God calls us to examine ourselves [1] before coming to his table and we therefore encourage you to consider the following questions before approaching his table:

Have you been Born Again?  Jesus said that unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. [2] Being ‘born again’ involves repenting of sin, receiving Christ, and being regenerated by his Spirit. If you are not sure whether you have ever experienced this birth from above, then do not come to the table. The Lord’s Supper cannot save you. You must be born again.

Have you been Baptized? There are two sacraments which Jesus instituted for his church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism marks a person’s initial entrance into the Kingdom [3] and should be received only once. Communion, however, is part of the church’s ongoing ministry of discipleship and is received often.

The supper gives baptized believers opportunity to remember and proclaim his death until he comes again. [4] If you have not yet been baptized, we insist that you obey that commandment before coming to the Lord’s Supper.

Have you Professed your Faith? Contrary to popular opinion, it is not enough simply to ‘love Jesus in your heart’. The Bible says that our mouths are just as involved in our salvation as our hearts. [5] A person must profess their faith in Christ publicly before coming to communion.

Are you Living Penitently? First of all, living a penitent life is not the same thing as living a perfect life. No Christian under heaven has ever reached a state of sinless perfection. Nevertheless, the Lord does expect his children to walk humbly and penitently before him on a daily basis. If we claim to have no sin, we are calling God a liar. [6] However, if we confess our sins, God is faithful not only to forgive us of our sins, but also to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [7]

Are you Right with the Church? Grace Reformed Church is but a small part of Christ’s earthly  kingdom. Therefore, we do honor the discipline of other local churches. If you are presently under discipline or if you have ever been excommunicated, do not come to the supper until you have been officially and publicly reinstated into membership. [8]

Furthermore, we also believe that the Bible teaches local church membership. [9]  While we realize that this is not always possible, we do see it as normative and must, therefore, include it as requirement for coming to communion.

Can you say “Yes” to each of these questions? If so, then we warmly welcome you to join us at the Lord’s Table. If you cannot say “Yes” to these questions or if you are not sure about these requirements, we ask that you please refrain from partaking at this time and speak with one of the elders about how you can enter into full communion with God and his people. [10]

Scripture Proofs

1.  1 Corinthians 11:28
2.  John 3:1-6
3.  Matthew 28:19
4.  1 Corinthians 11:25-26
5.  Romans 10:10
6.  1 John 2:4
7.  1 John 1:9
8.  2 Thessalonians 3:6,14-15
9.  Hebrews 13:17
10.  Acts 2:40-47
 

P.S. – I you are looking for more detailed points of self-examination, consider this section from our Larger Catechism.