Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | 1 Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 10:16 Is the cup of blessing which we bless [at the Lord's Supper] not a sharing in the blood of Christ? [Indeed it is.] Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? [Indeed it is.] |
Bible Question: Many people say, 'I am a good person, I don't need to go to church, I can still be a (good) Christian by staying at home'. How can I substantiate to that type of person that they should go to church? |
Bible Answer: Dear Robertie123, Welcome to the forum! Whenever I hear someone say "I am a good person." I always say, "I am not! Christ said that the greatest commandment was to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' Can you imagine what it must be like to love God that completely? I don't need to hear the other commands, I fail miserably at the greatest command!" Of course, the problem with such people is that they have no clue about what is required of them to be good. You see, the Gospel is good news, but only to those who know what a desperate mess they are in. People who think they are good, need to be instructed by the Law: Have you ever told a lie or stretched the truth? Then the Bible says you are a liar. Have you ever taken anything that does not belong to you? Then the Bible says you are a thief. Have you ever desired another person's spouse? Then the Bible says you are an adulterer. Have you ever hated anyone or lashed out angrily at anyone? Then the Bible says you are a murderer. The Bible says that all these sins deserve eternal damnation. If we are guilty of any of them we are guilty of all of them. Furthermore, the Bible says we will all one day be judged by God. How can we possibly stand before a Holy God when we are this kind of "good person?" Thus, let the Law do its work on the person that thinks they do well. See Luke 7:36-50. Back to your original question: You asked, "How can I substantiate to that type of person that they should go to church?" Let me give the answer in the words of another: "By the Gospel of God's grace we can obey the Scriptures. With a strong emphasis upon the need to personally obey the Bible, we need to add a balancing feature to this truth by stating that there are some things in the Bible that cannot be obeyed individually. What I mean by this is that 'it takes a community' to properly obey some things in Scripture. An example of this would be obedience to the ordinances of the church -- baptism and the Lord's Supper. Dr. Donald Whitney writes in his book, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, 'A Christian ordinance is a ceremony that the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded to be permanently practiced by the church. Additionally, ordinances are ceremonies given by Christ to the church, and not to individual Christians.' Whitney further adds, 'For people who claim to be Christians, attending the worship of God with the people of God should always be a priority' (Hebrews 10:25). But knowing that one of the ordinances of the church will be observed should only add to your determination to be there. Whitney then quotes Dr. John MacArthur who stoutly states, 'I believe so strongly in a Christian's obedience to those two practices that I think a Christian should question his own commitment to Christ if he does not observe them.' Why would these two men of God frame the issue of observing the ordinances of the church so forcefully? Let me give you a brief explanation of why you and I need to observe the Lord's Supper. "From the passage given above [1 Corinthians 10:16], we need to realize that the Lord's Supper is more than an act of remembering the Lord's death -- it is that, but it is more. Literally, Paul is telling us that we fellowship with Christ through the Lord's Supper. The word 'participation' means fellowship. When we come before the Lord's Table, we have a degree of intimate fellowship with the presence of the Lord that is not described as available to us anywhere else this side of eternity. Prayer and the Word of God, either personally read or publicly proclaimed, while all essential, nevertheless cannot be substituted as a means of bringing us into the Lord's presence in the same way that is done through the Lord's Supper. Our souls are nourished with a sense of the spiritual presence of Christ. Puritan Pastor, Thomas Boston, said, 'Ordinances are the presence of heaven on earth. Christ delights to be there with His people.' Why attend the ordinance of the Lord's Supper? Who would want to ditch the Lord when He says that He will be present?" --Joseph Braden I will, and all those who read this post, will be in prayer for you as you talk to others about Christ. In Him, Doc PS As an Anglican, you might particularly appreciate a book by Bishop J. C. Ryle. You can read it online: http://www.gracegems.org/Ryle/holiness.htm |
Up | Down View Branch | ID# 223145 | ||
Questions and/or Subjects for 1 Cor 10:16 | Author | ||
|
dschaertel | ||
|
Essence Angel | ||
|
DocTrinsograce | ||
|
Robertie123 | ||
|
DocTrinsograce | ||
|
Val |