True Communion [circa 2003] (Part 2) | Ep. 187

Communion can feel like one of the most familiar Christian practices and also one of the most misunderstood. We start with a simple question that gets uncomfortable fast: when Jesus talks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, are we supposed to hear that literally, or spiritually?

We walk through the Last Supper texts in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22, then zoom out to the bigger thread: manna and bread as a picture of receiving Jesus’ words, and the cup as a picture of receiving His Spirit. That framing changes the stakes. It moves the Lord’s Supper away from a ritual you “perform” and toward a lived communion with Christ marked by obedience, repentance, and the born-again life Jesus describes to Nicodemus and the apostles preach in Acts 2:38.

Then we let Paul press on the real problem in 1 Corinthians 11: believers gathering with division, selfishness, and contempt for those in need. His warning about eating and drinking “unworthily” centers on “not discerning the Lord’s body,” which we connect to the body of believers. From there, John 13 to 17 comes into focus: the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, and the repeated command to love one another, with foot washing as a living parable of humble service. We end by defining communion as koinonia, true fellowship expressed through love that restores the wandering and bears burdens.

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Transcript

A Vision Of Life In The Blood

j - Jesus M. Ruiz 0:03

The vision received was that of blood cells traveling throughout the body, supplying the much-needed oxygen and other nutrients to the differing members of the body to fulfill their purpose. Once the blood cells are spent, they must return back to the heart to be refilled before being sent out again and fulfill their purpose. Hello everyone. Well, sometimes as a teacher, we have to kind of set the stage, set a a kind of foundation of perspective, and I felt like thinking spiritually and interpreting the words of Jesus, because they are spirit and life, spiritually needed to be laid as a groundwork for really moving into analyzing what is this thing about the communion. And I listened to how I ended the last message, and I realized I misquoted the scriptures. I don't know how, I don't know why. Probably just happens, I'm sure it happens to us all. I said that in order to be born of the water and of the spirit, uh, that is the only way to see and hear the kingdom of God. That is incorrect. It wasn't hear, it was to see and enter into the kingdom of God. So I thought I'd just start this little message with that correction from last week. It's minor, but for me, when I listen to it, I'm like, ugh, I can't believe I did that. But, anyways, let's continue on. We ended with when Jesus spoke of drinking his blood. He wasn't referring to literally drinking his blood like a cannibal or Dracula or some sort of vampire. He was actually referring to spiritually receiving his spirit, which is a part of the born-again experience that was spoken of in Acts 2:38, but also to which Jesus spoke to Nicodemus that night about how a man is born from above or born of the water and of the Spirit. So with that being said, let's continue with our conclusion. What does all that have to do with communion? Well, since the manna, the bread, the flesh, was referring to actually Jesus' words, and since the blood and the wine was referring to Jesus' spirit, then let's apply this interpretation to the following passages regarding the Lord's Supper. We'll start in Matthew 26. We can also read Mark 14, we can also read Luke 22. All three of these authors spoke of that Last Supper event, but we'll also look at uh John 13 because all four of the writers of the gospel spoke of this event. But let's start in Matthew 26. As they were eating, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. He said, Take eat of this, is my body. He took the cup, he gave thanks, and he gave it to them, saying, Drink all of it, for this is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. Now I like to read parallel passages because sometimes a particular author has a certain perspective and recollection of an event in the past that another person who also experienced the same event will probably have, more than likely, have the same highlighted major events in common, but sometimes there are details that someone might have that the other might not, or something just is remembered more vividly to one person than another. So when I read Mark 14, it says, as they did eat, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. That's pretty much what Matthew said. So their recollection was pretty similar. He says, Take eat, this is my body. Pretty much the same. And as they did eat, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, Take eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is the blood of the New Testament or the New Covenant, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. Doesn't seem to be a lot of variation in that. It's pretty consistent in both Matthew's and Mark's recollection of what happened. But again, I want us to reread these passages in the light of the spiritual understanding that we talked about in the last message regarding the man of the bread, the flesh, referring to Jesus' words, and the blood and the wine, referring to receiving his spirit. So think on that and apply that interpretation as you read these scriptures again. Luke 22. And when the hours come, he sat down and the twelve disciples with him. And he said unto them, With desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. So right there I'm seeing a variation in the recounting of what took place in Luke's mind and his eyes. He says, I will not eat until this be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. That's consistent, but it's this eating issue that really wasn't talked about. It was I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink anew with you in my father's kingdom. Which I think we can all agree as we read these parallel passages that my father's kingdom, the kingdom of God are synonymous. He's not talking about two different kinds of kingdoms coming. And so we continue reading in Luke 22, and he took the cup, and he gave thanks, and he said, Take this, and divide it amongst yourselves, for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took the bread, and he gave thanks, and he broke it, and he gave it unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me. Likewise after the cup of supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament of my blood which is shed for you. So already we can see a little bit of variation with how Luke recounted it. Things are in slightly different order, and things are slightly differently emphasized in this passage. So that's how Matthew, Mark, and Luke recounted the event. But when we in our in our last message, we hardly left the letter of John's or the Gospel of John. We hardly left it. We were everywhere in John, and so now we're coming back to John. And in the light of everything that we read last message about John 4, John 5, John 6, John 7, John 10, John 15, I think we went into. Let's now look at the same parallel passages in John, which is pretty much four chapters in John. John 13 through 17 is all about that night of the Last Supper. So parallel passages are different passages or gospels, in this case the gospels, that are speaking of and they're recording the same event. Now it has been said, when Jesus didn't want the multitudes to understand, he spoke in parables. Jesus did not do this when he spoke about his body and blood. He said, This is. He said, The wine in the cup was the blood of the new covenant. And then it says in John chapter 16, These things have I spoken to you in Proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I will show you plainly of the Father. Now that word Proverb is kind of, I wasn't expecting that. I I probably would have thought parables, because he'd been teaching parables throughout Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So for him to say Proverbs, that's kind of interesting to take note of. And when I looked into the actual word in the Greek, it's paron paroimia. Forgive my accent as I say that. I am not a Greek theologian. I'm not sure how to pronounce many of these words. I try to do the best that I can, but you can look at for yourself. It's in it's a Greek word and it's in Strong's, it's numbered as G3942. And it's specifically an enigmatical or fictitious illustration. In other words, another word that could be used is parable. Parable or proverb are in the translation of the meaning of it, are synonymously interchangeable. So it is also the same word translated, the same word translated in John chapter 10, verse 6, except the translator used the word parable in John chapter 10, 6. So this word, if you look in Thayer's definition, um, it's like a dark saying. It's especially symbolic or a figurative saying, uh a speech or a discourse in which a thing is illustrated by the use of similes and comparisons, an allegory. Now, anyone who teaches maybe English language arts, you'd have a clear understanding of that. But those of us that don't get into uh English language arts and stuff like that, you know, we might have a hard time kind of understanding what that's saying because we're not really in that field. That's not our our our place of comfort, you know, and that's fine. But parables, basically the word parable and proverbs is synonymous. And I think we understand parables, especially if we're Bible readers and studiers, we understand that more because it was just a word used so often. And and for the new covenant to use the word proverbs, that that kind of might throw us off. But then I realize, oh, it's the same Greek word that's translated parables. So when Jesus said in John chapter 10, or excuse me, John 16, he spoke to them in Proverbs, " parables", it seems to contradict the quote above that Jesus explicitly stated in John 16 that he did speak to them in parables. But this statement referred to many things from John 13 through 16 and probably further back. So remember in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they're the only gospels that speak of the actual Lord's Supper, but Luke's is the only account that says, do this in remembrance of me. In other words, I I said all of the major authors of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John spoke about the last night and the last supper, but Matthew, Mark, and Luke spoke of the actual blood and and excuse me, actual bread and the wine. But John didn't. John didn't speak of that particular section. So I started thinking, well, is this a life and death command? Is this some sort of like new covenant commandment, like the old covenant commandments were like, oh, well, if you broke the commandment, they would stone you and you would die? Is that what this is about in the new covenant? That we need to eat bread and drink wine? Because it says, do this in remembrance of me. In other words, is salvation dependent upon the literal interpretation of eating the bread and drinking the wine? I guess that's what was bugging me. And then as I looked into the scriptures and I studied, studied, and I spent lots of time studying and reviewing and considering and meditating and reflecting and just talking to the Lord about how how am I supposed to uh apply this word. I mean, you spoke to twelve disciples in the first century about what they should do in remembrance of what Jesus was about to do that they still did not fully comprehend on the night of the Last Supper. And I just don't believe that these words of do this in remembrance of me are salvational because then we would be depending upon a literal interpretation of eating the bread and drinking the wine. We are to simply partake of this in remembrance of him. Okay, I I get that. Let's let's do this in remembrance of you, but how? Well, is there anything that happened in the past that would give us some sort of groundwork to lay this on? Well, I think of the Israelites. They took part in the Passover. And what were they remembering? They're remembering that time in the past, in the in their ancestors' past, that God passed over the people of God, killing all the other firstborn during their bondage in Egypt. And I hear some that say, I do believe in taking a literal communion. I believe that Jesus was setting up a ritual for the church. Well, I agree to an extent. However, I don't agree with others that say, hey, this is a salvational issue. It simply was to be done in remembrance of him. What about him that we were supposed to remember? Well, his sacrifice, his work of the cross. We remember that always, do we not, when we preach the gospel? Are we not preaching the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus to others? Or are we teaching them, hey, you guys got to eat bread and you gotta drink wine? Completely different message there if that's what we were preaching as the gospel. And as I thought about this at this time, I was, I'd come across a particular brother, individual named Mike Blume, and he wrote an article called The Phylacteries of Hell. And in this article, he noted that Jews would literally tie themselves up with leather straps on their forehead and their arm. Because they were reading Exodus 13, 1 through 16, and Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 4 through 9, and Deuteronomy chapter 11, 18 through 21, and they were interpreting what was said in those particular scriptures I just mentioned literally, and it led them to tying up leather straps around themselves, around their forearms and head, with these scriptures in mind of Exodus 13, Deuteronomy 6, and Deuteronomy 11. And Brother Blume noted that what it ended up doing was exalting oneself. And when he said that, I mean, it was a complete, it had nothing to do with the communion, the bread and wine, his uh article had nothing to do with that, but it made an impression on my mind. And I guess God was speaking to me and using that point that was being made. And I think, or I thought back then, like I do today, but I thought back then, this is what's happening with the natural and the literal interpretation of the bread and the wine. However, if we partake of the communion with a spiritual understanding, and a spiritual interpretation, not a carnal one, the understanding that was shown to us in the previous uh message, eating the manna, the bread, the flesh, his words, taking in his words, taking them to heart, and then drinking his blood, his wine, in other words, receiving his Spirit, ah, with that spiritual interpretation, then I can see how it does become a salvational issue. Because to not eat of his words, his manna, his bread, his flesh, and to not drink of his spirit to receive the blood and the wine, oh, then we've got a salvational issue that needs to be addressed. Because we can't come into the kingdom of God, we can't see and enter the kingdom of God without being born again of the water and of the spirit. But in order to do that, you have to receive his commandments, you have to receive his words. And in turn, that leads you to then obeying, to walking in repentance, and then desiring and pursuing to receive the gift of his Holy Spirit, then that does become salvational because a man must be born again. So remembering his sacrificing, having that be our motivation to hear him, to obey him, to be led by his spirit is supremely important. I think that by now we would all agree that if we don't hear and obey his word, if we don't walk in the spirit, in his light, in his revelation, that given enough time and disobedience, that could very well lead to our death. Not just physically, but both physically and spiritually. But simply eating or not eating natural bread that perishes and drinking natural wine that could be corrupted, that's not going to save you. That's not going to kill you. Let us not be as natural men. Example, like the Israelites of the old covenant. But let us be spiritual men, discerning his word spiritually. If we simply eat bread and drink wine, we miss it. We miss the point. The greater spiritual significance of eating his word and drinking of his spirit. That's not the end of the point. Let's see if we can bolster this assertion that I'm making. Look at what Paul said regarding communion. Now, Paul wasn't there on the night of the Last Supper. I think we all know that. Paul came afterward. He was persecuting the church, he was persecuting uh Jesus through persecuting his his body of believers, but he turned around, he received the revelation of the Lord. And he Paul said this regarding communion that he wasn't present at, but he quoted Luke when the bread is eaten and the wine is drunk, to do it in remembrance, quote unquote, in remembrance of him. So let's listen to what Paul said. First Corinthians chapter 11, verse 20 through 34. Paul said, When you come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. Catch that? When we gather together in one place, it's not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating, everyone takes before other his own supper. In other words, before they get there, they're already having eaten. But some don't. And so he says, And one is hungry, and another is drunken? What? Have ye not houses to eat and drink in? Or despise ye the church of God and shame them that don't have? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. In other words, they were getting together, and they were getting together with the wrong idea of why they were getting together. He said, basically, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper. This is not why we congregate and get together. Because sometimes when we get together, someone has already eaten his supper and somebody hasn't. Somebody is coming hungry and somebody's not coming hungry. Somebody is covering already filled and having drunk his wine and others have not. So he's saying, Don't you have your own houses to eat and drink in? What why are we bringing this significance into the congregation when you come together, when you're gathering together into one place? So this issue is not about partaking of the Lord's Supper for one's continued salvation. In verse 23, we continue, For I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you. That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take eat, this is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And after the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do ye as often as you drank it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do shoe the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat of this bread, and drink of this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. So Paul's emphasis here, and again, this was written to the Corinthians, if you're not aware, this was a church that was filled with the Holy Spirit, but had a lot of division, had a lot of discord, had a lot of carnality. And Paul was trying to address a lot of these things and set things in proper order. And this is just one of the many things that he was addressing, that they were getting together with the wrong idea in mind. So he says, If you come together to eat the bread and drink of the cup, In an unworthy manner, meaning you're not there for the right reasons. You're going to be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Let everyone examine himself. Think of your state of being when you're gathering together, which was not to eat the Lord's Supper. He emphasized that. You're not getting together into one place to eat the Lord's Supper. That's the wrong idea and the mentality. Why do we get together? We're going to get to that in a second, but you think of it. Why do we congregate together with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Is it so we can eat? So we can have a nice dinner? So we can have some wine to wash, you know, to wash it all down with? Is that why we're getting together? No, that's not why we gather together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. So he's challenging them. Examine yourself as to why you're getting together to eat of that bread and drink of that cup. But do you think he's talking literally? Do you think he's talking with a natural idea in mind? Or could he possibly be using this natural occurrence, regular occurrence that they had, where when they gathered together, they did eat and they did have wine, because that was that was a custom of their day amongst them. But maybe he's using it to provide a spiritual emphasis and challenge to them, just as Jesus did. So the following is the issue this Paul was trying to correct in verse 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself. Wait, what? When he eats and drinks unworthily or in an unworthy manner, he's eating and drinking damnation to himself? You stop there and you're kind of wondering, what? So eating and drinking is a problem? It actually says, eating and drinking unworthily, that can cause damnation to be brought upon yourself? Keep reading, because it says how it does that. Because you are not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason, for this cause, many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep. So when we're talking about the Lord's body from a new covenant apostolic perspective, the body of Christ is the body of believers. It is our brethren, our brothers and sisters in Christ. And if we are not truly discerning our brothers and sisters in Christ and not addressing one another's needs, yes, we can eat the bread and drink the wine and bring damnation upon ourselves because we've missed the point. It's not about getting together to eat bread and drink wine. Why do we get together? Why do Christian brothers and sisters gather together? It says we're not getting together for the right reasons, and because we're not doing so, we're not discerning truly the Lord's body. This is why many of us are weak and sick, and many are asleep. So again, the issue here is not taking the bread and the wine for one's salvation. Paul was using the story of the Lord's Passover to explain a deeper spiritual principle. Paul, like Jesus, wanted them to spiritually discern what they were doing or were supposed to be doing, and what attitude and what uh perspective were they supposed to be doing it in? They were not discerning the Lord's body, their brethren. They were not loving one another, they were not caring for one another, some brethren were shaming others who did not have. Were they taking the bread and the wine naturally? Yes, but so what? When the Corinthians came to meet together and some of them were already full, drunken was the word, others were arriving hungry and they were in need. That's a problem. Why are we not fulfilling the needs of our brethren who are coming in hungry, who are coming in thirsty, to gather together with the brethren? For this reason, many of the brethren are weak and sick and have slept. This is the true issue Paul was dealing with the lack of love and care and concern for one another. Now let's go back to John's record of the night of the Last Supper in John chapters 13 through 18. John makes no mention of the bread and the wine. However, there are repeated references on that night in John's perspective to his spirit, which was analogous to the wine coming, and the necessity, remember the night of the Last Supper, he was emphasizing to his disciples the necessity to love one another, care for one another, take care for each other. So his emphasis in John's perspective was the necessity to love each other. That's the bread. The spirit references of that night. Let's read them together. John chapter 14, verses 15 through 17. If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray that the Father, he will send you another comforter that will abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither does it know him, but you know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. Mmm, that's all about the Spirit, the Comforter, also known as the Spirit of Truth, that's the Spirit of God. Now remember we previously touched upon this phrase, dwelleth in me and I in him. That was in our last message. Well, this passage in John chapter 14, 15 through 17 supports the understanding that for this to take place, dwelling in me and I in him, we must keep his commandment and what? Receive his Spirit. So there's more references of the Spirit in John chapters 13 through 17. Let's read another one, John chapter 14, 26 through 28, just a little bit further. Jesus said, The Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, or as our KGB brothers say, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father, for my Father is greater than I. That's another place of emphasis where John is emphasizing this spirit, this spirit, the spirit, which he emphasized in his record of John chapter 7 with the woman at the well, and Jesus always talking about the the the belly of rivers of living water flowing through the inner man. He's continuing this in John chapter 15, verses 26-27. He said, When the comfort is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me, and you also shall bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. Continuing on in John chapter 16, verses 6 through 16, Jesus said, Because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart. I nevertheless tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I don't go away, the comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they don't believe in me, of righteousness because I go to my father and ye see me no more, and of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. How be it? When he personalizes, he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatever soever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will shoe these things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine. Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine and shall show it to you. A little while ye shall not see me. And again, a little while ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. The blood of the cup that he passed around that night was representative of his spirit. Even though John didn't mention the bread and the wine in his account, these chapters are expounding on the references to the wine mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke's account of the Last Supper. So, what's love got to do with anything? Let's look at that aspect. Look at the love references that are in John chapter 13, 6 through 17. We're coming back a little bit, just so you can replay it again, because the other time we were focusing on the spiritual spirit references, and now we're looking at the love references. So he comes to Simon Peter, and Peter says to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? And Jesus said to him, Yeah, what I do you don't know now, but after this, you can understand. Well Peter said unto him, You're never gonna wash my feet. And Jesus said, If I don't wash you, you have no part with me, Peter. So Peter said unto him, Well, don't just do my feet, do my hands, do my head. And Jesus said to him, He that is washed needs only his feet to be washed. He is clean every whit. And ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who would betray him. Therefore said he, You are not all clean. So after he had washed her feet and taken his garments and was set down again, and he said unto him, Do you know what I've done unto you? You call me master and lord, and you well say, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done unto you. Verily, verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, happy are ye if you do them. Do we really believe that God came in the flesh to tell us simply to wash each other's feet in the natural? Is that what this new covenant is about? To make sure that we literally wash each other's feet. I challenge you, I challenge us all to think spiritually. Wasn't Jesus using this natural example to teach us to love one another as he loved us and allow our love for one another to cleanse each other? Peter speaks of this by saying in 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 8, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Charity is the KJV brethren's translation for love. Agape. Agape, for agape shall cover a multitude of sins. If you walk in agape love for one another, you will cover each other's sins. Now let's continue to read the chapters of 13 through 17 in John, because he elaborated and in this whole theme of love and loving one another, it's elaborated and encouraged by Jesus Himself multiple times. Let's read again in verse 34 and 35. He said, A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. So do you think after he's making this emphatic challenge and statement, as I have challenged us all, do you think he's really talking literally, naturally, to just wash one another's feet? You think that this is what this is all about? No, I say because what Jesus said thereafter to emphasize his true point is that I want you guys to love each other just like I have loved you. How have I shown you love? You call me master, you call me Lord, and so you are right. But what did I do as your master and lord? I humbled myself, got down on my hands and knees, half naked with a towel wrapped around myself, and I washed every one of your feet because I love you, because I care for you. And I'm leaving this as an example to you that you do the same for one another. Let's go to John chapter 15, 7 through 17. He said, If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask whatever you want, and it will be done unto you. This is how my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit. So shall you be my disciples. As the Father loved me, so I love you. Continue in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These are the things that I've spoken unto you, that your joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. This why I don't call you servants, for the servant knoweth not what the Lord doeth, but I have called you friends. For all the things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. You haven't chosen me, I chose you, I ordained you, that you should go forth and bring forth much fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you that you love one another. Did you did you count how many times he emphasized that they love each other, that they love each other, that they love each other? John chapter 16, verse 27, for the Father Himself loveth you because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God, because we've placed our faith and trust in Jesus, the Father of glory, loves us. And in John 17, verse 23 and 26, Jesus says, I in them and thou in me. This is the famous prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father on the night of the Last Supper. He was praying that I be in them and you be in me, and that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me and has loved them just as you have loved me. Skipping to verse twenty six, I have declared unto them your name, and I will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them. In these passages they culminate into what we read in chapter seventeen, that the love of God is primary. The love of God is manifested through us as we hear and obey him. Therefore, love and truth are two sides of the same coin. Paul said in Romans 5 5, Hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. Catch that again. It's it bears repeating. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We now have the capacity to love others with the very love of God that we have received when we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Our love for one another does not cover each other's sins by being lovey dovey with each other, especially when one or both of the parties is unclean. It's when we help one another, repent of our sins, and return back to the Lord. How do we apply this natural example of washing one another's feet spiritually? Let me show you in James chapter 5, verse 19 and 20. James said, Brethren, brothers, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he that converts the sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. You see the connection? When we love one another, we will cover a multitude of sins. But James makes it emphatically practical, and he uses a great example that when someone walks away and starts erring from the truth, and another comes in and converts him back from the error of his way, saving his soul from death, this is how he's gonna hide a multitude of sins. This isn't the only time that this is spoken of. Paul spoke to the Galatians to walk in this kind of love for each other. In Galatians chapter six, brothers, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. We cover one another's sins, we wash one another's sins, when we help our brethren who stumble and get lost along the way, find them and carry their burdens as their own. We save each other's souls from death. That is how love covers a multitude of sins. How did Jesus express and manifest the Father's love for us? He came to die for our sins. He bear the burden of our sins so that we can be saved. And he expects us, his brethren, to do the same for one another. And this is how we do it. It's not because we ate bread, it's not because we drank wine when we got together. You're missing the point. Take care of each other, love each other, carry one another's burdens, help each other out when one gets lost, when one starts straying from the truth. Bring them back in a spirit of meekness and humility. In that way you will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. How do we take the spiritual bread and wine? Look at Revelation chapter 2, verse 7. He said, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Then go all the way almost to the end of Revelation chapter 22, verse 17, and the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that hears say come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. Brothers and sisters, we eat from the tree of life, and drink from the Spirit of God, from the river of God, by hearing the word of God and doing it, and being led by his Spirit. These references that I have just shared with you, I believe are the true communion with Christ. Paul said to the Corinthians again, chapter ten, verse sixteen. The cup of the blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? That word communion is the Greek word koinonia. It means fellowship, community, association with, joint participation. And sometimes it has the sense of the intercourse, the sharing with one another in anything, in participation, uh, fellowship, intimacy. I'm not saying that intercourse is what is always used for that. I'm saying sometimes it has that connotation. It is the right hand as a sign of a pledge of fellowship that we come together in intimate ways, where we love each other, we care for one another, we help each other out. We have true communion, fellowship, joint participation, intercourse, if you will, and intimacy with Jesus when we hear and obey his word, eating his flesh, the bread, the manna, and partaking of his spirit, drinking his blood. And the wine. We have fellowship, association, community, and joint participation with each other when we love one another according to his commandment by his spirit. We don't have that because we get together to eat bread and drink wine. Eating bread and drinking wine is just a natural illustration of what God is looking for amidst his people spiritually. Love and obedience toward God and each other. The true communion is truly about the first and second commandment of the Lord. Matthew 22, 37 through 40. Jesus said unto them, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is likened unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. This is the true communion. If you were blessed and appreciate listening to this podcast and you would like to support us in our efforts, consider lifting us up in prayer first. Then remember these four social media buzzwords. Share, like, subscribe, or follow. Share this podcast link with someone else by text, email, or word of mouth in the hopes that they might be uplifted as you were. Like by leaving a positive rating or review with whomever you listen to our podcast with. Subscribe to support the show monetarily with the link in our podcast description. Follow us on all our social media platforms. May God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice.