justinstout
6th February 2006, 01:53 AM
From How to Stop the Pain by James B. Richards:
Of all the destructive factors related to judgement, sickness is probably the most devestating. We all know that emotional health can deteriorate through the guilt of judgement. Such guilt is based in fear and causes depression and anxiety, besides being related to every negative emotion. Unfortunately, we fail to recognize that our acceptance of judgement ravages our physical health as well. In fact, the Bible says it is a cause for sickness and death.
In his first letter to the Corinthian believers, Paul shared how Communion, or the Lord's Supper, can be a life-giving experience. Jesus had said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in rememberance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). In verse 26 Paul said that, in so doing, we "proclaim the Lord's death till He comes". Then, in verse 27, he warned us not to "eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily." For many, the most difficult part of this passage is in attempting to understand what it means to partake unworthily!
In verse 28, we read, "But let man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." The word examine means "to inspect for approval." This is not an internal audit for fault. The goal is not the look inward and determine why we are disapproved; rather, the goal is to look inward and remind ourselves of the cross of Christ, what His blood purchased for us, and why His sacrifice makes us approved.
Religion, school, and life in general have taught us to look into our own hearts and ask the question, "What's wrong with me?" We look into our hearts and say, "I have to find what is wrong so I can fix the problem." This is just the opposite of Paul's teaching. If we want to solve the problem, we have to find what's right with us. So Paul said, "Examine yourself for approval. Look in your heart, and try to find what brings you approval."
Well, what is it that brings us approval? The finished work of Jesus is the only thing that qualifies us before God. We must look to what He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. He became our sin, so we don't have to live under that weight. He took the punishment for our sins, so we don't have to be afraid of punishment. He went to hell in our place, so we don't have to go to hell. He conquered our sins, so we don't have to fight the battle. He obtained righteousness and gave it to us as a free gift, so we don't have to earn it. He also qualified us for all the promises of God. In short, He is our righteousness. He is our qualification. We are approved in Him. As Colossians 2:10 says, in Him we are made complete.
Unfortunately, legalism has made us look to our works as the basis for our approval before God. However, dead works cannot cleanse our conscience. No matter what we have done right, the things we have done wrong loom over our heads like a guillotine waiting to fall in judgement. Go back to Paul's instruction - he reminded us that Communion was to be done in rememberance of Jesus and His finished work. This is not about us. It is about us in Him.
1 Corinthians 11:29 says, "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body". Remember, we do it unworthily when we fail to find ourselves approved in Christ. The word judgement here is the same as the word condemnation. Condemnation is a sense of guilt wherein one expects punishment. It is the result of judgement - whether self-judgment or the judgement others place on us. Regardless of the source, if we accept anyone's judgement, we will find ourselves to be unworthy. Then we expect punishment.
The problem is a failure to "discern the Lord's body." In every aspect of life, we should look to Jesus and what He accomplished in His own body for us. Verse 30 says this: "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [or many are dead]." The fact that we do not examine ourselves and find approval, in light of what Jesus has done on the cross, is the reason that we have sickness and death, the Bible says.
Paul continued in verse 31, "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." The Greek word used here for judge is a word that means "to examine, to find approval." If we would find ourselves approved, we would not experience condemnation or self-judgement. Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
The problem is not that God is judging us. Rather, the judgement we experience is from our own hearts. It is called condemnation.
Hebrews 10:26-27 says, "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."
This passage does not say that God sends these things. It says that when we continue to willfully sin, judgement is what we ultimately experience. Because of our guilty conscience, we begin looking for things to go wrong. We start expecting judgement. We struggle with guilt. We expect punishment!
Self-judgement is a self-fulfilling prophecy. We judge that we are worth of sickness. But when we get sick, we say "God is punishing us." That is not true; God hasn't done anything. We did! Our hearts believed a lie, and we experienced the fruit of those beliefs. As Proverbs says, "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord" (Proverbs 19:3).
First Corinthians 11:32 goes on to say, "But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord." What does it mean to be chastened? The word chasten in the Greek language does not mean to beat, whip, punish, or execute; it means "to train a child." (see Strong's Concordance, #G3811). To train a child is to draw and compel someone to walk in the right way. It is done tenderly, with great love and affection. It is not done by inflicting pain. God chastens us as the child in whom He delights.
Even when we fail to examine ourselves and find ourselves approved, the Holy Spirit will attempt to draw us into the way that will deliver us from the power and consequences of sin.
Take the case of Ananias and Sapphira. They were brand-new converts. They had not yet learned about freedom from the law and deliverance from the wrath of God. When confronted with lying to the Holy Spirit, their hearts were overwhelmed with fear and condemnation. God got blamed for killing them, but He did not strike them down. Acts 5 says that both Ananias and Sapphira "gave up the ghost" (verses 5,10). God didn't kill them. The devil didn't kill them. The Greek language is very explicit about this. They were not acted upon by any outside force; something happened within them. It came from their own hearts. They believed something that was not true, and they died because of what they believed.
(To order this book, visit www.impactministries.com (http://www.impactministries.com/))
Of all the destructive factors related to judgement, sickness is probably the most devestating. We all know that emotional health can deteriorate through the guilt of judgement. Such guilt is based in fear and causes depression and anxiety, besides being related to every negative emotion. Unfortunately, we fail to recognize that our acceptance of judgement ravages our physical health as well. In fact, the Bible says it is a cause for sickness and death.
In his first letter to the Corinthian believers, Paul shared how Communion, or the Lord's Supper, can be a life-giving experience. Jesus had said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in rememberance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). In verse 26 Paul said that, in so doing, we "proclaim the Lord's death till He comes". Then, in verse 27, he warned us not to "eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily." For many, the most difficult part of this passage is in attempting to understand what it means to partake unworthily!
In verse 28, we read, "But let man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." The word examine means "to inspect for approval." This is not an internal audit for fault. The goal is not the look inward and determine why we are disapproved; rather, the goal is to look inward and remind ourselves of the cross of Christ, what His blood purchased for us, and why His sacrifice makes us approved.
Religion, school, and life in general have taught us to look into our own hearts and ask the question, "What's wrong with me?" We look into our hearts and say, "I have to find what is wrong so I can fix the problem." This is just the opposite of Paul's teaching. If we want to solve the problem, we have to find what's right with us. So Paul said, "Examine yourself for approval. Look in your heart, and try to find what brings you approval."
Well, what is it that brings us approval? The finished work of Jesus is the only thing that qualifies us before God. We must look to what He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. He became our sin, so we don't have to live under that weight. He took the punishment for our sins, so we don't have to be afraid of punishment. He went to hell in our place, so we don't have to go to hell. He conquered our sins, so we don't have to fight the battle. He obtained righteousness and gave it to us as a free gift, so we don't have to earn it. He also qualified us for all the promises of God. In short, He is our righteousness. He is our qualification. We are approved in Him. As Colossians 2:10 says, in Him we are made complete.
Unfortunately, legalism has made us look to our works as the basis for our approval before God. However, dead works cannot cleanse our conscience. No matter what we have done right, the things we have done wrong loom over our heads like a guillotine waiting to fall in judgement. Go back to Paul's instruction - he reminded us that Communion was to be done in rememberance of Jesus and His finished work. This is not about us. It is about us in Him.
1 Corinthians 11:29 says, "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body". Remember, we do it unworthily when we fail to find ourselves approved in Christ. The word judgement here is the same as the word condemnation. Condemnation is a sense of guilt wherein one expects punishment. It is the result of judgement - whether self-judgment or the judgement others place on us. Regardless of the source, if we accept anyone's judgement, we will find ourselves to be unworthy. Then we expect punishment.
The problem is a failure to "discern the Lord's body." In every aspect of life, we should look to Jesus and what He accomplished in His own body for us. Verse 30 says this: "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep [or many are dead]." The fact that we do not examine ourselves and find approval, in light of what Jesus has done on the cross, is the reason that we have sickness and death, the Bible says.
Paul continued in verse 31, "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged." The Greek word used here for judge is a word that means "to examine, to find approval." If we would find ourselves approved, we would not experience condemnation or self-judgement. Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
The problem is not that God is judging us. Rather, the judgement we experience is from our own hearts. It is called condemnation.
Hebrews 10:26-27 says, "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."
This passage does not say that God sends these things. It says that when we continue to willfully sin, judgement is what we ultimately experience. Because of our guilty conscience, we begin looking for things to go wrong. We start expecting judgement. We struggle with guilt. We expect punishment!
Self-judgement is a self-fulfilling prophecy. We judge that we are worth of sickness. But when we get sick, we say "God is punishing us." That is not true; God hasn't done anything. We did! Our hearts believed a lie, and we experienced the fruit of those beliefs. As Proverbs says, "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord" (Proverbs 19:3).
First Corinthians 11:32 goes on to say, "But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord." What does it mean to be chastened? The word chasten in the Greek language does not mean to beat, whip, punish, or execute; it means "to train a child." (see Strong's Concordance, #G3811). To train a child is to draw and compel someone to walk in the right way. It is done tenderly, with great love and affection. It is not done by inflicting pain. God chastens us as the child in whom He delights.
Even when we fail to examine ourselves and find ourselves approved, the Holy Spirit will attempt to draw us into the way that will deliver us from the power and consequences of sin.
Take the case of Ananias and Sapphira. They were brand-new converts. They had not yet learned about freedom from the law and deliverance from the wrath of God. When confronted with lying to the Holy Spirit, their hearts were overwhelmed with fear and condemnation. God got blamed for killing them, but He did not strike them down. Acts 5 says that both Ananias and Sapphira "gave up the ghost" (verses 5,10). God didn't kill them. The devil didn't kill them. The Greek language is very explicit about this. They were not acted upon by any outside force; something happened within them. It came from their own hearts. They believed something that was not true, and they died because of what they believed.
(To order this book, visit www.impactministries.com (http://www.impactministries.com/))