Who Should Not Take Communion?

It is easy to see from the preceding chapter, that Communion is for the people of God; a people who have been born into the family of God. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2 Timothy 2:20.

It is true that there are those in the Body of Christ who have forsaken the way of godliness and have turned away from righteousness, to pursue the things of this world. Many are filled with offenses and iniquities, having no love manifested. Yet these saints dare to take communion every time it is served. Many do so because in some churches it is simply another ritual, an event that comes with church membership. Therefore they are never

taught of the consequences of such an action.

Consider the last supper the apostles experienced with Christ.

Luke 22:21-22

21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

This is vintage Christ. He already knows that Judas will betray Him, even though He eats and drinks of the passover feast with him. But why did Jesus make it known that one among them would betray Him? This was a simple confrontation. Judas was confronted with the truth regarding the content and intent of his heart.

And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: Here Jesus reveals His eternal nature and knowledge of the will of God. Basically, He is saying, the truth is, I am going to the cross, because that has already been determined by God. On the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke of this inevitable event …

Acts 2:23

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

The takeaway here is that Jesus was going to die on the cross simply because that is what had been determined to be so by the counsel of God.

Luke 22:22

But woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

This woe is placed on those sons of God who betray Christ. Remember Judas was chosen to be among the 12 disciples; just as all who are in the church today have been chosen by God.

Judas heard the same word the other disciples heard. Thus he had the same opportunity to obey; as do we. But as I said earlier, in the church there are vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. And it is manifest, the Body of Christ pays very little, if any, attention to the pronounced woes of the script. It has truly overlooked the great power and effect of the Holy Communion.

1 Corinthians 11:28-29

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

The instruction here is to examine yourself. We are to search our own heart, mind, soul, attitude, and disposition, for that which is not Christ. We are to earnestly determine whether we are truly in fellowship with Christ and the members of His Body.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

1. There are those who lie in the name of the Lord; and do so in general conversation. They say, “God told me this,” or God told me that.” Knowing God never said any such thing.

2. There are some who have carried iniquity in their heart for years, yet they partake of the Lord’s Table every month.

3. There are those in the Body who are judgmental and unmerciful in their thoughts concerning those who have been overtaken in faults and sin.

4. There are many who walk in self-righteousness, forsaking the power of the Holy Ghost who enables us to walk in the Spirit.

5. There are some in the Body of Christ, whose ways are simply wicked, and their thoughts are evil.

6. There are those who simply refuse to allow the love of God to flow through and from their vessels that others might be blessed by the Christ within them.

I could go on and on, but I think the sons of God know their own soul. You know whether you are truly walking in the Spirit or whether you walk after the flesh. If we find that our heart is not

pure towards the people of God or the world for that matter, or that we long for the things of the world that are forbidden by the faith, then we are not to drink the cup of the Lord. To do so is to bring judgment, (condemnation), upon one’s self.

1 Corinthians 11:30

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

Paul does not waste words here. Because many eat and drink of the Passover with sin and iniquity in their hearts, they are physically weak and sickly, and some literally die. This judgment is something that is far from the minds and hearts of the people of God. They run to the Lord’s Table with impure hearts and lusts as though the woe does not exist. But might I remind you, to become sick and die, due to overriding the warning given here in the scriptures, is to spend eternity in hell.