God basically said to Adam, "Hey, don’t do
this dumb thing or you will suffer a horrible consequence." The
consequence of sinning is death. Now, death is a big word. It means
curses, eternal hell, physical death, tears, suffering and more. Sin
leads to death. Romans 6:23 states that "...the wages of sin is
death...."
After Adam and Eve sinned, God looked down
from heaven at man’s condition and saw two things that He did not
like. He saw man doing stupid things on the earth, i.e., sin. And,
He saw the horrible consequences man suffered and will suffer
because of his sin, i.e., death. Sin and death are equally odious in
God’s sight.
Then God sent His Son to die for man in order
to set him free from sin and death. The eating of the two elements
of the Lord’s supper, the bread and the cup, proclaim the Lord’s
death (1Cor. 11:26). The bread symbolizes deliverance from sin (1Cor
5:6-8; 1Pet. 2:24; etc.). The cup symbolizes deliverance from death
(Col. 1:14; etc.). How simple can things get?
Every problem that mankind has can be
categorized as either a sin problem or a death problem; or usually
both. The Lord’s Supper, which symbolizes the Lord’s death,
proclaims God’s solution to every problem you and I have.
We need to see our deliverance from death in
the cup. Curses that we labor under are lifted because of the blood.
As we apply the blood by faith to our curses, and stand on the truth
of the blood, we will see curses lifted in our lives and in the
lives of other people. By speaking in faith the truth of the blood
and by acting in faith, we are effectively applying the blood to the
particular situation or condition we’re concerned with. This is the
New Testament fulfillment of the truth symbolized by the Hebrews
applying the blood to their doorposts during the Passover. The angel
of death had to pass over the houses that had the blood applied. Of
course, condemnation and a guilty conscience are also lifted by the
application of the truth of the blood by faith.
As we stand on the truth of the bread; i.e.,
that we are delivered from sin; we will experience true freedom from
sin’s bondage.
As we stand in faith on these two great
pillars of the cross, other truths of the cross like our deliverance
from sickness and demons will be experienced more easily.
In all of the above, the devil will oppose us
and try to separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39). He
will try to talk us out of these truths that ensure our complete
deliverance from sin and death. Thus, we must stand and fight the
good fight of faith with these great truths of the cross. Eating the
Lord’s Supper with understanding helps us in this fight of faith.
In order to clear up some possible confusion,
we need to understand that repentance is implied by both the cup and
the bread. One needs to repent and believe to receive both
forgiveness for sin and deliverance from sin. The Exodus story has
two pictures of repentance. For the Hebrews to be shielded from the
angel of death they were instructed to stay inside their houses.
This is a picture of the repentance necessary to receive forgiveness
of sins. Also, for the Hebrews to experience deliverance out of
Egypt, they needed to be trying to get out of Egypt. Daaah! The
opening in the Red Sea that the Lord made for them would only
benefit those who were willing to move their legs and start walking
across. The picture of the Hebrews walking away from and out of
Egypt is a picture of the repentance necessary to receive
deliverance from sin.
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