Paul wrote regarding the Lord’s Supper: 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 drinks judgment to himself (1 Cor. 11:28-29). The context of this admonition regards self-examination of our attitudes as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. In the previous verse Paul wrote: Therefore, whoever eats this bread and drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. Self-examination in partaking the Lord’s Supper regards the importance of focusing our attention upon the Lord’s death that we might partake of the Supper in a “worthy manner”. None of us will ever be “worthy” to partake of the Lord’s death; only by the grace of God can we partake with thanksgiving that His grace has saved us from sin!
Many Christians think (as I once did) that Paul commands us to examine our own personal lives as we partake. This is dangerous for “self-examination” may lead to either “self-justification” or “self-condemnation”. When we focus on self, our tendency is to either think too highly or too lowly of ourselves. The spiritual solution is not to think of “self” period.
Two biblical chapters powerfully illustrate my point. When the godly patriarch Job focused on himself, he tended to “extol himself”. Read Job 29 and underline all the personal pronouns (“I”, “my”, me”) which fill this chapter. In contrast, read Psalm 71 and underline all the words the psalmist used to praise God as he focused upon Him and His goodness! After underlining these words in each chapter, you will see how striking the contrasting focuses are.
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The Lord’s Supper is focused upon Jesus and His death for our sins. Don’t invest the precious time examining your life over the past week (good or the bad)! As we partake of the Lord’s Supper, let’s just “praise the Lord” for His death and willingness “by Himself to purge our sins” (Heb. 1:3). If we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, our gaze will force us to look away from “self”. When our faces are turned to Jesus, our backs will be turned on self. Such is the key to maintaining a godly attitude during the Lord’s Supper as well as living the next six days of the new week provided the Lord’s grace allows us to remain on the earth.
Ralph Weinhold