By the act of eating and drinking the communion, a man is testifying of his own fitness to be a member of the body of Christ, he is saying that he is worthy to do this because he is living in present communion with Christ. He does not come to the feast to be made a member of Christ thereby, neither does he come in order to have himself restored to Life in Christ and communion with his fellow-members; he comes to testify that he is in living union with Christ. Thereby he is helping to build up the body of Christ, in communion or common-union with all the saints. Otherwise participation is in vain; worse still, continued eating and drinking is destructive to self and obstructive to others.
It is because of the seriousness of this dreadful possibility that Paul says, 'let a man examine himself'. When a man eats and drinks, he must do so from the position of self-examination and self-judgement. He must judge whether or not he is in The Communion, and has been living in communion with the Lord. If this has not been so, he must rectify that state or else he may not eat and drink. If he is eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ, he is living as Christ in this world; if not he has no part in the feast. Eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ is permitted to those who, in a common union of life, display their love and loyalty to Him and His Church.
Be the first to react on this!
G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.