The Apostle Paul in recording in the First Epistle to the Corinthian Church, that which he received of the Lord regarding the institution of the Lord’s Supper, was obviously writing to the Church of Christ then and to the end of time—that is, the regenerate and believing people of God. The Lord Jesus addresses all such respecting the partaking of the Lord’s Supper in these words: “This do ye” (1st Corinth. chap. xi: v. 25).
In The Confession of Faith we have excellent statements on the Faith and Repentance which must characterise all those who are enjoined by the Lord to partake of this sacrament. These statements are: (a) “By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are, accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the Covenant of Grace.” (b) “Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace. . . . By it a sinner, out of a sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God, and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ to such as are penitent; so grieves for and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavouring to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments.”
The Christian Church has been injured and marred by the indiscriminate admission to the Lord’s Table of professors of religion devoid of saving faith and repentance unto life. To such, this sacrament can be nothing but a mere formality bringing added guilt upon them.
But the believing and penitent sinner is confronted with this command from the Lord Jesus Christ: “This do ye.” And such ought to seek strength and grace to comply—
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In obedience to their Saviour and Lord, the one to whom they owe allegiance, devotion and to whom they are to be in gracious subjection. “The Church is subject to Christ.” And also they are required to render obedience to their Lord’s express command, “This do ye.”
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Influenced by the spiritual and saving mercies of God. They are to obey, as influenced by the spiritual and saving mercies of God which they have received through and in the divine Redeemer and His sufferings and death. And also by the fact that to partake of the Lord’s Supper is a part of their reasonable service to the Lord Jesus, as their Lord and Master.
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Manifesting their personal love to Him. By their humble obedience to Christ’s command, they are to manifest that they are not ashamed of Him or His precious gospel in the midst of a sinful generation. And herein they are provided with an ordinance and means whereby to manifest their personal love to Him who loved them and gave Himself for them. The Church in The Song, described Christ as “Him whom my soul loveth.”
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Keeping in remembrance the death of the Redeemer. They are to keep in remembrance the death of the Redeemer: this great and glorious event which means so much to the Church of Christ in time and eternity. And this is to be done publicly in the midst of the Church and in fellowship with other believers. And the Lord says, “This do ye,” to true Christians in every age and generation, having in view the remembrance of His death in the sacrament “till he come.”
There have been, and there are those who are believing and penitent followers of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who for reasons of their own, do not comply with His command to remember His death till He come. In certain cases it has been found a fruitless task to advise and counsel such as to their duty to the Lord. Yet in the heart of those who have been favoured with saving faith and repentance unto life, there is bound to be a god-fearing concern to walk in the ways of Christ’s commandments. Albeit some of whom these things are true, keep back from the Lord’s Supper. They lose much spiritual blessing thereby. But the Lord Jesus Christ alone can enlighten and direct them as to their duty to Him in all things. We do not approve of unsolicited and undue counsel and encouragement being given to any to go forward to the Lord’s Table, unless advice and help are seriously requested from experienced Christians. The true believer exercised about his duty in relation to the Lord Jesus and the sacrament, will surely make this a serious and constant matter of prayer to the Lord for divine counsel and light. Such counsel and light are given through the Holy Scriptures and the preaching of the gospel; and therefore the exercised believer should resolve, “I’ll hear what God the Lord doth speak. . . .”
Finally, there are divine promises given to those who graciously honour the Lord in their hearts and life and conversation. Jesus declared: “Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. x: v. 32). And the man of God who came to Eli with a solemn message from the Lord, included in that message these words from the Lord: “For them that honour me I will honour.” And these, as all other great and precious promises, shall be fulfilled by Him who is faithful that promised.