TAKING COMMUNION IN AN UNWORTHY MANNER

1 Cor. 11:26-29, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to him if he does not judge the body rightly."

What exactly does this mean "in an unworthy manner?" There are different interpretations.  When we take communion we need to be fully aware that this act represents Jesus sacrifice, by which we are redeemed.  So to participate in communion while we have unforgiveness in our hearts, committing adultery, fornication, or have a problem with another Christian is an unworthy manner.  But this view is dangerous because no one is worthy to take communion if this is true.  Just like our Salvation and grace comes from God, so does our worthiness; Christ makes us worthy to break bread and have wine with Him, through the confessions of our sins and receive Him as our Savior.

Father, sometimes we may feel unworthy to take communion because of our sins; but then we realize that communion is for sinners, and believers who are sinners.  Lord, we understand that taking communion does not make our sins ok, but it is to remind us of Christ suffering and death on our behalf.  Father, we all struggle with something, so help us with repentance and struggle to gain the victory that we have not yet attained.  Lord, it is precisely this struggle that is a vindication of our position with Christ and a manifestation of our need for communion as an act of dependence upon Your work and grace. In Jesus name, Amen