Pod Prep Self Examination Passover Requirement
A VERY SERIOUS WARNING REGARDING THE NEW TESTAMENT PASSOVER SERVICES
Paul warned that the Corinthians’ Passover Service is doing more harm than good even though it is required. Why? They were not taking it with the appropriate gravity. They did not show proper appreciation for this awesome sacrifice. See I Cor 11:20-22 some of them even got drunk, sort of like a pagan celebration. Paul tells them that anyone during the Passover Service, who eats this bread and drinks this wine in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the disregarding and sinning against the body and blood of Christ. Woe! Paul warns that a man must examine himself before symbolically partaking of the body and blood of Christ. See I Cor 11:26-29. Paul states that many of the Corinthian brethren have died and are sick because of their cavalier; partying approach to the Lord’s Supper or New Testament Passover. Paul advises that if we judge or evaluate ourselves before the service we will not need to be judged harshly by God. See verses 31-32. Paul further elaborates in Heb 10:24-31 that it is a fearful thing to trample upon and not appreciate the sacrifice of the Messiah.
THE GOALS OF SUCCESSFUL SELF EXAMINATION
True humility and repentance requires one to accurately see one self as a sinner. We need spiritual vision. Spiritual blindness leads to pride and self-righteousness. See Matt 23:13-38 for example of spiritual blindness. We need humility. See Isa 66:2 where God says he looks to people that are humble and tremble at his word. The kingdom belongs to the humble! An accurate assessment of self will leave one humbler. Pray for spiritual vision.
IF WE LOVE GOD WE WILL APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICE OF BOTH FATHER AND SON FOR US
It may have been an even harder sacrifice for God, the Father than for the son. It seems apparent that one of the reasons God had Abraham almost sacrifice his precious son was to illustrate that it was harder for the father (Abraham father of the faithful) than for his son. This is the kind of pain and mental suffering God experienced when Christ entered Jerusalem for the last time to be tortured and crucified. We can appreciate the vast sacrifice of both Father and Son when we examine ourselves to show our appreciation of the love God has for all mankind. See Genesis 22 and John 3:16. In John 15:10-13 we can show our love of God by obeying the commandments. We need to examine ourselves so we can work on more effective loving obedience of those commandments in the future.
HOW TO IMPROVE SELF EXAMINATION OF OUR CARNALITY AND VANITY
Admission of our weaknesses and lapses of judgement for the past year might be a good start. See I John 1:8-2:1-3. We all have sins and problems.
MEDITATION IS A HELPFUL TOOL
FASTING IS ANOTHER TOOL
CONFESSION AND COUNSELING
(However many people will prove untrustworthy with juicy secrets.)
SET WRITTEN GOALS FOR GROWTH YET KEEP REPENTING AND TRYING, NO MATTER OUR SLIPS.
PRAY FOR MORE WISDOM AND HELP FROM GOD VIA THE HOLY SPIRIT.
No one is perfect in self-examining themselves but we should keep the Passover in a WORTHY MANNER.
Jim
