Statement of Faith #6 Part 2-Holy Communion

I just want to remind you that this is part two of the sixth Assembly of God statements of faith. I broke it into two parts for ease of posting.

Official Assembly of God Statement of Faith #6(second half)-The Lord's supper, consisting of the elements-bread and the fruit of the vine-is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, a memorial of His suffering and death, and a prophecy of His second coming, and is enjoined on all believers "until He come!"

As I explained yesterday, the belief of the Assembly of God church is that Holy Communion, or the Lord's supper, is considered to us to be an ordinance. That is, a command that has been given to us through the Word, that as Christians, we are expected to obey. It is not a requirement of our Christianity or something that makes us more Holy but is a simple act of obedience that we wish to do.

Communion is a symbol of our sharing in the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. God created us in His image and in 2 Peter 1:4(NIVC) it states, "Through His glory and goodness...you can share in being like God."

It is a memorial of His suffering and death. The bread reminds of His bodily sacrifice on the cross while the wine/juice helps us to remember His shed blood. 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 16 states, "The cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks is a participation in the blood of Christ. The bread that we break (is) a participation in the body of Christ." Some denominations believe that the bread and wine actually become His body and blood through transubstantiation. We simply believe that the bread and wine represent those two things, that they serve as a reminder to us of His body and blood, shed for us on the cross.

It is a prophecy of His second coming by reminding us that Jesus promised we would be with Him in glory. (Matthew 26:26-29)

And finally it is asked of all believers until He comes. This refers to the fact that this is a command, an order of Jesus to partake in if we want to walk in obedience. It is a visible representation of invisible realities. Communion reminds us that Jesus will come to take us home with Him to heaven.

"Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." -1 Corinthians 11:26