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#45. The Lord's Supper Corrects our Perspective on Heavenly Realities
 - Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of  faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 
 - For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we  shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with  Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be  slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
 We have seen, then, that the Lord's Supper can correct our perspective as we look at the past (looking back), the future (looking forward) and on how sinful we are and what the just  punishment is for our sins (looking down). Perhaps it will come as no surprise to discover that the Table can also help us as we look at the rewards we receive in Christ, entirely as a result of His finished work and completely due to His grace (looking up). In remembering the sacrificial death of Christ, we reflect on the fact that He defeated death on the Cross. We know this because He rose from the dead on the third day, which He could not have done unless His sacrifice was accepted by God, and the debt for the sin of His people was fully discharged. So the Table tells us that the justice of God was fully satisfied. We do not celebrate a half-completed or partly sufficient work, but one that is fully accomplished in every sense. Consequently, the Supper also reminds us of, and confirms to us, the reward that Jesus will be given for humbling Himself to the point of dying such a death - the Church! This is at least a part of "the joy set before Him" the writer to the Hebrews speaks of above. Jesus Himself has entered heaven with His glorified body, and there He waits for all those He died to save to  join Him for ever, having been made like Him. Paul reminds the church in Rome of the same thing from a different point of view in our second  passage above. At the Supper, we should remember and celebrate the death on the cross (with Christ) of our "old man", who was a slave to sin and destined for hell. Now, in Christ, we are freed from bondage to sin and will most certainly be raised to eternal life in glory if we have died with Christ on the cross in this way.  None of these things would be possible but for the victory of Christ on the cross. So, when we come to the Table, we can look up and see in sharper perspective the reward that is in front of us - to form a part of the reward of Christ in glory throughout endless ages, as part of a risen, glorified humanity that is entirely delivered from the guilt and power of sin! This should be such an encouragement to us that we should eagerly anticipate each fresh celebration of the Supper.

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