Paul instructs believers to examine themselves before receiving communion (1 Cor 11:27-29). What exactly are we to inspect? Primarily, we examine the basis of our hope, faith, and love for God.
Examining your hope is the key
Christ-centered Hope is accompanied by saving faith, which is a gift of God in Christ. Ask yourself, “Is my trust in the worthiness of Christ alone? Is my hope built on the rock of Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross? Or, have I mixed faith with what I consider something good in myself that earns me access to these elements?”
We also examine ourselves to determine if our hope is accompanied by humility. True hope in Christ reveals an unworthiness to enjoy the elements of communion. True hope includes recognizing our sins, shame over sinning, and the brokenness of hearts for rebelling against God.
Hope in God, grounded in humility, offers true comfort. When Christ accepts us, we find joy and peace through his blood. False spiritual hope remains conceited and trusts in its own experiences and actions.
Is the Holy Spirit filling and leading us into obeying God’s word? Are we living in honor of God through self-denial and sacrifice? Is God’s Spirit weaning us from worldly things so we may grow in the grace of God? Or, do we flatter ourselves? Is our heart becoming hardened and disobedient toward God? Are our carnal appetites being mortified along with its appetites and passions so that sinfulness is decreasing? Or, are we allowing carnal pleasures to capture our attention and water down our faith?
Growing in godly love is critical
We must grown in godly love if we are to be weaned from worldly things. A godly love matures into a self-sacrificing love for God and others. The Spirit draws us away from the things of this world and onto heavenly thoughts and desires. We should hear God’s Spirit asking us the same question Jesus asked Peter three times, “do you love me?” (Jn 21:15-17). And in this question Jesus emphasized that a love for God means loving the Lord more than any one else.
A sincere love for God is not: 1) being constrained from sin so you feel better or, 2) out of a sense of concern within one’s conscience, you do the right thing fearing that if you don’t God will punish you or, 3) hoping a physical affliction is removed only to return to a godless lifestyle.
Only by cleaving to God can we truly find freedom from worldliness. But not because you’re hurting, rather, because a relationship with God is better than anything this world offers. Loving God means being so in love with God and His desires that worldly things cannot fasten onto your heart.
Evidence of a true godly love is a love for God and God’s people. Godly love is a gracious gift to the believer to love God and one’s neighbor. We cannot separate loving God and neighbor. A person can’t love God and hate his neighbor. Neither can a person truly love his neighbor while despising the Lord (1 Jn 4:20-21).
Don’t be a cake “not turned”–unfaithful
The prophet Hosea compared Israelite unfaithfulness and lack of love for God to a cake not turned in the oven (Hos 7:8). What does this simile mean? For one thing, it meant the Jews only loved God partially and inconsistently. Like a cake not turned, burnt on one side and raw on the other (uneatable), so the nation of Israel’s religious practices were of no spiritual value.
Secondly, they kept up exterior religious rituals and practices while lacking a genuine faith in God, which in turn caused them to not love God or their neighbors. Their mediocre commitment to God, mixed with a devotion to strangers and filled with self-pride, watered down their commitment (vs. 9-10). Their mixed devotion resulted in a disinterest in seeking God.
Examining means honest scrutiny
What does it mean to examine yourself before receiving the elements of communion? It means each person must honestly scrutinize the quality of their hope, faith, and love for God. Is that hope based on the finished work of Christ? Is faith the gift of saving faith or a temporal trust when in trouble? Are loving God and others driving all aspects of life or, has worldliness imprisoned your thoughts, desires, and actions?
Hope, faith, and love are intertwined. Either a person has true hope, faith, and love, or they don’t have any of them. As believers, we are growing in hope, faith, and love by the Spirit of God. Spiritual growth is a sign we are welcome to come freely and joyfully to the Lord’s Table. We receive the elements that represent who Jesus is and what he has done to secure our redemption because our hope, faith, and love come from God Himself (through His Spirit).
Don’t be discouraged from participating in communion because after you examine yourself you discover how inconsistent your hope, faith, and love are for God. Rather, trust in what Jesus Christ accomplished for your redemption. Consider receiving the body and blood of Christ symbolized in the bread and wine as God’s Spirit administers grace to your heart and mind. Enjoy this time with your loving and forgiving Savior.
*Jonathan Edwards in his book Charity and Its Fruits. Banner of Truth Trust. 1978. p 282-284 inspired a number of the ideas in this article. I am an affiliate of Christianbooks. If you order through my website they will donate a small portion of your order to support this website without affecting your already great discount. Click on the book title link above or go to my resource page to search for and order additional materials. Thanks for your support!
Picture attributes: Communion by Photo by Jainath Ponnala on Unsplash; Hope by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels; Faithful by Tony Eight Media on Unsplash; Faith, Hope, Love by chris liu on Unsplash.
