Deep Dive into Judging Ourselves Truly: Self-Examination, Divine Discipline, and the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:31 )

Divine discipline and voluntary self-judgment form a critical theological dynamic, particularly concerning the sacred ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. Paul establishes the fundamental axiom that God’s judgments toward His people are ultimately restorative, not destructive: "When we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."

Discipline is an act of fatherly love and an instrument of grace, intended to preserve believers from living in unrepentant hypocrisy and proving to belong to the world destined for final condemnation. This discipline is not retributive, as God’s wrath against sin has been exhausted in Christ, but corrective, designed to awaken repentance. The Corinthians experienced this temporal discipline severely, suffering weakness, illness, and even death, because they abused the Supper, turning it into an arena of selfish indulgence and social pride where the rich shamed the poor. Their failure to “discern the body” resulted in them eating and drinking judgment upon themselves.

The means of preventing this painful, involuntary discipline is genuine self-judgment. Self-judgment is a gracious, preventative measure where believers proactively submit their hearts, motives, and conduct to the searching verdict of God’s Word. This involves confession, repentance, and amending their ways, essentially choosing to “bow beneath His verdict now.”

By engaging in this Spirit-led self-examination, believers cooperate with God’s sanctifying work. When they judge themselves truly, they avert the need for the Lord to intervene with heavier chastisements. Self-judgment is a mercy that spares God’s people from the painful consequences of unaddressed sin, allowing them to walk under His fatherly favor rather than under His heavier hand. This practice is essential for honoring the Lord’s Supper, as it ensures believers do not approach the Table with known, cherished sin, thus profaning the body and blood of the Lord.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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