A Personal Work

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The sacraments are not a thing in themselves. The sacraments are what they are because they are an instrument or tool in the hand of God. And the way God wields His instrument or ministry of this Supper is through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

There is therefore no blessing here apart from a relationship between persons—the communicant and the Spirit who is using these means to build up and confirm the faith of that communicant. Everything always begins with God, so He gives us faith in the first place. In that faith, we come here, and because we come in the faith that was designed to enable us to commune with Him, He communes with us here. In meeting us here, He then uses these elements to confirm and nurture us in our faith so that we go out to live our daily lives strengthened by Him, and be better equipped to come back here in growing faith next week.

So the work that is done externally is the eating of bread and the drinking of wine. The work that is done internally, subjectively, by the Spirit, is the work of uniting us with Christ for blessing. Apart from Him doing that, there is no blessing at all.

Now the thing that causes the inside and the outside of the sacrament to line up properly is faith. Not faith in ourselves, not faith in the bread or wine, not faith in the church, and certainly not faith in our own faith. We are called to faith in our Father, who sent His Christ, and after that it is faith in the Father and the Son, who sent their Spirit.

It is not superstition to meet God where He said to meet Him. The sacraments work—when they work—the same way that sermons do. Nothing happens automatically. This Supper doesn’t contain Christ, the way the cup contains the wine. But this Supper most certainly ministers Christ. And whenever a worshiper meets with His God, everything is transformed.

So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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