Abiding in Grace
What makes you righteous is not what you do. What makes you righteous is what Jesus did on the cross...
May 4, 2025
Righteousness by the Blood
What makes you righteous is not what you do. What makes you righteous is what Jesus did on the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Your righteousness is not a result of your actions or how holy you think you are. You are not righteous because you pray, fast, or behave correctly. You are righteous because of what Jesus did.
Holiness is the fruit of righteousness; it is not the root of it. And that’s where the body of Christ has gotten it mixed up. We’ve made holiness the root. So now we say, “If you’re not holy, you’re not righteous.” No. The Bible says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”—not yours.
Romans 5:19 – “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
You became a sinner not because of your disobedience but because of Adam’s disobedience. Likewise, you are righteous not because of your obedience but because of Christ’s obedience.
The only way to become a sinner was to be born. You didn’t have to sin to become a sinner. You were born into sin because of Adam. In the same way, you don’t have to do right to be righteous—you have to be born again. And once you are born again, you are righteous. That’s what makes you righteous: your birth, not your behavior.
This is why people get stuck in the cycle of sin and shame. Because they think righteousness is about them. So every time they fall short, they assume God is now distant, upset, or withholding. But you weren’t righteous by your behavior in the first place—so your behavior can’t remove it. Righteousness is a gift.
This is the reason people struggle with communion. Because they think, “Oh, I messed up this week, so I can’t take communion.” But communion is not about your perfection; it’s about your participation in the finished work of Christ. You don’t take communion because you’re holy—you take communion because He made you holy.
1 Corinthians 1:30 – “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”
Jesus became your righteousness.
You don’t confess to become righteous. You confess because you are righteous. You don’t fast to become holy. You fast because you’re holy. Holiness flows from identity—not the other way around.
What Does It Mean to Eat and Drink Unworthily?
1 Corinthians 11:27–29 – “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Now, what does it mean to eat and drink “unworthily”? Notice, it doesn’t say the person is unworthy—it says the manner is unworthy. We often think that means you have to be perfect before you come to the table. But that’s not what the Scripture is saying. It’s not about your worthiness—it’s about the way you approach the table.
The word “unworthy” in the Greek here speaks of the attitude or the way you’re receiving. If you’re coming with fear, condemnation, or believing that you need to qualify yourself before receiving, that’s an unworthy manner. You are not discerning the Lord’s body. You’re not understanding what this represents.
We have often made communion a moment of fear. People avoid communion because they think, “Oh, I argued with someone this week. I fell short in prayer. I didn’t read my Bible.” And so they think, “If I take this, I might get judged.”
But what is Paul actually saying? He’s saying you must discern the body. What body? The body of Christ. When you don’t recognize what Jesus did—when you treat the bread and the wine like just another religious ritual—you miss the power of what it’s meant to do. That’s the judgment Paul is talking about—not God judging you, but you missing the blessing.
The result?
1 Corinthians 11:30 – “For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep”
Why are people sick? Because they’re not discerning the Lord’s body. They’re not seeing that “by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). They’re not understanding that healing is in the bread. Life is in the cup.
So people say, “Oh, don’t take communion lightly!”—and that’s true. But taking it lightly doesn’t mean taking it while struggling. It means taking it without revelation. It means taking it without recognizing that this is not about your perfection—it’s about His.
Communion: A Table of Remembrance, Not Examination
Jesus never said, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, examine yourself.” He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:24–25). So if you come to the table and you’re thinking about yourself—your failures, your sins, your shortcomings—you’re not doing it in remembrance of Him.
Communion is not about looking inward. It’s about looking upward. It’s not about what you’ve done. It’s about what He’s done. When you shift your focus to Jesus, to His finished work, that’s when the table becomes powerful.
In the Old Testament, when the Israelites ate the Passover, they didn’t have to check their week. God didn’t say, “Only the ones who were obedient this week can eat.” No, He said,
Exodus 12:7 – “Take the lamb, kill it, put the blood on the doorpost, and eat it all.”
And when the destroyer came, it passed over every house where the blood was applied—not where the people were perfect.
The same is true today. Communion is the fulfillment of Passover. Jesus is the Lamb. And the blood is on your life. You are protected. You are forgiven. You are covered. You are accepted—not because of you, but because of Him.
A Table of Grace, Not Judgment
The table is not a place of judgment. It’s a place of grace. It’s not where you get what you deserve. It’s where you receive what Jesus deserved. It’s not a table of performance. It’s a table of remembrance.
When you take the bread, you are remembering: “This is His body broken for me” (1 Corinthians 11:24). When you take the cup, you are remembering: “This cup is the new covenant in His blood” (1 Corinthians 11:25). And under this covenant, God says,
Hebrews 8:12 – “I will remember their sins no more”
So let’s not turn the Lord’s table into a place of fear. Let’s not make it about us. Let’s make it about Jesus. Let’s discern the Lord’s body. Let’s recognize what He has accomplished. Let’s receive the healing, the forgiveness, the righteousness, and the life that’s available at the table.
Because every time we come, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). We proclaim that it is finished. We proclaim that the price has been paid. And we proclaim that Jesus is enough.
The Power and Purpose of Communion
In the church I grew up in, communion was not a weekly occurrence. On the Sundays when it did happen, the Scripture would be read—“Examine yourselves…”—and everyone would solemnly reflect. Those who felt sinful would often step back and refrain from partaking. Fear gripped them. Older members would cast judgmental looks at the young ones walking away. It was a scene built around fear, not faith.
But here’s the truth: I don’t take communion because I had a perfect week. I take communion because He is perfect.
Yes, I may have had a fight with my wife. Yes, my behavior may not always match my prayers. But that’s exactly why I pray. Because I know I need Jesus. Imagine how I’d behave if I hadn’t prayed. So don’t let condemnation drive you away from God’s presence. That’s the time you need to come even closer. Communion is not reserved for the holy. It’s for those who know they need the Holy One.
We don’t worship because we are holy. We worship because He is holy.
1 Corinthians 1:30 – “And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” .
So when the Bible says “Examine yourselves”, it is not a call to examine how sinful you are. It’s a call to examine yourself in the light of Christ’s righteousness. If you cannot see yourself as righteous, then you haven’t yet fully understood what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
In my old church, we would fast and pray before communion Sunday, hoping to be “worthy.” We’d worship intensely, hoping God would make us holy. But let me ask you—how many times does the blood of Jesus need to sanctify you? If worship sanctifies you, and then communion re-sanctifies you again because someone is judging you from across the aisle, what are you believing in—grace or guilt?
Let me show you something powerful:
1 John 3:20 – “For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything” .
When your heart condemns you, hold fast to the truth. God is greater than your heart. If God has declared you righteous, then take Him at His Word. Don’t let guilt eat you alive. When you examine yourself, do so by looking at the finished work of Jesus, not the failures of your flesh.
The Real Context of Communion
Many misunderstand 1 Corinthians 11 because they don’t read it in context. Paul didn’t initiate communion—Jesus did. Jesus instituted it before His crucifixion as a prophetic act. Paul was not laying down rigid protocols for communion; he was addressing a specific problem in the Corinthian church.
Let’s look at the passage:
1 Corinthians 11:17 – “But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse”
The issue? Division. There were factions in the church. The rich arrived early, ate all the food, and got drunk. The poor came later and had nothing left. The Lord’s Supper had become a place of selfishness and separation.
Paul says:
1 Corinthians 11:20–21 – “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk”
This is why Paul is angry. He says:
1 Corinthians 11:22 – “Do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not”
Only then does Paul recount what Jesus did:
1 Corinthians 11:23 – “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,”
He continues:
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 – 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Communion is not a quarterly tradition. It is a declaration of the finished work of Christ. It proclaims His death—His sacrifice for sin, sickness, oppression, and poverty—until He returns.
So if you feel sinful, that’s not a reason to avoid communion. It’s a reason to run to it.
What Does It Mean to Partake in an “Unworthy Manner”?
1 Corinthians 11:27 – “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”
Notice—it does not say “if you are unworthy”, but “in an unworthy manner.” The issue is not the person, but the posture.
To partake in a worthy manner means to partake with revelation. Not dressed in white and trying to appear holy, but discerning the power of the cross. When you partake with understanding, you do so worthily.
The Corinthians were dividing the church and dishonoring others. That was the unworthy manner.
Paul goes on:
1 Corinthians 11:28 – “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup”
But how do we examine ourselves?
By asking: Do I see myself as righteous in Christ?
Do I discern the body of Jesus—the body that was beaten, pierced, and broken for me?
1 Corinthians 11:29 – “Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself”
This is not about listing your weekly sins. It’s about recognizing Jesus’ body, broken for you.
If you take communion from a place of condemnation, that internal judgment can manifest as weakness and sickness:
1 Corinthians 11:30 – “That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died”
Condemnation kills. But grace gives life.
Paul ends with this instruction:
1 Corinthians 11:33 “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another”
In other words, honor one another. Value the body—both His and the church.
Communion Is a Declaration of Victory
Communion is powerful. That’s why there’s so much controversy around it. Anything powerful attracts demonic distortion.
Speaking in tongues? Controversial.
Communion? Controversial.
Because both are powerful.
The early church had communion daily (Acts 2:46). Why? Because it wasn’t a religious ritual—it was a spiritual weapon. Taking communion is more powerful than an atomic bomb. It is a declaration that Jesus died in my place.
Jesus didn’t just die for you. He died as you. So if anyone asks, “Who qualified you to take communion?” Say it boldly: Jesus qualified me.
Jesus is my righteousness. Jesus is my sanctification.
Don’t let the devil rob you of communion by making it about your performance. You don’t become holy by fear—you celebrate the Holy One by faith. Communion is not about condemnation. It’s about celebration.
From Religion to Revelation
If you know you’re accepted by grace, you’ll stop judging others too. The same grace that saved you is available to everyone. We all want grace for ourselves—but let’s extend it to others.
Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. He came to restore relationship.
Religious spirits are the real seed of the serpent. Jesus told the Pharisees, “You are of your father, the devil” (John 8:44). That religious spirit is demonic.
Don’t let rules and rituals steal your joy in Jesus. Every act—whether prayer, communion, or worship—should be done to know Him more. It’s all about Jesus. Become aware of what He’s done—not just on Sundays, but every day. Even if you just had a fight, you can say: “I am sanctified by Jesus.” Why did you have a fight? Because you forgot who you are. But now, remember:
“I am the righteousness of God. I am redeemed. I am the beloved.”
Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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