The alternative to believing in the real presence of the Lord in the Supper is believing in His real absence. That can’t be right. So perhaps a better way to frame the debate should therefore be local presence versus a rightly understood covenantal presence.
One of the great problems with local presence has to do with space (the Lord’s body being there, on the table), but it also is problematic with regard to time. God’s promises, being covenantal, include all time, history, lives, genealogies, biographies, and the last day. The Lord’s Supper has to be understood in the story. The promises concern the video, not the snapshot.
We partake of the Lord in the participles, we partake of Him in the partaking. We cannot say, “Look, there is the Lord, stationary, on the table.” Rather, we say, “Here is the Lord in the action of eating and drinking.” And these actions are part of a series of actions, which together constitute the story. We partake of the Lord’s body and blood in a glorious series of verbs — declaring, praying, blessing, setting apart, taking, breaking, taking, and giving (WCF 29.3). And each moment in the story says something about the end of the story.
When God speaks to us, He speaks to us about the conclusion of things.
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thess. 5:23-24).
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
So our prayer should not just be for the Lord to show up now. We want Him to come to us in salvation, of course, and — this is crucial — we want Him to stay. We plead with Him to remain. And this is what He has promised His elect that He will do. First, consider how we ask . . .
“Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation” (Ps. 27:9).
The Lord does not just promise to be with His worshipers in the moment, but rather to be with them at the Last Day. That is the promise, and that is why only evangelical faith can receive such a promise. Sacramental superstitions are up to the snapshot challenge. But only someone who is born again can understand a promise like this one.
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6)
If God has promised anyone that He will come to us, and that He will never go away from us, to whom is that promise made? It is a promise that encompasses the whole story — and it is therefore a promise to those for whom the whole story was written in the first place. It is for the little flock.
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:31-32).
The one who has promised is faithful, and He will do it. So if you believe, it was always yours. If you do not believe, then where is your complaint? You never wanted it anyway.