Jesus went to the cross so that we could experience all the good things God promised us in His Word. If we’re struggling to get the manifestations of those promises, it may be because we’ve misinterpreted what we read. Jesus’ death and resurrection ended the covenant of the law, ushered in the covenant of grace, and radically changed life as we know it. However, unless we study the Scriptures and rely on the Holy Spirit’s interpretation to rightly divide the word of truth, nothing will happen.
We miss the true meaning that God intended if we take something out of context, read something into it that isn’t there, or interpret something based on our own opinion. No prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation; anything we read was not written by man, but by the Holy Ghost. Holy Communion is one example of how we can misinterpret when we put a religious spin on this significant act. We do this to remember Jesus’ body that was broken for us and His blood that He shed for us, for the forgiveness of our sins.
Misunderstanding this makes communion scary, not joyful. Religion tells us we’re unworthy to take communion if we have sin in our lives, and God will punish us if we participate in it unworthily. Communion is actually a reason to celebrate, not to wallow in sin-consciousness; we do this to remember our forgiveness, not our sins.
We also stumble if we think we’re responsible for our own salvation. The apostles told the Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, but we are to work out, not work for, our salvation. We can’t earn it through our own self-efforts; Jesus living in us is responsible for all the good things we have in us. We no longer have to live feeling condemned, as if Jesus never went to the cross, because there is now no condemnation when we’re in Him.
Prayer:
God, without the biblical wisdom You give us, we would never understand Your Word. You sent us the Holy Spirit to teach us how to properly apply what You tell us, so that we can lay hold of everything You want us to have in life. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
- 2 Timothy 2:15
- 2 Peter 1:20, 21
- 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25, 27-30
- Philippians 2:12
- Romans 8:1