WE HAVE AN ALTAR!

The people of God are blessed with a degree of participation never known before the glorification of Christ Jesus. In salvation, we become capable of imbibing the Divine Nature--a requisite to eternal life.

"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." (Heb 13:9-14).

Devotion 9 of 12

IS THIS REFERRING TO THE LORD'S TABLE?

We are considering the text introduced in the previous devotion: John 6:51-58. Some have chosen to apply this passage to eating at the Lord's table, or Lord's supper. This view is based upon the language of the text, as well as the tenth chapter of First Corinthians. A surface view of the latter text appears to justify this conclusion. "I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?"
(1 Cor 10:15-17, NASB).

Paul is establishing the illogicality of living under the domination of the flesh. Israel provides an example of the outcome of such a life. Although they were at the foot of Mount Sinai, and had heard a voice from heaven speaking the commandments, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play" (Ex 32:6; 1 Cor 10:7). The conclusion for the wayward Corinthians was this: "do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written . . . Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer" (v 7-10, NASB).

The point is the nature of the Israelites was not changed. They ate, drank, danced, were immoral, tried the Lord, and grumbled. Their encounter with God at Sinai did not modify their character. They were not "partakers" of the event. It is difficult to conceive of more dramatic external phenomenon than that of Sinai. Yet, it was powerless to bring the people into fellowship with God or change their nature!

This is not the manner of the Kingdom! Being in Christ makes one a participant in the Savior Himself--a "partaker of Christ" (Heb 3:14). This is portrayed in the Lord's Table, though it is not fulfilled by participating in the ordinance. It is possible to partake of the Lord's Supper while personally remaining aloof from Christ. To do so, however, is neither right nor excusable! In fact, God will judge people for doing so.

Paul reminds us that those who served the altar ate of the sacrifice that was upon the altar. For them to steal food from elsewhere, or starve to death, would have been foolish to the extreme. God made provision for them on the altar! So it is with believers.

At the Lord's Table, believers all partake of a common bread. This is a vivid picture of a spiritual reality that has taken place in their fellowship with Christ. While the Corinthians were attempting to live in the flesh and in the Spirit, the Apostle sternly reminds them that this is not possible. "You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" (v. 21). The church has been inundated with people affirming this is possible, but it is not! You cannot ingest Jesus and the world at the same time! You cannot fellowship with Christ and demons! It simply cannot be done! You participate in the table you prefer, regardless of the external ordinances you may keep. Proper observance of the Lord's table confirms the individual has already been eating the sacrifice. For the believer, eating the sacrifice is a continual activity, not an occasional one.

No one is promised eternal life for participating in the Lord's table. Everyone who eats Christ's flesh and drinks His blood IS promised everlasting life (John 6:54). In Corinth, some who participated in the Lord's supper were eating and drinking damnation, or judgment, unto themselves (1 Cor 11:29-30). That was quite different from eternal life!

Eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood -- or partaking of Christ -- is not fulfilled at the Lord's table. If the heart is right, such eating and drinking is confirmed at the table, but is by no means limited to it.

PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus, I thank You for providing continual access to Your Lamb -- for being able to regularly partake of Him.

-- Tomorrow: PREPARATION FOR WHAT IS TO COME --