10. The Lord’s Supper as a Means of Grace: Part 2

WSC 97. What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord’s Supper? A. It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.

When it is rightly administered and received, the Lord’s supper will strengthen and build up God’s people in faith. It is for people who are confirmed as Christians (cf. Lk. 22:20); renewed and strengthened in their resolve to live a life of thankfulness and obedience to God (1 Cor. 10:14-16, 21); and who testify of their love for fellow believers (1 Cor. 10:17). The right use of the Lord’s supper encourages Christians with respect to their position with Christ, and strengthens their relationship to His spiritual body, the church.¹

An Unworthy Manner

A person who lacks true faith in Jesus Christ should not partake in the Lord’s supper; to do so would be presumptuous and sinful. Accordingly, those who come to the Lord’s supper wrongly only partake of the outward form (i.e., receiving the bread and wine) without receiving any inward grace (i.e., Christ and His spiritual benefits). For them, instead of being a “means of grace,” the covenant meal becomes a “means of judgment” and a curse.²

In 1 Corinthians 11:27, the Apostle Paul warns: “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.” Here, the word “unworthy” describes the manner in which the sacrament is received, not the character of the person who is receiving it. In other words, Paul is not saying that a person can ever be worthy of partaking the Lord’s supper. Every human (except Jesus Christ) is guilty of sin and can only be saved by God’s free mercy. To say that a person can be “worthy” of the Lord’s supper is tantamount to saying that he or she is “deserving grace,” which is an oxymoron and contradiction in terms. Rather, the intention of the verse is the point out that those who partake in the Lord’s supper without true faith in Christ, or hold onto unrepentant sin in their hearts, or lack a proper understanding of the Lord’s supper should not come to the table because to do so would be to partake in an unworthy manner.³

It is also important to point out the meaning of the word “damnation” in 1 Corinthians 11:29 (KJV).⁴ Here, the Greek word krima is more clearly translated “judgment” (as per the NKJV), not eternal damnation. In fact, the nature of the judgment is given in the following verse: “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [i.e., died].” Therefore, while there are real and serious consequences to partaking of the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner (potentially leading to physical death), it is not an unpardonable sin that places a person outside the possibility of salvation (cf. Mt. 12:31-32; Mk. 3:28-29).

Manner of Preparation

Special preparation is required prior to partaking of the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:28, 31), owing to the importance of the sacrament, its solemn nature, and the danger of incurring divine judgment if we partake in an unworthy manner.⁵ The content of self-examination concerns the “truth and measure” of our knowledge, faith, repentance, and consistency of Christian living (1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:29; Mt. 5:23-24; 26:28; Zech. 12:10; Acts 2:46-47).⁶ The purpose of self-examination is not to discourage or dissuade us from the Lord’s supper, but rather to aide us so that we can approach the sacrament rightly to receive God’s blessing. The outcome of self-examination ought to be confession of our sin with sincere repentance (1 Cor. 5:7; Ex. 12:15), and a deeper faith in Christ as our only Savior with a renewed love for Him (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5).⁷

As is common among church members in our tradition, some are reluctant to partake of the Lord’s supper because of feelings of inadequacy for various reasons. Johannes G. Vos addresses three possible scenarios:

“[For some people] such a state of mind reveals… spiritual bondage. It is the outcome of a legalistic view of salvation (salvation by works or character) plus a fear of incurring the divine judgment mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11:29-32. Such a church member should be kindly and patiently instructed so that he may come to understand that no person in the world is “good enough” to deserve any of God’s blessings, and that salvation and everything the Lord’s Supper stands for is the free gift of God’s unmerited grace to sinners. Such a person should be encouraged to cast himself on the free mercy of God in Christ, and then to partake of the Lord’s Supper after the proper preparation.

“[On the other hand] sometimes the statement that a person does not feel himself “good enough” to partake of the Lord’s Supper may be a mere excuse offered by nominal church members who are living in sin and have no intention or desire of taking Jesus Christ and the Lord’s Supper seriously. We should be very careful never to encourage such to partake of the sacrament while in their carnal condition, for they will be in peril of incurring divine judgments if they partake. What such people need is to be born again of the Holy Spirit, honestly to repent of their sins, sincerely to believe in Christ as their Savior, and only then—after due preparation—to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

“Besides the legalists and the nominal church members already discussed, there are some true Christians who may be described as victims of a morbidly active conscience. Such people fully realize that we are saved by grace, not by works, and they are far removed from the nominal church members who carelessly continue in sin. Filled with doubts… they find the approach of the communion season an occasion of distress rather than of joy. We should endeavor to help such Christians by sympathy and encouragement rather than by reproaches or harsh criticism. Such morbidly introspective souls should be encouraged to look outward rather than inward—to Christ and his redemption rather than always to be thinking only about their own doubts and weaknesses.”⁸

When Assurance of Salvation is Lacking

In an earlier lesson, we discussed the difference between the essence of faith and sense of assurance. The former speaks to true saving faith, while the latter refers to our sense of being saved.⁹ It is possible for a trueChristian to struggle with assurance (Isa. 50:10; 1 Jn. 5:13; Pss. 88:1-18; 77:1-12; Jonah 2:4, 7).¹⁰ But a deep concern about one’s personal salvation, along with an earnest desire to be found in Christ and to depart from sin, is evidence of being in a state of grace, even though assurance may be weak or absent (Isa. 40:11, 29, 31; Mt. 11:28; 12:20; 26:28). A believer who is troubled by doubts about his own salvation ought to do what he can to remove such doubts, and after that come to the Lord’s supper for his spiritual benefit.

WLC Q172: May one who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation, come to the Lord’s supper?

A: One who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, may have true interest in Christ, though he be not yet assured thereof; and in God’s account hath it, if he be duly affected with the apprehension of the want of it, and unfeignedly desires to be found in Christ, and to depart from iniquity: in which case (because promises are made, and this sacrament is appointed, for the relief even of weak and doubting Christians) he is to bewail his unbelief, and labor to have his doubts resolved; and, so doing, he may and ought to come to the Lord’s supper, that he may be further strengthened.

The catechism specifically addresses Christians who are hesitate to partake of the Lord’s supper due to doubts concerning their salvation. But the invitation to come to the Lord’s supper is not for people who have never made profession of faith in Jesus Christ, nor for those who may have made a profession of faith but continue to live careless lives of compromise and sin.

We are saved by believing in Christ, not by believing that we are saved.¹¹ A person who confesses himself to be a lost sinner who believes in Christ alone to be his only Savior with a sincere desire to depart from sin is a Christian. Remaining doubts about his salvation do not necessarily prohibit him from participating in the Lord’s supper:

“When the Passover was observed by the people of Israel in Egypt, every family that had killed the lamb and put the blood on the lintel and side posts of their house door was safe from the plague that destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians. Suppose two families lived side by side. Both have killed the lamb and put the blood on the door. One family is rejoicing in the conscious certainty of safety from the destroying plague; the other family is troubled by doubts and worries, questioning and worrying about whether they will really be spared or not. Which of these families is safer? The answer is: Both are alike safe, though one has assurance, the other has doubts. For God has not said, “When I see a house where the people have no doubts or worries, I will pass over you.” What God has said was: “When I see the blood I will pass over you (Exod. 12:13). The person who is putting his faith in the blood, whatever doubts about himself he may have, is saved in God’s sight, belongs with the covenant people of God, and ought to partake of the Lord’s Supper.”¹²

A Christian should do his best to “bewail his unbelief” and “labor to have his doubts resolved” and in so doing, come to the Lord’s supper, expecting a blessing. As the catechism indicates, participation in the Lord’s supper can be a spiritual help to doubting Christians.¹³

Exclusion From the Lord’s Supper

While weak and doubting Christians may and ought to partake in the Lord’s supper after due preparation, unbelievers or hypocrites are to be kept from it.

WLC Q173: May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, be kept from it?

A: Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, may and ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the power which Christ hath left in his church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.

Christ has committed authority to the leaders of the church to exclude people who are ignorant and those living in open unrepentant sin from membership privileges and participating in the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:27-34; cf. Mt. 7:6; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Jude 23; 1 Tim. 5:22). Here, church discipline is based on evaluating a person’s profession and practice. By “ignorant,” the catechism refers to individuals who do not make a proper profession of faith.¹⁴ This may be the result of lack of knowledge or holding to false doctrines. By “scandalous,” the catechism is describing those who have made a profession of faith that is contradicted by their manner of life.

Churches variably practice open, close, or closed communion. With “open” communion, all those who wish to come are admitted to the Lord’s supper without investigation into their faith or life. This is common among evangelical churches. Open communion does not allow for exclusion of “such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous” but leaves it to each person to decide for him- or herself. Being the case, open communion is contrary to the biblical teaching, undermines legitimate church discipline (where ignorant and scandalous persons are excluded), and risks profaning the sacrament. In contrast, “close” communion limits the Lord’s supper to those who have made a credible profession of faith with a consistent walk of life. Members of other denominations may be admitted to the Lord’s supper after they have met with the officers of the congregation and satisfied them concerning their faith and life. Finally, “closed” communion means that only members of the denomination are admitted to the Lord’s supper.¹⁵ The catechism does not specifically address the distinction between “close” vs. “closed” communion, but at the very least requires that the Lord’s supper be properly fenced from those who have no part in it because of their non-Christian profession and/or practice.

Manner at the Time of Administration

At the time of administration of the Lord’s supper, communicants are to wait upon God with all holy reverence and attention (Lev. 10:3; Heb. 12:38; Ps. 5:7; 1 Cor. 11:17, 26-27). The elements and actions associated with the Lord’s supper are to be diligently observed (Ex. 24:8; cf. Mt. 26:28). Communicants are to meditate on Christ’s sufferings and death (Lk. 22:19; 1 Cor. 10:3-5, 11, 14; 11:26), examine themselves for their own sins (1 Cor. 11:31; Zech. 12:10), and to feed upon Christ in faith (Rev. 22:17; Jn. 6:35; Phil. 3:9; Pss. 22:26; 63:4-5; 2 Chron. 30:21). The administration of the Lord’s supper is to be a time of renewing our covenant with God and love for His people (Jer. 50:5; Ps. 50:5; Acts 2:42).

WLC Q174: What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper in the time of the administration of it?

A: It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord’s body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fulness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints.

Reverence and attention are required in connection with every church service, but especially with the Lord’s supper, which is a solemn commemoration of the death and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. In contrast to what the Roman Catholic Church teaches, the sacrament does not confer grace automatically (ex opere operato). Rather, the Lord’s supper is only a means of grace in those who receive it by faith and according to the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we need to be attentive to the sacrament, such that it produces its intended effect upon our hearts and minds.

In 1 Corinthians 11:29, there is instruction concerning the “discerning” of the Lord’s body. This means that we need to realize or appreciate that the elements and actions of the sacrament point to the person and work of Christ. An individual who only sees bread and wine, but fails to see Christ and His redemption set forth, does not discern the Lord’s body. True discernment requires doctrinal knowledge and trust in Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior.¹⁶

Manner After the Administration of the Lord’s Supper

A Christian’s duty does not end when the Lord’s supper is completed. Following the Lord’s supper, Christians are to consider the benefits they have received (Lev. 10:3; Heb. 12:28; Ps. 5:7; 1 Cor. 11:17, 26-27) and to thank God for these (2 Chron. 30:21-26; Acts 2:42, 46-47; Ps. 36:10; Song 3:4). If we allow these to drop from our minds as soon as the Lord’s supper is concluded, we lose its spiritual benefits. Indeed, the blessings that flow from the Lord’s supper are not always experienced at the same time that the sacrament is administered. As in the case of baptism, the benefits of the Lord’s supper are not tied or limited to the time of its administration.

WLC Q175: What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper?

A: The duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, is seriously to consider how they have behaved themselves therein, and with what success; if they find quickening and comfort, to bless God for it, beg the continuance of it, watch against relapses, fulfil their vows, and encourage themselves to a frequent attendance on that ordinance: but if they find no present benefit, more exactly to review their preparation to, and carriage at, the sacrament; in both which, if they can approve themselves to God and their own consciences, they are to wait for the fruit of it in due time: but, if they see they have failed in either, they are to be humbled, and to attend upon it afterwards with more care and diligence.

For those who experience no apparent benefit from the Lord’s supper, it may be of their own fault. Therefore, they should carefully review their preparation for and conduct during the Lord’s supper. If fault is found, they are “to be humbled” and “attend upon it afterwards with more care and diligence” (2 Chron. 30:18-19; Isa. 1:16, 18; 2 Cor. 7:11; 1 Chron. 15:12-14). Lack of proper preparation and/or improper partaking of the Lord’s supper are sins and should be repented of. On the other hand, if there is no evident fault found in the preparation for or conduct during the Lord’s supper, the individual should patiently “wait for the fruit of it in due time.” As is sometimes the case, God may defer blessings to His people, either to develop their faith or because of His secret purpose (Song 5:1-6; Pss. 123:1-2; 42:5, 8; 43:3-5).¹⁷

Footnotes

1
In contrast to baptism, which is for covenant initiation, the Lord’s supper is for the renewal (ratification) of our covenant vows. “The Lord’s Supper is distinguished from baptism by the fact that baptism is the sacrament of incorporation, while the Lord’s Supper is the sacrament of maturation in communion with Christ.” Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 4: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation. Baker Academic, 2008, p. 578.
2
When correctly administered and received, every sacrament consists of two parts: an outward sensible sign and the inward spiritual grace. But those who use the sacraments wrongly only partake of the outward form without receiving any of the inward spiritual benefits. cf. WLC Q163: What are the parts of a sacrament? A: The parts of a sacrament are two; the one an outward and sensible sign, used according to Christ’s own appointment; the other an inward and spiritual grace thereby signified.
3
Vos, Johannes Geerhardus. The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary. P&R Publishing, 2002, pp. 491-492.
4
1 Cor. 11:29 (KJV): “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
5
Addressing this, our denomination along with many continental Reformed churches have the regular habit of holding special preparatory services before the Lord’s supper is administered. “Such services are to impress upon us the wickedness of our sins, our great need of God’s grace, and the urgent duty of hearty repentance, so that we may not add sin to sin by partaking in an unworthy manner. While of course there is always room for improvement, and a danger of formalism, yet many can testify that such preparatory services have been a blessing to them and have been used by the Holy Spirit to bring them closer to the Lord.” Vos, Johannes Geerhardus. The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary. P&R Publishing, 2002, p. 494.
6
The Lord’s supper points to and anticipates the final judgment. For believers, self-examination is a form of judgment (cf. 1 Pet. 4:17), wherein the communicant asks whether he or she is truly looking by faith to Jesus Christ alone for salvation. At every celebration of the Lord’s Supper, Christians are supposed to renew their baptismal acceptance of God’s condemnation on sin. “In other words, the Lord’s Supper is a proleptic final judgment and marriage supper of the Lamb—a miniature anticipation of the return of Christ and the great wedding feast.” For this reason, the Lord’s supper only continues until the second coming of Christ. Fesko, J.V. Word, Water, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 2010, pp. 364-365.
7
WLC Q171: How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it? A: They that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.
8
Vos, Johannes Geerhardus. The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary. P&R Publishing, 2002, pp. 494-495.
9
Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 18, paragraph 3: “This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may… in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance…”
10
Ibid, paragraph 4: “True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God [i.e., the new, holy nature created in the heart of a person when he/she is born again], and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.”
11
B.B. Warfield says it even more clearly! “The saving power of faith resides thus not in itself, but in the Almighty Saviour on whom it rests… It is not faith that saves, but faith in Jesus Christ… It is not, strictly speaking, even faith in Christ that saves, but Christ that saves through faith. The saving power resides exclusively, not in the act of faith or the attitude of faith or the nature of faith, but in the object of faith… So little indeed is faith conceived as containing in itself the energy or ground of salvation, that it is consistently represented as, in its origin, itself a gratuity from God in the prosecution of His saving work… Thus, even here all boasting is excluded, and salvation is conceived in all its elements as the pure product of unalloyed grace, issuing not from, but in, good works (Eph. ii.8-12). The place of faith in the process of salvation, as biblically conceived, could scarcely, therefore, be better described than by the use of the scholastic term ‘instrumental cause.’” Warfield, Benjamin Breckinridge. The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, Vol. 2: Biblical Doctrines. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1981. pp. 504-505.
12
Vos, Johannes Geerhardus. The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary. P&R Publishing, 2002, p. 498.
13
There are three main ways that we can gain assurance of salvation: (1) objectively, we can know our salvation by laying hold of the plain promises of God (e.g., Acts 16:31); (2) subjectively, the witness of the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirits that we are children of God (e.g., Gal. 4:6); and, (3) evidentially, we can know our salvation through the fruits that are produced in our lives (e.g., 1 John 2:10). For more details on this topic, please refer to the Westminster Larger Catechism 80-81.
14
Along these lines, the practice of paedocommunion is unbiblical because infants lack the understanding required to participate in the Lord’s supper and cannot discern the Lord’s supper aright. “Proponents of paedocommunion argue that there are parallels between circumcision and baptism and between the Passover and the Lord’s Supper. The assumption is that just as children are circumcised in the Old Testament and baptized in the New Testament, the same pattern exists with the Passover and the Lord’s Supper. Such a conclusion does not adequately account for the explicit instructions regarding the administration of the Passover meal. At the institution of the meal, God told the people through Moses: ‘And it shall be, when your children say to you, “What do you mean by this service?” that you shall say, “It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households”’ (Ex. 12:26-27). This statement shows that [in the Passover] children who were capable of inquiry and comprehension partook of the meal. There is parallel in Paul’s instructions to those who partake of the supper—they are supposed to discern the Lord’s body, the significance of the bread and the cup, and examine themselves (1 Cor. 11:23-29)… Advocates of paedocommunion therefore misread the nature of the administration of the Passover.” Moreover, “Christ gives the specific instruction that participants in the Lord’s Supper are supposed to partake of it in remembrance of Him [1 Cor. 11:24-25]… In baptism, the recipient, either an infant or an adult, passively receives the rite as another baptizes him. In the Lord’s Supper, on the other hand, there is a requirement of active participation—self-examination and recognition of the body of Christ… Advocates of paedocommunion err in thinking that baptism and the Lord’s Supper function in precisely the same manner and therefore have the same participants.” Fesko, J.V. Word, Water, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 2010, pp. 361-363. For more: Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 4: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation. Baker Academic, 2008, pp. 583-584.
15
“There can be no real privilege or ‘right’ [to partake of the Lord’s Supper] without the existence of a corresponding obligation or responsibility. The ‘right’ to participate in the sacraments in a particular denomination of the visible church implies the corresponding obligation of submission to the spiritual oversight and church discipline of the courts of that denomination. Where a person is not subject to the jurisdiction of a denomination, he cannot claim any ‘rights’ in that denomination… A denomination sets up certain standards of faith and life, which it believes to be scriptural, and then states that those who fail to come up to those standards are either ignorant or scandalous. Those of its own members who fail to measure up to those standards are excluded from the Lord’s Supper by church discipline. But no church can exercise church discipline in the case of persons who are not subject to its jurisdiction… Only by mutual agreement on what constitutes ignorance and scandal can church discipline be maintained and the purity of the church be safeguarded.” Vos, Johannes Geerhardus. The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary. P&R Publishing, 2002, pp. 502-503.
16
Ibid, pp. 504-506.
17
Ibid, pp. 507-509.

Footnotes

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