Holy Communion

Recently a priest denied Holy Communion to a woman who has a lesbian lifestyle. This took place during her mother’s funeral who was a Catholic. The daughter, who tried to take Communion during mass was denied the Eucharist. She has since written a letter to the Washington diocese, by this action, and by the priest not coming to the grave site of her mother. While I do not condone the priest’s action for not coming to the grave site. I must write that the priest was right in covering the Cup, not allowing her to partake In Holy Communion. Although, I do not know what spirit he did this in, Holy Communion is a time that the body of believers come before The Lord in thanksgiving, love, and faith. I do not know if the woman felt she had a right to take Holy Communion because she was raised a Catholic or not. But taking The Body of our Saviour is a time of deep reflection. It is not to take The Body of our Lord in vain. It is a deep Honour and Priviledge to receive The Body and Blood of Jesus. To taste His Goodness and Mercy. While the woman was grieving for her mother, it doesn’t lessen what receiving Holy Communion represents. It represents reconciliation. The believer has a contrite attitude of repentance. This is a time when the believer is taking the Body and Blood of Christ, in a sober way, once again, committing His Life to Christ. He is willing to surrender known sin to His Saviour, who will wash Him anew. Yes, the believer is washed by The Blood of Jesus everytime He confesses. This is a time we celebrate His Precious Sacrifice, and do not take lightly what it cost Him. Our Lord said, at The Last Supper “Do this in rememberance of Me.”

Receiving Holy Communion is a time of quiet reflection and celebration. It is a time of Peace and Joy. It is knowing that The Love of God was made manifest by His Death on The Cross, when His Body was broken for us in order to give us everlasting life. How can we then take this so lightly? As in times of deep prayer, receiving Holy Communion is a time of becoming One with God. As Jesus said,

“That they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me.
And the Glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one;
I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
(John 17:21-23)

It is not just the sin of homosexuality, but it is any known sin that is not set aside but rather practiced without denouncing, and confessing that sin. This woman came to receive Communion, but the priest knew she was practicing a lesbian lifestyle, and thus refused her The Body of Christ. Many will think this was harsh and did not show love to this lady. But, if he had allowed her to take Holy Communion, she would have believed she was not in sin. She would believe that she was right with God. We are not right with God, when we hang onto our sin, and do not want to surrender it. If anyone wants to cling to their sins, and celebrate their sins, then this is not a repentant person. This person is not coming in humility before The Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His Life on The Cross in a brutal and humiliating way. This dishonours The Sacrifice He made for us. Even if people’s feelings are hurt, taking Holy Communion is a serious matter. It is not a flippant, casual thing. We take into ourselves The Body and Blood of Christ, we value, His Great Sacrifice, and do not dishonour it with known sin. If we are in sin, then we should not take Holy Communion. Every believer must examine him or herself, to see whether or not sin is being practiced, and where sin is it must be confessed, and surrendered quickly to our Lord and Saviour. We must repent, and let Christ wash us in His Blood.

“Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of The Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the Body and Blood of The Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drink judgment to himself, not discerning The Lord’s Body.
For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are chastened by The Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
(1 Corinthians 11:26-32)

It is important to note that while this lady practiced a homosexual lifestyle, she is not alone in taking The Body and Blood of Christ in an unworthy manner. There are many who practice sin, and take Holy Communion. I have the same attitude towards anyone who would practice sin, then attempt to receive The Body and Blood of Jesus. There are many people who are living in sin, and then receiving Holy Communion. Likewise, there are those who are having adulterous affairs, and walking down the aisle to receive Holy Communion. The sin must be set aside first. It is not that we do not sin, but as believers in The Lord Jesus Christ, we must not practice it. Sin must be surrendered, and given to our Lord. Yes, leaving sin behind is hard, it is part of crucifying the flesh. And no putting to death the deeds of the flesh is easy. It is painful to deny sin, when sin is the natural fallen state of mankind. But our Lord calls us to not only believe, but to believe that He has has the power to put to death sin in our lives.

Therefore, put to death your memebers which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Because of these things The Wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
(Colossians 3:5-10)

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of The Father,even so we should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be in the likeness of His Resurrection.
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."
For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that he lives He lives to God.
Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its’ lusts."
(Romans 6:4-12)

Receiving Communion is knowing that we have The Resurrection power of Christ over sin. It is knowing that we do not have to practice sin. Jesus Christ put to death the deeds of the flesh when He was nailed to The Cross. He nailed the sins of the world to The Cross, and if you are a true believer in Christ, He nailed your sins too! We will never be the same, and the more we come to The Lamb’s Supper, we know that we are no longer slaves of sin, but victors in Christ.

Having faith in Jesus Christ is more than just professing faith in Him. It is to be transformed by The Holy Spirit.

But The Helper, Holy Spirit, whom The Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
(John 14:26)

The Christian life, is transformative. We are changing and growing day by glorious day. We are being made into The Likeness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is His Likeness, it is Christ, The Spirit of Glory is changing our hearts into. It is This Beautiful Spirit that will bring to mind any known sin in the life of a believer. It isn’t just about receiving Holy Communion to save face, so others will think you are righteous. It isn’t about our own self-righteousness which is filthy rags, but The Righteousness of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will not stop until we are new creations in Christ. This is to be born again. We do not stay in the same sins. It is not possible. Any believer, any real believer would not want to practice known sin.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new."
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh but in The Spirit if indeed The Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have The Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but The Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if The Spirit of Him, who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Therefore, brethren we are debtors— not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by The Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.
For as many as are led by The Spirit of God, these are the sons of God."
(Romans 8:6-14)

Furthermore, any believer who would want to cling to their sins so, and celebrate their sins, has no part with The Father. Any person who is not a work in progress, and is stagnant, not weeping over their sin, and allowing The Holy Spirit to put to death their known sins, does not really believe in The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Nor, has a growing and intimate relationship with The Saviour Jesus Christ. But most of all he does not really love God.

GLORY! PRAISE! AND HONOUR! TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD!
(not my image)