Everyone gathered here, although we are gathered in Christ, is still aware of our remaining sinfulness. We are, in addition to this, aware of our sins, those which we have committed, and which we have confessed at the beginning of this service. Some of those sins are egregious, as man reckons them, and all of them are egregious in the sight of a holy God.
Because of those sins, we are often tempted to shrink back from this Table, as though we do not deserve to come. Of course we do not deserve to come—that is the whole point. Anybody here who thinks he deserves this meal has wandered into the wrong building, the wrong service, the wrong religion.
We know that we have sinned against God’s laws and precepts, and so we want to shrink back. But having sinned against His law is no basis for sinning against His grace and His gospel. Do not compound your rebellion. You are invited to come. You are summoned.
No man was ever condemned for his sin. The condemnation always falls because of a refusal to turn from it. The seal on the vault of damnation bears this imprint—“I will not turn.” The sealing of damnation is complete when the wax on that seal hardens, just like the heart it represents. God is angry with the wicked every day “if he turn not” (Ps. 7:11-12). This means that the damning sin, the only damning sin, is stubbornness.
It is not so with you, so come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.