The benefits offered in this sacrament and bestowed upon all who receive it In faith ARE POINTED OUT IN THESE WORDS of the institution: "GIVEN AND SHED FOR YOU, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS." Accordingly, the benefits are: "REMISSION OF SINS, LIFE AND SALVATION." For while only the remission (forgiveness) of sins is mentioned in the institution, yet WHERE THERE IS REMISSION OF SINS, THERE ARE ALSO LIFE AND SALVATION. [Rom. 6:22] The Lord's Supper confers all the benefits which Christ secured by His sufferings and death. [Eph. 1:7] Each communicant is assured by the words of Christ Himself that the body which he receives along with the bread was given for him, and that the blood which he receives along with the wine was shed for him, for the remission of his sins. The promise of grace and forgiveness held out to all in the Gospel is thus brought home to each individual in the Lord's Supper. Each believing communicant is individually assured that Christ is his Saviour, and that he has the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation through Christ's death.
III. How can the bodily eating and drinking produce such great effects?
The eating and the drinking, indeed, do not produce them; but the words which stand here, namely, "given and shed for you for the remission of sins." These words are, besides the bodily eating and drinking, the chief things in the sacrament; and he who believes these words has that which they declare and set forth; namely, the remission of sins.
WHY THE LORD'S SUPPER HAS POWER TO CONFER SUCH BENEFITS.
THE EATING AND THE DRINKING, INDEED, DO NOT PRODUCE SUCH GREAT EFFECTS.
BUT THE WORDS WHICH STAND HERE, "GIVEN AND SHED FOR YOU, FOR THE
AND HE WHO BELIEVES THESE WORDS HAS THAT WHICH THEY DECLARE, [Matt. 8:13] NAMELY, THE REMISSION OF SINS. Forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are offered to all who partake of this sacrament, but they are accepted and possessed only by those who believe. The impenitent and unbelieving, if they come to the Lord's Table, receive the body and blood of Christ also, but they receive it to their condemnation, because they do not receive it with a penitent and believing heart. [I Cor 11:29+]