Expert: Cooper P. Abrams III - 4/8/2009

Question
I attend a church that will partake of the Eucharist and refers to today-4/8/09 as Ash Wednesday.  I am not Catholic
but have heard that a lot of new age teachings will try to unite all religions as one.  I am deeply disturbed by this latest change (this is the churches first year of doing this).  I understand that Eucharist and the Lord's Supper are synonymous but I have never heard of Baptists or most other (including non-denominational) churches referring to
the Eucharist during Easter Sunday.  Also, I hear that the
Eucharist is more of a mystical experience.  What do you think?  Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi Carolyn,
                To answer your question we need to see what the New Testament teaches.  The New Testament teaches   The Lord’s Supper is biblically reserved only for saved, baptized believers in Jesus Christ. This is the example the Lord gives us in the New Testament.  It is absolutely not a sacrament or has saving properties.   It is absolutely not a mystical experience, but simply a ceremony that is done to remember Christ’s suffering and death for the believer’s sins.

       In 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 Paul sets forth God’s will and instructions concerning observing the Lord’s Supper. Clearly, taking the bread in the Lord’s supper represents Christ’s body that was broken for sinners. The cup which follows represents Christ’s shed blood. To the church and those that take the Lord’s supper there are several instructions concerning its meaning and observance.

      Verse 24-26 says the bread and cup is done to remember and to show the Lord’s death till He returns. To the unsaved person, the one who has not publicly professed Jesus Christ as their Savior, Christ’s coming will be for judgment, not salvation. His death, burial and resurrection mean nothing to them because they have not believed and thus are lost in their sins. Thus the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ for the unsaved has no meaning or benefit. Only those who have believed and by faith accepted Jesus Christ does His crucifixion and atonement for sin have meaning. Jesus when He instituted the first Lord’s Supper said, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
           The verse says this is done in remembrance of me. To the unsaved, Christ suffering and death has no meaning and they have nothing to be in remembrance of.
         Verse 27-29 gives a strong warning. Those who take the Lord’s supper unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Unworthily means those who have not believed and put their faith in Jesus Christ or those who have unconfessed sins in their lives. Salvation is a solely received by belief in Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:1-4) Children and the unsaved have not believed and therefore are not worthy. The body and blood of Jesus Christ has not been applied to their sins. It is Christ who imparts to the believer His righteousness that makes one worthy in God’s eyes and a child of God. If, for what ever reason a person of any age has not believed and publicly professed Jesus Christ as their Savior they are not worthy in God’s eyes. For them to take the Lord’s Supper would make a mockery of the ordinance that is to show the Lord’s sacrifice for sins.(Romans 10:9-11)
           Verse 29 says that person who takes the Lord’s Supper, not having believed is in fact eating and drinking damnation to himself, because he is not discerning the Lord’s supper. If an unsaved person takes the Lord Supper, that means that the unsaved by his unbelief makes a mockery of Christ’s suffering for sins.
           This also applies to the believer who would have unconfessed and unrepentant sin in his life and who would take the Lord’s supper. It is a serious thing for a man to be so calloused in his heart that he would blatantly continue in sin knowing that Jesus had to suffer 2000 years ago for the sin his willingly and unconfessed sins.
             Verse 30 says that some in the Corinthian church were sick and some God had taken their lives because of their unrepentant sin. 1 John 5:16 says for the Christian there is a sin unto death. Hebrews 12:6-11 also explains that God will chasten His children who willingly continue in sin and refuse to turn from their disobedience.
             Thus taking the Lord’s Supper is a serious matter. For the believer it is a wonderful thing to observe and picture in taking the bread and cup how thankful they are for the Lord Jesus Christ’s suffering and death for their sins. It is good for children and the unsaved to see the Lord’s supper observed, because it is a testimony to them of those who have believed of their salvation. Further is shows the unsaved their need also to put their faith in Christ. It destroys the meaning of the Lord’s Supper to give it to anyone who has not believed and been saved. It destroys the very thing the Lord’s Supper it to show and sends the message that taking the Lord’s Supper has saving properties.

  This is the heresy of the Roman Catholic church and the Protestants who falsely observe the Lord’s Supper as a sacrament which makes is a part of and necessary for salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly teaches works do not save.   Taking the Lord’s Supper is a memorial and does not take away sin.   1 Corinthians 11:24-25 plainly state that Jesus said to do this in “remembrance of His body and blood.”   It does not say it takes away sin.   No work of man takes away sins.    When a person believes in Jesus Christ all their sins, past, present and future are forgiven and they are given eternal life.
  The RCC is teaching and practicing heresy.

     
      If you have further questions or comments please write.

Cooper P Abrams III
Romans 12:1-2
http://bible-truth.org
" Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity"  (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 )

For a clear explanation of God's plan of salvation please go to: http://bible-truth.org/gospel.html