My ignorance cost me. It costs others too. When we deliberately choose to give up Scripture reading, we are in trouble.
Lifeway Research reports that less than 25 percent of believers in the United States have a “systematic method of reading the Christian Scriptures each day.” (2017)
The Bible is alive. It is the direction of God, not just for morality, but living guidance by Holy Spirit to help avoid sin. Without it, without the knowledge of God, which is the power of God, our ignorance leads us like sheep, like the blind, into unbelief, blindness, danger and sickness. (Hebrews 4:12)
Ignorance before the Lord regarding sanctification or holiness in the life of the believer at Communion leads to illness.
When the time of Communion, the remembrance of Lord Jesus with bread and wine or juice, arrives in the church service, “a man must examine himself.”
“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.”
“For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgement to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.” (1Corinthians 11:27-30)
Many believers both old and new are unsanctified or partially sanctified. They, in ignorance of what is sin, eat and drink judgment on themselves during Communion. Our churches are sick. They are weak.
Dangerous sins are often not preached about, leaving the sheep weakened, and the Scriptures are not read and applied individually as is necessary.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, just prior to His arrest, Lord Jesus prayed to God the Father for the church, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.”
Twice the Lord prayed about our sanctification: “That we might be sanctified in truth.”
“Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17-21)
The Word of God washes us, sanctifies us.(Ephesians 5:28)
The Word, The Truth, hidden in the heart, warns us of sin. (Psalm 119:11)
The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
Ignorance of sin still leads to death.
The Word cleanses us. Purifies us as we follow Divine direction. Making us to be His holy bride. This is sanctification. The Lord prayed for you and me, for our sanctification, 2,000 years ago, knowing that we needed it. The Lord’s prayers are heard by God the Father and are within His will.
The Savior is preparing us to be clean, only needing to wash our feet at the end of the day. (John 13:12)
Lord Jesus Himself is our example of sanctification. (John 17:19) (Hebrews 10:10)
We are sanctified by His Blood. (Hebrews 13:12)
The Savior is God. He carries God’s Blood. Only this Blood sanctifies us.
The Blood of Jesus is a free gift to those who receive Him. Lord Jesus has done His work at the cross. The duty of studying Scripture and applying it to our lives is our work, the bride’s work. (Revelation 19:7) Together with God we labor toward the common goal of sanctification or holiness of ourselves.
During the time of Hezekiah, King of Judah, the Temple was cleaned out of idols and the Passover reinstituted. Hezekiah sent messengers to the tribes, calling them to come to Jerusalem for the feast, though having been delayed by the Temple renovation. Those who would normally sanctify themselves before the feast had no time to prepare. Those who had lived in Israel had fallen into generations of idolatry. They were ignorant of sanctification. Yet they ate the Passover sacrifice meal, eating and drinking judgment upon themselves.
Hezekiah saw this and with prayed for them, “‘May the good Lord pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.’ So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.” (2Chronicles 30:17-20)
The tribes became sick without purification, but the prayer of the king caused God to pardon them.
When we celebrate Communion, we remember Lord Jesus and how He instituted the Communion table and the New Covenant of His Body, the bread and His Blood, the wine, on Passover.
Pastors, are you praying for forgiveness for your congregations at Communion as Hezekiah did at Passover?
Pastors, are you teaching about the hidden dangers in today’s society?
Believers, your life depends upon you reading and applying Scripture each day. Are you doing this?
None of us is without sin. (Romans 3:23)
(C) 2020 Kelly Jadon