Oh boy! Here we go again!
I may appear unworthy to you becos of certain things I've done or not done. But I'm more interested in how God see's me. ie in Christ -- who is my righteousness or perfect standing before God.
And just how do you appear to God if you are carrying on fornicating, acting out of greed and lying and deceiving all your business contacts on the basis that 'Jesus died for my sin, so God doesn't see it'? That is presuming upon God's grace. The kind of faith which produces no change of lifestyle, contrition for sin, and determination to act righteously is no faith at all. We all stumble and fall at times - even backslide and become compromising and complacent - without that discrediting our initial conversion. However, these things
do marr our relaionship with God, hinder our prayers, and make us 'unworthy' to take communion. They are an offense against the very Body which we are told to discern. Therefore we need to heed Jesus own advice and make peace with our brethren - repent of all known sin - before presenting our gift at the altar (as ois reflected in the historical liturgy of the Church)
it's not what I do or dont do that makes me "worthy", but what Christ has done for me
True - but I am still commanded to 'examine myself' and 'confess my sin' so that I may bre freed from the contamination of sinful deeds, on the basis of His shed blood.
if one does feel unworthy or condemned, then all the more he shld drink of the cup, to remind himself of the power of the blood that keeps him clean,
Even while holding that blood in disrespect, by failing to bring His sins under it???
Feeling unworthy or condemned
after having confessed one's sins is a lie from the devil and should not keep anyone from the Table of the Lord. However, feeling 'unworthy' and
convicted of sin which remains unconfessed and unrepented is a very different matter - the work of the Holy Spirit on our conscience - and should drive us to our knees. However, if we are not prepared to deal with such sins - or confess them with our mouths while knowing in our heart that we have no intention of actually forsaking them - is a very different matter. A presumption upon th sanctity of His Body and Blood, which may heap judgement upon ours heads.
...the blood that keeps him clean not his obedience or good works or confession.
Of course this is at the heart of Communion - but it is not for the disobedient (who show their lack of love for Him who shed that blood - see John 14:15) or the unrepentant (who treat that Blood with disrespect and ingratitude - see Heb 10:29).
Anthony