08/20/2025
We say we are Christians but continue to live our lives of faith like suits of clothes; we treat our belief in Jesus Christ lightly by wearing them superficially and only letting Him brush lightly against our skin when we should actually be taking Jesus into our very being, our hearts, and consuming our faith in Him like the communion meal demonstrates. We should be making Him the ingredient that every other part of us feeds on, is nourished by, and is completed by. When we take the body and blood of Jesus into us, we become as one, and our faith is made whole in Him. In this way we have without a doubt become believers… and Christian. Do we do this?
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV
We should be filled by our faith... I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at an early age, but after that first confession of belief I spent years wearing Him like a suit of clothes, and only letting Him touch my skin, I let Him reach into my heart when it was convenient or necessary. I hung Him in the closet when it wasn't. My faith and who I was were like oil and vinager that when shaken appeared to be one liquid, but when allowed to sit for any period of time separated once again. Jesus doesn't want this kind of faith... He will accept it as our first step towards knowing Him, but then He wants us to be transformed... not just on the outside, but permanently and all the way through.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
My question for each of us to consider this morning is this... are we stuck wearing Jesus like a suit of clothes, or are we being transformed into His image? You see, we can listen to His words offered to the Apostles during the first communion and not understand the depth of what he was saying. We are inclined to think He meant to literally and simply remember Him, but when we consume Him, it changes us inside... it transforms our souls, and it nourishes us and sustains us; He becomes our own body, just as the food we eat each day does, and then He goes further as His spirit transforms ours.
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.”
John 6:53-55 KJV
Whether we argue that the communion bread and wine changes literally into the body and blood of Christ as we consume it (transubstantiation) or like some do we feel it is simply figurative, the underlying truth remains... this meal is more than simply a remembrance, it represents the righteous transformation of our entire selves, not just skin deep but throughout our body, spirit, and soul.
“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-29 KJV
These are strong words that are meant to shake us out of our "suit of clothes" mentality and convict us regarding the true meaning of communion... we are to be transformed entirely as we partake of this sacrament… as we consume Jesus Christ in a very real way.
Tremble with me this morning... fear God and allow Him to reach into your very heart. Lay your suit of clothes aside and ask Him to come into you in a new way and clothe you for a fine communion meal… the glory of Himself. Adam and Eve clothed themselves because they were ashamed... let the Lord clothe us in grace and righteousness today... no shame, no oil and vinegar faith, but the pure wine and broken bread of Jesus Himself as He transforms us to be as He is… righteous and holy.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the transformative power of faith, and the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ that I consume in remembrance of Him. I thank you Father for the nourishment that this Holy Meal provides me and ask that you never let it become like any other meal to me as I consume Him and accept Him into myself… into every cell in my body and thought that I have. Lord, let your Holy Spirit fill me and convict me as I become more, and more, like Jesus with each passing day; partaking of Him and allowing Him to abide in every part of who I am. Praised be your name Father for allowing me this way of knowing you, and being changed completely in the process. You are merciful, and full of grace; your love for me overshadows all I am and all I will ever be. Yes, you touch my skin but then you come into me, abide in me, and fill my body and soul with the love of you Son Jesus. Keep me Holy Father and never let me feel as though I can take my faith and belief off like a suit of clothes but open my eyes and show me that you remain with me, on me, and in me… always and forever. Like the amber color of my eyes, show me that your love for me is unchanging and with me always, let my righteousness and faith color my life and secure me a place eternally in your presence. Holy, Holy, Holy are you my God, who is and was and is to come. Holy are you who sent your Son Jesus to redeem me, nourish me, and transform me Body, mind, and soul.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, and Amen!
“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.”
John 6:53-57 ESV
Rich Forbes