In order for this to be a meal of true fellowship, it must be a meal of perfect fellowship. God is the God of all perfections, and He cannot look upon evil. He cannot fellowship with sin, or countenance iniquity.
How then is possible for us to be here? We are fallen, sinful, and corrupt. You knelt in confession earlier in this service. You know that
And yet this is a meal of perfect fellowship. Not only do we praise the bridegroom seated at the head of the Table, He also praises. Notice this. Not only do we praise the Lord in our worship of Him, but He also praises His bride. How could a perfect bridegroom be so churlish as to not praise his bride?
The lover in Song of Solomon says that his bride is the “fairest among women.” He finds all perfection in her. This is certainly God’s intention concerning us. Paul says this in Ephesians: “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). And he says of the Colossians that God intends to “present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Col. 1:22).
We know that in ourselves we are only sinners. This kindness is only possible because of His grace in justification, that grace which has imputed to us all the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and only the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But to say that it is only possible through Christ is not to say that it is impossible. Those are very different things.
God does not gaze on His own work of redemption and see shoddy work. He sees the same perfections that He has declared, and as He has declared it, we must believe it. As the bride of Christ we must learn to take His compliments with a good grace. It is not humility to refuse them. This is the ground of perfect fellowship.
So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.