Examine, Repent, Enjoy

When we come to the Lord, we must be in the right mind, body, and heart. How do we get there?

“²⁸Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” – 1 Corinthians 11:28 (ESV)

Yes, Paul is referring to the Lord’s Supper here and we should look closely at ourselves prior to coming to the table. We are sinners and will always be sinners, however we need to be aware of that at all times. That is where the examination comes.

When I go for an exam at the doctor’s office, it is not a situation where the doctor walks in, says hi, and then begins to chit chat about the world events only to leave with a prescription for meds. It is more along the lines of, “hi, lie down there and let me take a closer look at you”. This is an exam. A closer look. And this is the examination that Paul speaks of in the above verse.

In that examination, the next piece, we repent for those sins we have committed.

“²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgement on himself. ³⁰That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ³¹But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. ³²But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” – 1 Corinthians 11:29-32 (ESV)

Paul is letting the Corinthians know that they have to come to the Lord’s table with the right heart. They should have a “clear conscience” when it comes to their sin. They should have already taken responsibility for their actions. We are no different.

Before dining with the Lord, we must repent. We must have identified our sin, and asked to be forgiven, even for those we may have missed in our recall. If we have not, then we are not right with God and therefore He will judge us (see verse 30). When we are right with God then we are ready for the next part, Enjoy.

We are to enjoy the company of God and our fellow Christians. The only way to do that is to truly repent and have nothing holding us back.

“³³So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another – ³⁴if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home – so that when you come together it will not be for judgment.” 1 Corinthians 11:33-34 (ESV)

To truly enjoy, we have to have clear bodies, minds, and hearts. The way to that clarity is to repent and have nothing weighing us down. And once we have that clarity, we are “free” to fellowship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ with complete joy.

When you come to God, where is your body, mind, and heart? What about during the rest of the day? I wonder how different my days would be if I was fully repentant? Will you, examine, repent, enjoy?