does not love his brother, and who lives with bitterness and hatred in his heart, and who makes division in the church, and those who belittle the church, and those who despise the Lord’s Table becomes weak. Those who continue in such sins without repenting becomes sick and he dies before the allotted life could not be finished. Death a chastisement. This is the death before one reaches the full age. One who takes part in the Lord’s Table in an unworthy manner becomes weak. But if he continues to take part even after he becomes weak if he does not examine his life, that sickness leads to untimely death God’s judgment seat. Although this man has no judgment along with the world , he has to stand before the judgment seat of God. Rom 14:10. But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God. Rom 14:12. So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. 1Jn.4;17 says he will not have courage to stand before God on that day. Mt.5:22. but I say unto you, that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire. This warning by God we have to take very seriously. But after that reconciling with the brother is said in the following verses. If you have problem in the relation with your brother you have to rectify that and maintain that at any price. When we are in the presence of God if the Holy spirit convicts you and you obey that you can escape from the judgment. We judge ourselves 1Co.11:31 says if we judge ourselves we will not be judged. One should examine whether he is living in bitterness and division and know the real meaning of the Lord’s Table and discern the church. One should set right his approach and attitude to these things. If you have any uncleanliness in these areas confess before God and the church. If you are living in an undefiled consciousness you will not be judged by God .For him no chastisement is needed. If somebody is subjected to this chastisement God is chastising him so that he is not judged along with the world. (verse 32.) Verse 33 &34 is the conclusion of this study. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait one for another. If any man is hungry, let him eat at home; that your coming together be not unto judgment. Wherefore is a word that connects what is mentioned up to that .therefore brethren when you come together to eat wait for each other. In the Corinthian church some did not wait for their brethren but those who were hungry ate their food first and belittled the Lord’s Table. Apostle says that those who are hungry should eat their food at home or else if you are coming together for the Lord’s table will be reason for judgment. Apostle says that he will settle other matters after he comes. What is said in verse 28 to examine yourselves is in this meaning. Judging is a great blessing and grace God has given to man. When one judge himself it will lead to sanctification and remission of sins. If you use
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this faculty to judge others that will become sin and will be judged by God.God is the only person who is entitled to judge. When we judge others it is as good as saying to God to come down from his judgment seat so that you can sit there. Conclusion The unworthy manners in which the Corinthian churches did the Lord’s Table is evident. 1. There was division in the church and they lost the unity, love and equality and destroyed the church which is the body of Christ on earth. 2. When the church came together they did not wait for their brothers. They did not understand that Lord’s Table is to be done together. 3. They did not break the bread together and did not perform the fellowship of the body of Christ. 4. They did not perform the fellowship of the blood of Christ by sharing the cup. 5. They did not declare the death of Christ when they gathered together and meditate on the body and blood of Christ 6. They did not together praise for the bread and cup.1.Co.10:15-17 says about the cup we bless. Here blessing means to give thanks. When Paul is writing about the Lord’s table he says that he received it from the Lord. In 11:24 he says that they took the cup and gave thanks. That means blessing is giving thanks. 7. They gave more importance to their food than the Lord’s table. Those who were hungry ate and drank as they pleased. 8. Due to excess eating and drinking some were intoxicated. They used the Lord’s Table to fulfil their fleshly desires. 9. Those who were poor and could not bring any food were kept hungry. Thus the poor were discarded by the rich in public. Thus the poor were considered as second grade citizens. By putting to shame the poor, they Belittled (despised) the church of God. 10. Thus without discerning the church of God they took part in the Lord’s Table in an unworthy manner.
Chapter 7 What I Received From Christ. In the previous chapters we discussed the importance of the blood and body of Christ. We also discussed the unworthy manners in the Corinthian church and the chastisement by God. Now we shall discuss what Paul received from God about the purpose of Lord’s Table and the new covenant in 1.Cor.11:23-26. Remember Jesus. After giving the bread and the cup to his disciples he told them to do this in remembrance of me. This table is established to remember the Lord Jesus Christ. When things that is to be remembered is moved out of sight it is natural to forget them. What is the meaning of remembering Christ? It is to remember who was born as a man to redeem man from eternal death, to remember his life and his special qualities, to remember his deeds and his teachings, to remember his crucifixion and his sufferings, to remember his resurrection and the ministry he is doing in heaven for us. These are the things you have to remember. Why there should be a symbol to remember Christ. Bible is a book of covenants. There are many covenants in this, including God to man and man to man. The God of the bible is a god of covenants, He makes covenants with men to groups and to the whole world. When man asks a blessing from God he replies with a covenant. After making covenants to confirm the promises and to remember them it was usual to establish signs and monuments. For example we see in Gn.9:9-17 God makes a covenant between him and his descendants and to remember that he puts a sign on the clouds. In verse 11 he quotes the covenant that he will not destroy the world with a flood. When God brings clouds over the earth He will see the rainbow and remember the covenant he made with the people of the earth. He will look at the rainbow and remember the covenant and fulfil the promise he had made. Does God require a sign to remember the covenant he made? Does God forget his promises, never. Then why there should be a sign for God? First of all sign is an unavoidable element in a covenant. When you make a covenant to remember that and to confirm that a sign is required. Secondly a sign is an unavoidable element for both parties of the covenant. The sign is not only for God to remember but also for man to remember and to make God remembrance the covenant. Isi.62:6-7 says. ye that are Jehovah's remembrancers, take ye no rest, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Not only that this gives an assurance on the promise of God, and increases faith, confirms the trust in God. It also reveals the character of God that God does not change his word and he is trustworthy. The covenant with Abraham. In Gn.12 we see that God called Abraham and promised him that he will be father to many nations and he will give the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance to him. Again we see inch.15:1-7that God is repeating this promise and also promise to give him off-springs. In verse 7 Abraham is asking God how can I know that I will inherit that. He was asking that to confirm the promise of God. Seeing his interest God was ready to make a covenant with him. In 15:18 we see that God made a covenant with him and confirmed his inheritance on the land of Canaan.
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It was the practice from the olden times to cut an animal and put it side by side and walk in between that in the shape of 8 to confirm the covenant. Thus Abraham cut the animal and placed it side by side and waited for God. In 15:7 we see, And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. Thus God confirmed his covenant with Abraham. In Jr.34:6-22. We see that during the time of king Zedekiah men of Israel makes a covenant with God cutting an oxen and walking in between them. In such kind of covenant not only the body is cut but also the blood is shed. So this is a blood covenant because blood is required to establish and be a witness to the covenant. The parted pieces will not join again and become alive, so the covenant cannot be violated. If any party of the covenant breaks it they will have the experience of the animal. When the people of Israel violated this agreement they received the judgment of God. One of the speciality of this covenant is that both parties of the covenant has to walk around the pieces and when they come in the middle they have to recite the words of the covenant and walk back in the shape of 8. Again they come hack to the middle and confirms the covenant. In the Bible 8 denotes eternity. That means this covenant is eternal. In the covenant God made with Abraham, only God walked between the body of the animal, Abraham being a mere man did not have the courage and ability to make a covenant with God. Abrahamic covenant and circumcision as a symbol. Again in Ch 17. God makes a covenant and confirms it with Abraham that he will be father to many nations and established it with the sign of circumcision. In 17:11 says you have to circumcise the foreskins and that will be the sign of the covenant between us. In 15:16 When God promised him with off-springs like the sand of the sea shore and stars in the sky he believed in God and that was reckoned as righteousness to him. In Rom.4:11. and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them. When God confirmed the promise of becoming father of many nations, the connection between the sign and the covenant is magnificent. In 17:13. God says this sign in your body should be a covenant permanently. This is also a blood covenant. The secret of Israel multiplying in Egypt was this. When an Israelite goes to his wife with this sign given to Abraham in his sex organ it will not be fruitless. Each of their union is remembering the covenant and that resulted in explosion of population of Israel in Egypt. Sacrifice and covenant. We can see sacrifice and covenant when god is making a covenant with Israel. In Ex24:4 after writing all god’s words he built an altar and sacrificed peace offering and burned offering sprinkled half the blood on the altar and poured the balance into a vessel. Then Moses read the book to all people and all the people promised to obey all what is commanded by the Lord. When the second party of the covenant approved the covenant words Moses took the blood and sprinkled on the people and said that this is the covenant blood and thus he confirmed the covenant. We can see in Hb.9:18-22. Also the connection between sacrifice and covenant are shown by the Holy Spirit. Here also the covenant blood is sprinkled and the covenant is confirmed. The same blood is revealed as purification and deliverance. Like that Jesus’ blood is a sacrifice and covenant. Jesus’ body bore the sin and suffered the punishment. Jesus’ blood became remission of sins and purification. Therefore we have peace with God. We are made righteous by God and sanctified by his blood. Jesus’ body is also a covenant body. It was in Jesus’ body God made the new covenant. Hb.9;18 says because the covenant is established by the blood and body it is an eternal covenant. Covenant is the result of the sacrifice. Otherwise first the sacrifice and covenant goes along with the sacrifice. Psalm 50:5 clarifies this meaning. Gather my saints together unto me, Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. Two mysteries about the death of Jesus Hb.9:15. And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Here two levels of Jesus’ death is mentioned. So we will divide this verse into two parts. 1. a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, 2. that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Let us see the meaning of the first part. All people violated the commandments of Jesus and became sinners and came under the wrath of God and fell into eternal death. Then God gave us the law and put us under the law.( Gl.3:23.) Because of the law, God’s law breaking also increased.(Rom.5:20). Thus the law made us all slaves under sin.(Gl.3:22) thus we became under the curse of sin.(Gl.3:10-13) Therefore it was necessary to purchase us from the curse and slavery of the law. The first mystery of Jesus’ death. We were purchased from the curse and the violation of the law through the sacrificial death of Jesus, that was through the blood and body of Jesus Christ. God the Father put the sins of the world on the body of Jesus. Jesus carried our sins on his body and went to the cross. God made Jesus sin for us and punished sin on his body and relieved us from the punishment of sin. Jesus’ blood was given to god instead of our life and relieved us from the wrath of God and from eternal death. We were purchased from the law for God and cleansed our sins and sanctified us. This is the first mystery
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The second mystery of Jesus’ death. Jesus’ death is not only a sacrifice but also a covenant. We have explained early that to make a covenant a body and blood are required. God made a covenant with the world by the body and blood of Jesus. He confirmed it as an eternal covenant. See the second part of Hb.9:15. that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance he is the mediator of the new covenant. The new covenant was established through the body and blood of Christ. Jesus became the Lord of the new covenant. Not only that he became the mediator and was responsible for the covenant. Jesus’ body was given for many.(Lk.22:19) .That means that he bore the punishment for man’s sin and then he confirmed the covenant through the body. Jesus’ blood is a covenant blood, shed for the remission of the sins of many (Mt.26:28). The blood Pardons the sin and confirms the covenant. Hb.13:20-21. Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, [even] our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen. This verse tells us that God deals with his people with the blood of the eternal covenant. He makes us perfect to do his will in all good things in the basis of the new covenant blood. On the basis of the new covenant blood we can do what is pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. In Hb.10:29 also the two mysteries of the blood of Christ is explained. of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? First it is said that the blood sanctifies us. That means our sins are washed away and are separated unto God. Not only that Jesus’ blood is a covenant blood. Since there is difference of opinion about this passage among those who study the word of God we think we have to clarify the reader about this passage. Although it is not the subject of our study we are adding that as an addendum. Purposeful sin an addendum Hb.10:26 says For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, What is the knowledge of the truth? As explained earlier the word about the eternal salvation is the word of truth. To give us eternal glory and eternal kingdom what all God fulfilled through the death of Christ: that is the truth. This is what we were discussing in the previous chapters. This is what is mentioned in Hb.10:32. It is said about the enlightenment of the truth. God opened their eyes to receive this truth. After receiving this enlightenment of the truth if you purposely sin there remains only the wrath of judgment, because there remains no sacrifice for sin. If death penalty is given to those who disobey the Law of Moses (verse 28) those who reject the sacrifice of Jesus through the body and blood of Christ there remains no sacrifice but only eternal judgment. Verse 29 reveals what is the purposeful sin. First it is stamping the son of God after receiving the knowledge of truth. In the ancient times it was usual to stamp on the throat of those are defeated in the battle.(Joshua.10:24) It is the symbol of ridiculing them badly. Stamping the son of God who is the only way to eternal life is like that. Secondly to think that the covenant blood which sanctified us is despised and considered of lesser value than the blood of animals and to think that the blood of Jesus as unholy and has no power to forgive sins. Thirdly to despise the spirit of grace. Holy Spirit is given to redeem a person and complete his growth and redeem him and his body also when Jesus comes. But after receiving this grace we despise the Holy Spirit. After receiving these spiritual truths if we backtrack is the purposeful sin. In many times in Hebrew it is exhorted not to backslide from this truth and the way of faith.(2:1-4, 3:12, 4:1-2, 6:4-8.) If we continue in the faith we will become his house. When God dwells in us in his glory we will become his house. This shows our glorification. In 3:14 says about holding the original confidence to the end. Then it says that since the words they heard was not converted to faith they sinned and fell away. Thus they could not enter because of unbelief.(3:19). Thus we also should continue in faith when we hear the gospel (4:1-11). After this it is said in 6:4-6. For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, and [then] fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Tasted the heavenly gift means to experience the salvation Become partakers of the Holy Spirit Taste the good word of God :-these are the words said in 6:1-3 and the words that will lead you to maturity. Taste the powers of age to come:- When you are living in this world taste the things of the age to come. It is not salvation, Holy Spirit or the word of God, but to enjoy the spiritual experiences beyond that, to experience heavenly experiences like Paul, to talk with angels, to talk with the Lord face to face Etc. Even after all this experience if they fall away to renew them to repentance is impossible. This is to fall away from faith towards eternal salvation. See what we have explained earlier about not to fall away from faith but to continue up to the end. Once enlightened (6:4) and receiving the knowledge of truth(10:26) are the same. After these experiences to reject Christ and to fall away from faith is the purposeful sin. New covenant promise is our inheritance. Hb.9:15 talks about the promise in the new eternal covenant. Hb.7:22 says that Jesus became responsible for the covenant of great value. Hb 8:5 says that he is the mediator of the covenant based on great promises. What is the great promise in the new covenant? What is the eternal inheritance we get? Rom.8:17 says if we are sons we are also heirs. Those who enter into the new covenant becomes the sons and God becomes their father and they are heirs (2.Co.6:18, 7:1). We are heirs of God and co heirs with Jesus. What is this inheritance? Rom.8:17 also says that if we suffer with him we may also be glorified with him. The glory of God is our inheritance.
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What is the glory of God? When God himself appears to man that appearance is called the glory of God. This glory is tangible, audible and visible presence. In other words God himself is that glory, this God himself is our inheritance. In Rom.8:18-30 gives the description about this glory. The culmination of our salvation is the glorification. The second promise is the eternal kingdom. God will dwell among his people eternally in the new earth in the new city with foundations which God himself is the builder. Here heaven and earth will become one. God has called us to receive his kingdom and glory.(1.Th.2:11.). This covenant was confirmed by the death of Jesus. The body and blood of Jesus are the basis of this covenant. Thus this covenant is established by God to remember Jesus. The Lord’s Table is the monument of this covenant. It is a common thing in history to remember noble people and their contributions their descendant make monuments. The Taj Mahal which Shajahan built, the martyr’s monuments etc are examples for this. Why God through the death of his son on the cross made such a magnificent covenant established food and drink as the symbols to remember His son and the covenant? We have seen the connection between the signs and promises when God made a covenant between Noah and Abraham. But what is the meaning of food and drink given as symbols to represent Jesus’ body and blood? 1. It is an unavoidable element for the participants of the covenant to eat together after making a covenant. 2. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders of Israel when they made a covenant went to the presence of God and ate food. We can see that it is a godly arrangement to eat food after the covenant. They cannot do that without the consent of god. May be God himself prepared the food for them.(Ex.24:9-11) 3. It was usual to eat food after manmade covenants also. Eg. Jacob and Laban (Gn,31:44-47). 4. Marriage is a covenant between man and women. It is our custom for both parties to eat after the covenant. 5. Those who eat after the covenant are the participants in the covenant. They are witnesses to the covenant. Those who take part in the Lord’s Table are partakers of the body and blood of Christ.(1.Co.10:16). Covenant also evidences the fellowship with Jesus. 6. Those who take part in this table also confirms their unity, love , fellowship and equality. 7. To search for food is man’s inborn character. His whole life is connected with food. Adam in Eden, Israel in the wilderness, Jesus in the desert and the early Christians in Jerusalem were all tempted in the subject of food. All these people were supposed to win over these tests. Food is also connected with Godly things.Rev.3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Eating together expresses the fellowship of the Lord with the church, the fellowship of the church with Jesus and the fellowship between the members of the church 8. We are coming to the dining table at least three times a day. When we give thanks at the dining table although we are not celebrating the Lord’s Table we can remember the grace of god in the new covenant. 9. The Lord gave the ordinary bread and wine as a sign of the new covenant is because ordinary members of the church also could take part in that. Suppose the meat of a goat was given as a symbol ordinary people could not have taken part in that. To declare the death. 1.Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till he come. Now we have to think the subject declare his death till he come. The bread and the cup declares the death. When we eat the bread and drinking the wine itself declare the death But when the church come together to eat from the Lord’s Table we have to declare the death of Christ. To declare his death means it includes the sufferings, his death burial and his resurrection. The gospel messages also declares his death. The baptism also declares the death burial and the resurrection of Christ and of the person who is baptized. We win over Satan by the blood of Jesus and the testimony of our mouth. The most important of this testimony is the declaration of his death, burial and resurrection. What we have to do to declare his death? We have to declare that Jesus died in my place. That means we have to accept that I have violated God’s commandments and sinned against God and because of that I was under God’s wrath and in eternal death. But because God the Father loved me he sent his son to this world in my place. Father God put my sin on his son and saw him in the place of sin. Instead of punishing me he judged his son. Because the son was judged I don’t have any judgment. Through the body of Christ I have peace with God. By giving the son’s blood as a ransom I was purchased from eternal death and the wrath of God. My sins were pardoned and he sanctified me perfect in Jesus. By removing the enmity due to sin brought peace with God. All these things we have to declare. What is the importance of declaring the death of Jesus in the Lord’s Table? We can understand that from Hb.9:16-17. For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it. For a testament is of force where there hath been death: for it doth never avail while he that made it liveth. We discussed the two mysteries of Jesus’ death when we saw verse 15. Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant to receive the eternal inheritance according to the new covenant. We will understand the meaning of this subject only if we study what is the covenant. The Greek word “Diatheke” is used in the original language. When it was translated to English two words are used for that.1.covenant. 2.testament. In Malayalam the word law is used to represent both words. The word law does not actually convey the meaning of these words. In English translation the word Diatheke is translated as covenant and testament in the same verse (Hb.9:15-17) Covenant is translated in Malayalam as agreement and testament as will. When two or more people make an agreement in word or record to do some work it is called a covenant. Will or (testament) is a written legal paper to show who will get his inheritance after his death. It is a mixture of these meanings is the word diatheke.
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In the Bible the old covenant is called the old testament and the new covenant is called the new testament. The old covenant is the covenant God made with Israel which is the first covenant. It is not the 39 books in the old testament as some think. It is scriptures written in the old covenant period before the new covenant came into force . When we say that the old covenant was removed it means that the covenant made to Israel and the works connected with that. It does not mean that the 39 books written in those period. When God made the new covenant and confirmed his promises it was revealed them in these 39 books. God only removed old system to receive these promises. When we say the new testament it does not mean the 27 books in the Bible. It is the covenant God made to the whole mankind through the cross of Christ. It is the description of this covenant we see in these 27 books. From Genesis to revelation reveals the will of God regarding mankind. According to his pleasing will he has made a covenant to give his inheritance (the glory) to us through Jesus. The new covenant-the “will” God in his eternal love made a covenant with man that he will do a work in the life of man. That covenant is to bring back man to the plan of God who fell from the plan of God by forgiving his sins. It is also the “will” that he will give his inheritance according to his pleasure. In the first stage of this covenant, man’s forgiveness of sins, delivering him from the punishment of sin, giving his righteousness freely to man, declaring his name as righteous instead of sinner. Then to give a new birth to man who forsook the life of God, to pour in to him the spirit of the son, to give grace to win over sin, to receive his grace to please God by obeying all his words. Not only that, by sanctifying us completely to grow in salvation to become victorious, and to restore our body also in glory to reach eternity. These are all included in this covenant. (see the chapter salvation as a package) His glory is the promise of his inheritance he has written in his “will”. God himself is the glory. He is giving himself to us. To receive this glory is the culmination of the covenant. If God is not in a man, he is incomplete. He is poor in spirit. When man is filled by the glory and life of God, he becomes complete. His poverty in spirit will vanish.(Ep.3:16.). See the prayer of Paul in Ep.3:19 that we have to be filled by fullness of God. In 2.Co.3:18. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. Rom.8:18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. 2.Co.4:17. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; We will see one more verse which says about the wealth which is kept in heaven. 1.Pt.1:3-5. Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. According to the great mercy of God we were born again to the living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are kept by the power of God for the salvation that is to be revealed in the end times, or we are sealed by the Holy spirit. This living hope is kept in heaven which is incorruptible, undefiled and that do not fade. God’s glory is that inheritance. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ.(Ro.8:17). The word used as inheritance and hope in all the letters mean the same thing, it is the glory of God. This is the main pleasure of God mentioned in his “will”. When the apostle prays for the church to walk fully pleasing to him, he means this.(Col.1:10.). You have to be transformed to the perfect, good and acceptable will of God also means this.(Rom.12:2). All things work out for good to those who love God.(Rom.8:28). This good thing is the glory of God. 1.Co.2:9. but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And [which] entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him. The good that god has prepared for those who love him is Jesus who is appointed before hand for our glory. Declare his death. We started the study from Hb. 9:15-17. For a (covenant /will) to come into force the person made the will has to be proved dead. The will comes into force after the death. So far as the will maker lives it is not in force. This is a very common tradition that is practiced throughout the world. A father writes all his belongings to his children in a will. But as long as the lives that will is not in force. He can rewrite that will any time during his lifetime. The children cannot own that when the father lives. Only after the death of the father the children can posses that. Suppose after his death when the children comes to posses that if there are some opposition they cannot legally possess that. The will has to be probated in the court. But the court will ask the proof of the death of the father. So the children has to produce the proof of death, Only after all these the children can actually possess the belongings legally. When we break the bread in the Lord’s Table we are declaring the death, or we are declaring that the Lord who made the covenant is dead. Now the possessions said in the covenant belongs to us. The court in heaven approves that, and I receive it by faith and when the Lord returns that will be mine. The kingdom of God and the glory of God is my possession. This is what is meant by declaring his death. It is confessing our hope and faith. The meaning of confessing his name is also the same.
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CHAPTER 8 Lord’s Table and wrong interpretations The wrong interpretation of John chapter 6 John. 6;53-56 says those who eats my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life. The Catholic church and some new generation churches connect these verses with the Lord’s Table. But we can understand from a casual reading that this portion has no connection with Lord’s Table. We should interpret the portions in the Bible based on the context. If we are interpreting out of context we are distorting the real meaning of the words. To understand the meaning of this portion we have to study the whole chapter. 6:1-14. Jesus fed and satisfied 5000 with five loaves of bread. 6:15-21. Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum. 6:22-24. Next day the people are searching Jesus. 6:25.records the enquiries of the people. 6;26-27.Jesus replies to them that do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that does not perish, that the son of man will give you. The rest of the chapter deals with God’s way to receive eternal life. 6:33-40.Jesus explains that he is the bread of life that came down from heaven which gives life to the world. 6:41-42. When the Jews heard this they murmured against Jesus. 6:43-51. After saying that he is the bread of life and those who eat me will live eternally, he goes on saying that the bread that I am going to give is my flesh. 6:52 . See the reply the Jews are giving for the statement that his flesh is the bread. 6:53-59. Jesus reveals his teaching of how to receive eternal life. Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. From verse 27-59 are the teachings of Jesus about receiving eternal life. As some of the experts in theology and some Christian sects could not understand the meaning of this passage the Jewish religious experts and some of the disciples who followed Jesus could not understand the meaning of this passage. 6;60, 61and 66. Some of the disciples were offended and they said these are hard words who can believe this and they murmured against Jesus. From that day onwards some of the disciples left him and did not follow him thereafter. 6:62-66 Jesus gives the reply to those who murmured against Jesus hearing the teachings about receiving eternal life. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. What] then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before? It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit ,and are life. Jesus was teaching the message of eternal life in a metaphoric language. Those who believe in his words and receive that will get eternal life. 6:64. There are some among you who does not believe. That means there are some who does not believe the words of eternal life. 6:67. When Jesus saw some disciples those who could not understand his teachings left him, he asked the 12 whom he selected whether they also want to leave. Then Peter replied. 6:68-69. Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God. Here Peter understood the teachings of Jesus, he understood that the words of Jesus gives eternal life. This discerning that Peter had is not there in the catholic church who claim that they are the followers of Peter. So they misunderstand that the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ. For them it is a holy sacrifice where Jesus is sacrificed in each holy sacrament and also that you will receive eternal life by eating the sacraments. The early church Christians left the pomp and glory of the Jerusalem church and they met in their houses and conducted the Lord’s Table in a simple way. The early church did the breaking of bread in a simple way, but the present day church does that in buildings similar to Jerusalem temple conducted by priests with ceremonial dresses. Like temple priests they do all sorts of gimmicks to show that they are doing some holy thing which only they can do. For protestants also this became one among many sacraments. For them it is not a covenant but a holy sacrament. They think that bread and wine are sanctified Eucharist. In the separated churches also there is no common teaching. Those who conduct it has their own teachings, some even quote John 6 during the Lord’s Table. So these people give ceremonial holiness to the bread and wine and the vessels that it is carried. Even those who teach that the bread and wine are the symbols of the body and blood are afraid to approach the Lord’s Table. It is because they are influenced by the thought of the protestant churches that the bread and wine become holy after praying for them. 1.Tm.4:5 says that everything is purified when you pray for it but they are not sanctified. Water baptism and the Lord’s table. God brought about the salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. God considers whatever is done to Jesus is done for the whole mankind. So our death burial and resurrection and seating us on the right hand of God is a completed event. Those who are fallen from the presence of God are brought back to eternity through Christ. Salvation and redemption are completed. God has commanded that those who believe this should join with Christ, that is to join with him in his death burial and resurrection. Baptism is the simple way God has commanded to join with Christ. (Rom.6::2-6.). Baptism is the symbol of Lord’s death burial and resurrection.
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Christ’s death burial and resurrection is the teaching for salvation. This teaching is the form of doctrine for baptism.(Rom.6:17-18). Those who obey this form of doctrine become free from sin. You have to believe the teachings and obey the form of doctrine. To obey the form of doctrine of eternal salvation is taking baptism. It is the public declaration of my faith that I am dead, buried and resurrected with Christ. The Lord’s Table is the evidence of the death of Christ or the declaration of death. It declares that Jesus bore the punishment of my sin on his body and his blood became the ransom of my life. To remember this new covenant and as a symbol it is done. Can you take part in Lord’s Table without baptism? Those who has not joined with the death burial and resurrection or those who have not joined with Christ cannot declare his death in the Lord’s Table. When one who understands that Jesus died buried and resurrected for me and my salvation is accomplished the next opportunity he will get baptised. He will also declare the death by breaking the bread. 1. Those who get baptised are united with Christ. Those who have united with Christ only have the right to take part in the Lord’s Table. 2. Those who are saved and got baptised are joined to the church. Those who are the members of his body have the right for the Lord’s Table. 3. Some people argue that the disciples of Jesus received the Lord's table before getting baptised. They do not fully understand the scripture. The disciples were baptised and they believed that Jesus is the son of God. In John 17 Jesus has clarified that disciples were sanctified by the word and they are not of this world and God gave these apostles to Jesus. 4. If you argue that the disciples did not get baptised you are saying that they are not saved because salvation comes after the death burial and resurrection of Christ. Also you have to say that Jesus is your Lord and he resurrected from death. If that is the case what Jesus said in John 17 will prove false. In the beginning the Jews who were saved observed the law. 5. To establish the Lord’s Table to declare his death before his death and the disciples to participate in that is in the authority of the Lord. Before he shed his blood for the remission of sins Jesus forgave the sins of many people. We know that there is no deliverance without blood. Then how did he forgive the sins? This matter is in his ultimate authority. But now we can get the forgiveness of sins only through the blood of Jesus. The thief on the cross did not get baptised but reached the paradise. But those who are alive cannot reach the paradise without baptism. Just like that those who got baptised and those who have joined with his death, has the right to take part in the Lord’s table by declaring his death. Is the Lord’s Table for healing? It is a common talk that there is healing in the Lord’s Table. Those who believe in miracle healing teach that there is healing when you eat the bread and wine. There is no proof or no teaching in the bible to prove that. They teach this because they believe and teach that the bread and wine has a miracle power to heal the sickness. But there will be healing when you take part in the Lord’s Table and during gospel meetings and the fellowship meetings and during Sunday worship. Where ever his death is declared there will be healing. Like that because his death is declared in the Lord’s Table there will be healing. But it is not because you are eating the bread and wine. It is the symbol of the body and the blood of Christ, it is not a panacea for healing we cannot teach anything that is not in the bible. The Lord’s Table and the holy kiss. Many of the separated groups do the holy kiss after the Lord’s Table. After the Lord’s Table the pastor says as said in the holy scripture let men kiss men and women kiss women. But understand that there no such commandment in the scripture. When the brothers meet together they should greet each other with a holy kiss is the commandment.(Rom.16:16, 1.Co 16:20, 2.Co.13:12, 1.Th.5:26).It is not a sin to greet each other with a holy kiss after the Lord’s table but if you say it is as per the scripture it is against the scripture.. Lord’s Table and washing of feet Some teach that you have to wash the feet before the Lord’s Table. Since there is difference of opinion among the separated groups also we will examine according to the scripture. It was a custom among the Hebrews to wash the feet of those who come to the house.(Gn,19:2, 24:32, 43:24, Jud.19:21.). The hosts washing the feet of the guests was a custom among Hebrews. It was to honour the guests.(Gn.18:4.Lk.7:38,44.).After a long journey before entering the house it was usual to wash the feet.(2.Sam.7:8). The custom of washing the feet was there in the church, but that was not before the Lord’s Table. To wash the feet of the saints connected with honouring the saints is mentioned in 1.Tm.5:10. When Jesus and disciples met for the passover meal Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Jesus said “If I your teacher and Lord washed your feet you have to wash each other’s feet. I have left an example to you so that you also do like that. If you do this you are blessed.(Jn.13:13-17.) When Jesus and his disciples met in the house it was necessary to wash the feet according to the tradition of the Hebrews not as per law.but Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show the attitude of a disciple, and the meaning of ministry. Washing the feet is symbolic of humility and service. This we should do when an opportunity comes. But we should understand that this is not a ministry Jesus has established as the baptism and Lord’s table. If it was the holy spirit would have clarified that through the apostles. There is no record of the early church doing that or any commandment by the apostles. If it was a commandment the apostles would have mentioned it in the scriptures. Jesus did not mention that you have to wash the feet before the Lord’s Table. When Paul writes what he has received from the Lord to the Corinthian church about the unworthy manner of eating the Lord’s Table he has not mentioned
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that as an unworthy manner. If that was a necessary thing Paul would have mentioned that in his letter. It is not the washing of feet which is relevant here, but the humility , meekness and service. Lord’s Table and the unleavened bread. Some teach that the bread served in the Lord’s Table should be unleavened, because Jesus broke the unleavened bread. They quote 1.Co.5:6-8 as a proof for this. But this portion deals with the unleavened dough of evil and wickedness. It has no connection with the Lord’s Table. The holy spirit has not included any commandment in the scripture to prove this. Some ministers of some denominations they themselves make the bread in their house with great fear and holiness. They do not allow the ladies to make this, because they think that the holy elements will become unholy if ladies touch that. According to the old covenant the things used in the Jerusalem church was considered to be holy. But according to the new covenant it is not the element which is holy but the individual who is taking part in it. Should the Lord’s Table be eaten at night.? The Lord’s Table is commonly called as Lord’s supper or holy supper, because it was instituted at night time when they ate the Passover meal. But there is no commandment in the scripture to observe this during night. That which is commanded we have to observe accordingly but that which is not commanded we have the liberty to do as the spirit leads us or in a worthy manner. It is evident from the records that the Corinthian church came together for the Lord’s Table during night. It may be because the servants and slaves could not come during day time. During those days night time was the most convenient time to meet together. In Acts 20:7-11 they met to break the bread in the evening but they broke the bread early in the morning after midnight. Should there be Lord’s Table whenever we meet? The early church met in the temple daily and broke the bread at home and ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart and praised the Lord.(acts .2.:42,46). The early church met together daily broke the bread and ate in different houses. Although Paul and others were in Troas for 7 days they met together to break the bread only on the first day of the week. We can understand from this that they met to break the bread only on the first day of the week. Once in a week or once in a month or only after the baptism is not a teaching ,but it is necessary to declare the death when all the church meet together on the Lord’s day. Therefore in the important gatherings it is necessary to declare the death. Is it breaking the bread or worship? It is a common understanding in the Christendom that the church is meeting together to worship. In front of many churches we can see the board showing the time of worship. The Catholic church come together for the holy sacrifice. But the early church met together to break the bread and declare his death. We saw that Paul and his companions were in Troas for 7 days but they broke the bread only on the first day of the week. Paul and his companions might have conducted many meeting during his stay there, but they met together to break the bread on the first day of the week .They did not only broke the bread but Paul from the word of god for hours. When we read the previous chapters we see that when they met to break the bread one had psalms, one had advices, one had revelation, one had tongues and others had the interpretation of tongues. When the church meet together there is praise, worship and adoration, but the church meet together to break the bread and declare his death. Holy sacrifice and its performers. Since this is a holy sacrifice for the Catholic church they have priests and bishops to perform that. For the protestant groups since it is the Eucharist lay men are not allowed to do this, so they appointed priests. For the separated groups since this is holy elements laymen are not allowed to break the bread, it is authority of the senior pastors to do this. In 1.Co.10:16.we see that it is the congregation who breaks the bread and give thanks for the cup. The early church met in houses to break the bread. There were many thousands of believers at that time and we cannot assume that the apostles went to each house daily to break the bread. Up to acts 6 we don’t see any elders appointed, but they met in houses to break the bread. Elders and pastors are required to conduct everything in an orderly manner, but as in the old covenant times or as in other religions we don’t want priests to perform the duties. The church which is the body of Christ does this ministry together. The worthy manner of the lord’s table. We have seen the unworthy manner in which the Corinthian church. Some of them did not wait for the church to come together but ate their food and became drunk while others were starving. They belittled the church. After saying that I do not praise you for this Paul describes what God had revealed to him about the Lord’s Table (1.Co.11:24-26). Each time when the church come together the person who leads the service should teach the importance of the Lord’s Table to the church He should teach what is the meaning of proclaiming the death of Jesus. He has to teach what the body and blood of Jesus did for us. How to discern the church and the love and unity in the church should be strongly taught. The church should be taught about the pure conscience towards God and brothers. Each one should examine themselves prepare them to take part in breaking the bread. 1.After examining ourselves according to the message we heard the church should declare the death of Jesus together. We should declare our inheritance we have according to the new covenant. We should confess our faith and hope. Here we can sing the songs that declare the death of Christ. Do not think that to declare death of Jesus is to cry thinking of the way he died
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2. Those who are leading the service should take the bread that represents the body of Christ and thank the Lord. At this time the church together should thank the Lord for giving us his body for carrying our sins. The minister should break the bread and give it to the congregation. The church can take from it and eat. If there are more people the bread can be distributed in more than one vessel. At this time it is appropriate to sing songs that exalts the body of Christ and thanksgiving. In Mt.26:26. Says And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Mark and Luke use the same words(Mk.14:22, Lk.22:19) But Paul records what he has received from the Lord. (he took the bread he gave thanks and broke it) It is not said that he blessed the bread or consecrated it. He took the bread and gave thanks to God. That means gave thanks for giving the body of Christ for us. The church after eating the bread take the cup and thank God. If the number of people are less one cup can be used for drinking or if there are more people more than one cup can be used. At this time sing hymns that exalt the blood of Christ or thanksgiving songs. Mt.26:27. And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; Mark also says the same(Mk.14:23) Luke says in 22:20. And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, [even] that which is poured out for you. 1.Co.11:25.says in the same manner, that means he took the cup in the same manner as he took the bread. The cup of blessing said in 1.Co.10:16 means the same. It does not mean that there is blessing in the cup or the bread or that we are blessing the cup. It only means that we are giving thanks for the bread and the cup. We are only giving thanks for delivering us from eternal death by his mercy.
