Are the Elements of Communion the Literal Body and Blood of Christ?

This is core Christianity were answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez hello and welcome to another episode of the entity. The program where we answer your questions about the faith and with theology professor Dr. Michael Horton, I'm pastor E drill Sanchez and he can't turn on the TV or the news and not here about the coronavirus.

Many people are gripped by fear, Mike help, how should we as Christians respond to this well, it certainly puts in perspective what we talk about everyday here yeah knowing God and ourselves in our condition for God.

How are related to God. Sin and salvation hope of eternal life. I think at a time like this.

Of Psalm 90 where it's a prayer of Moses. Moses cries out.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations before the mountains were brought forth for every would form the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God you return man to dust and say return, O children of man for a thousand years in your site are but as yesterday when it is passed or is a watch in the night and then he goes on to to set you how Reese to respond to all of this. Well, he says that the years of our life are 70 or by reason of strength 80 other Spanish but toil and trouble there soon gone and we fly away so teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.

And I think that's really the punchline here of this Psalm, teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. Kind of live life backwards from your tombstone and ask yourself what really matters, and at a time like this. We were pressed to do that we really sense that were standing before God, not just other people and that there is a health crisis yes but there's a crisis that's even greater a crisis of eternity. Are we fearful more of what a virus can do than we are of what God can do for all of eternity. So this is the time for us really to take a step back and say in whom do we trust when Moses begins it by saying, Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. God doesn't just give us a dwelling place. He is our dwelling place. Where's the place of security.

Right now the greatest place of security.

The greatest place isn't the hospital's isn't locked inside your house. Although those may be precautionary measures your greatest safety no matter what happens right now is that God is your dwelling place, he is the place of safety.

A man with FLSA to our first question of thinking about sickness and suffering. We have an Instagram question from Tom. What does first Peter for me when it describes Christians as suffering in the flesh.

Yeah, thank you, Tom.

Peter is talking here about physical suffering which was definitely a regular experience of Christians. Then, as now, in fact, Peter himself was martyred in here suffering in the flesh means physical suffering.

Peter says in verse one of first Peter four. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God for the time that is passed suffices for doing what the Gentiles do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry with respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you, but they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead, for this is why the gospel was preached, even to those were dead, and though judged in the flesh, the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. The emphasis here on suffering in the flesh combats false teachings that the body doesn't matter, or that Jesus didn't suffer and die physically that he only appeared to suffer because he didn't have a body there's a whole heresy there that was in seminal form that eventually broke out in what's called Gnosticism, but the main point to make their it really is that even Christ suffered in the flesh, so we also suffer in the flesh. We are still in the flesh, but not in the flesh and the sense of giving into our sinful passions. We are not those anymore who live in the way that pagans live and think that's just fine. Our bodies not just our souls. But our bodies belong to the Lord. I think by the way, Tom and atrial.

This is something that in our day there a lot of Christians who say you know it doesn't matter really how I live with my body how I treated how I carve it up how I try to twist and bend it how I use it in bed how I use it with other people. What really matters is my soul as long as I have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Jesus and I are okay but the body. I can kinda do whatever I want. That is the Gnostic heresy that Peter is trying to refute here.

The Gnostics said you can live anywhere you want with your bodies because they don't matter as long as your soul is right with the Lord that just is not the teaching of Scripture. We are embodied souls and ensouled bodies, our bodies will be raised.

God created our bodies to honor him, believers live in their bodies using their hands to give a cup of cold water to a brother or sister in need, using their legs to walk to church and to serve their neighbors and to go to work and do their job, to the glory of God. Our bodies belong to the Lord.

We belong to the Lord in both body and soul. Amen. Thanks Tom for that question. Let's go now to a call that we received about Hebrews chapter 6 hi Hunter from Ohio.

Hebrews 6 verses four through six seems to say that no one who backsides in the faith can repent and return from it. Could you clarify these verses and if there is any give hope to a backslider like me. Thank you. Well hey Hunter, thanks for giving us a call to me this is one of those passages that I think especially when believers are struggling when they feel like they've they fallen hard or even falling away from the Lord. They read this and it can take away all hope for restoration or at least seemingly take away all hope of restoration and let me just read the text for those who are unfamiliar with them to begin in verse one the author to the Hebrew says therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. By the way, this is the stuff that you want to go over new members class meaning as these are the basics is what we've gone over already and this we will do if God permits, for it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt for him to go to verse seven, the land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. I think all of that passage is very important for understanding that the specifics in verses four through six. No first is this thing that somebody who back slides or falls grievously in the Christian life can never come back to faith. We know that can be the case because who of the disciples of the Lord, didn't you have you think of Peter couldn't be safe. And you think of Peter denying the Lord while Jesus is been crucified that you think of years later, when Peter and Paul are in Antioch and Paul rebukes Peter for basically that the fear of man and not being willing to eat with the Gentiles and volatile community not even walking in instep with the gospel is struggling with the fear of in the same thing.

He struggled with on the day that Jesus was crucified.

And so the sin and struggling with sin, even when we fail grievously does not mean that we can't repent, not at all, and everywhere on the pages of Scripture. David you think of King David and me talk about someone who had committed a heinous and calm backslider murder, adultery, and yet God pursued him hundred God is pursuing you, even right now as you think about these things.

You hear the word of God.

God calls us to repentance and to faith and that's what's happening throughout the book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews is written to people who were being tempted to abandon Jesus altogether to go back to Judaism to put their trust in animal sacrifices and the other the bruising don't do them and this is people who are just sort of. I'm struggling with the particular sin here there backsliding there there there wrestling with lust or greed or something like that know their wrestling with. Should we just forsake Jesus altogether.

Should we put our confidence in the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. You know Jesus's blood is insufficient me gets into this, especially in chapter 10 that is why they're trampling the blood of Christ.

He says exactly. And so this is in describing people who are genuinely born again, who then abandon the faith and have lost their salvation can never come back.

Something like that and actually think a little parable that he gives us later there in verses seven and eight were talks about the rain falling on the land right the land in the context of this exhortation is the people of God, the rain is been falling on them. The powers of the aged ignore insect, they've heard the word of God tasted the heavenly gift they been enlightened, probably a reference to baptism, and yet he says if it yields thorns and thistles is worthless and near to being cursed was not that this was once you know a fruit bearing tree that all of a sudden now is been cast aside know it's the rain is been falling.

The gospel has been penetrating into your your ears and yet you're not believing that's the problem is that those are some of the things that you really need to understand about the applicant the fact the very next verse, verse nine says, though we speak. In this way.

Yet, in your case. Beloved, we feel sure of better things. Things that belong to salvation. There is so, whatever blessings they had by being part of the covenant family the word of the sacraments. The common ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church in his body whatever benefits that you had belonging to the church. While you did you weren't say you didn't have saving blessings you were united to Christ through faith.

That's right as a hunter.

What I would want to say to you is whether I think that one of Satan's tactics is to convince Christians who struggle that there is no hope for them that for people who have fallen even in grievous ways to convince them that God is through with them wants nothing to do with you. I'm finished but that's not the case at me think about how Jesus restored Peter there on the shore after his resurrection he cook some breakfast. He disciples him.

He ministers to him. That's what the Lord does for us when we fall.

He fever� He raises us up. He gives us his body and blood in the Lord's supper and so you have hope you have the hope of the gospel, and the fact you're calling right now and wanting to know.

Hey, MI. So far gone that that the grace of God is in for me anymore know that's assigned to me that the spirit of God is at work in your heart convicting you turn to Jesus to leave cling to the promise of the gospel. That's what I think God would call you tonight at the book of Hebrews calls these Christians to your listener to core Christianity were answering your questions about the word of God, give us a call if you have a question at 1-833-843-2673.

That's 1833 the core or you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com and we want to let you know about a special offer that we have for you today.

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Thanks, Mike.

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Caitlin Estes in an email.

I'm confused about John 656 where Jesus said lever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him, I have some Catholic friends who told me that this is talking about Communion or the Eucharist. I've never heard of this before. Is it true thanks Caitlin yes and no. Yes he's speaking literally in the sense that Jesus is the sacrificial meal, the fulfillment of Passover, but Paul says as much in first Corinthians 10. Christ, our Passover is sacrificed.

Therefore let us keep the feast of the Lord's supper is a sacrificial feast, but it's not a reason sacrificing of Christ. Rather, he is our Passover. Therefore we keep the feast. Now it's not a sacrifice it's a sacrificial meal. He's totally opposed any and idea that Christ is being re-sacrificed in the Lord's supper. Christ is the end of the whole sacrificial system. At the same time. Paul adds verses 16 and 17 of chapter 10 the cup of blessing that we bless is it not a participation in the blood of Christ, the bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ because there is one bread, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread, and so there really is a communion between the sign and the thing signified when we gather for the Lord's supper. There is a sacrifice, but we are all feeding on the Passover feast. Christ is the Lamb and we are actually feeding on his body and blood.

What a wonderful opportunity we have the know that he has shed his blood for us.

His body was broken for us, and I'm always amazed at conservative Christians who take the Bible literally until it comes to baptism and the Lord's supper then everything gets allegorizing spiritualized and turned in the metaphor Jesus is literally saying unless we drink his blood and eat his flesh that is unless we feed on him as our sacrifice. We have no life. But the answers also know Jesus isn't saying in John six that were cannibals we feed on Christ by faith. The Lord's supper is the tangible, visible communal meal that we receive Christ's body and blood for our life through faith, without any change in the bread and wine were were not chewing on Christ's body with our teeth were not drinking Christ's blood literally through our lips, but we are no less, receiving Christ's body and blood through the bread and the wine just as surely as we take the bread and the cup, so surely we take Christ as our sacrifice once offered on Calvary so you don't. Paul recalls the words of institution in the upper room in first Corinthians 1123 to 26 and says, for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes as a key term in chapter 10 of first Corinthians is coin anemia from which we get the name communion just as the pagans participate in the poisonous life of the demons through their idle feasts. Paul says we participate in the saving life of Christ through this meal of holy Communion the mystery beyond our comprehension meant to be embraced and enjoyed. Rather than explain in the important thing to remember here Caitlin is at the supper is a gift. It's a means of grace. It's not your work. Some Christians believe that they or the priest may be offering a new sacrifice. Others believe that the whole effect of communion consistent our remembering what Jesus did for us in re-dedicating our lives to him, but according to these passages the supper is a gift is not about what were doing about what God is doing what God is giving which is nothing less than Christ himself. We are embodied creatures in the Lord knows that her faith is weak, so he gives us these physical, tangible, visible tokens of his promise, but like a wedding ring in marriage. So what a wonderful gift. It is, it's not every sacrificing of Christ, but it is Christ saying this is my body broken for you my blood shed for you.

Take, eat and drink. Thank you for that question. We have a call hear from Joy about Mark chapter 9 joy and Iran and go to California and I have a down at about chapter 9 and Mike got and when he went on to say I attenuated to some standing here right now way to not die before they see the kingdom of God arrive in great that to his disciples and dad and I don't understand what that means and I wonder if you can clarify it for me please and thank you so much for your answer. My back goes right next to Paradise race live hello Julie, thank you for that call into that question. I can see why it might be a little bit confusing