In the Old Testament it teaches that God’s chosen people only remained in their covenant with God was by completely obeying the laws God gave to them which required animal sacrifices before God so that its blood would cover their sins and receive his forgiveness.
In Hebrews 9:22 it tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.
Hebrews teaches that animal sacrifices could not clear the guilty conscience of sin because it needed to be continuously done. Only through the grace of God when he sent his Son as the onetime sacrifice for the world’s past, present, and future sins animal sacrifices were no longer required. Sin was completely paid for, and God graciously forgives us so that no one perishes but could have eternal life if they believe in his Son Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Jesus instituted communion to remember him and what he did to save us. Eating the broken bread represents his broken body that suffered for the payment for our sins. Sins that separated him from his Father on the cross suffering our 2nd death and drinking of the fruit of the vine represents his blood covenant that covers our sins forever.
In Acts, Communion was something the early church did whenever they gathered for a meal which was almost every day. So, the church knew how important that they always remember what Jesus did to save them every day and not only on special occasions.
Taking communion is not what saves us it is remembering what Jesus did saves us. Spiritual communion with Jesus should be a daily remembrance before we begin our day to serve him. So, that we can walk in the grace of our Father’s forgiveness in our hearts so that we are able to forgive those who sin, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus teaches that forgiving others are essential to our salvation because of his Father’s forgiveness of our sins. Being unforgiving is a sin that God does not forgive.
Matthew 6: 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

We forgive others by the blood of Jesus that has covered our sins and theirs. Its forgiving others by the Father’s grace and not our grace. We do not have the grace that God gives when he sent his innocent son to die for us while we were still sinners. We are not innocent of sin to give grace like God.
Jesus warns us that sin is an everyday occurrence, and we should not be the reason for causing someone to sin.
Luke 17: 1 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
How often do you stop to think that your words or actions could cause someone to sin? Do you capture every thought and make it obedient to Christ? It’s hard but we need to put it into practice.
Paul warns about how we exercise the freedom we have in Christ may become a stumbling block to someone to sin.
1 Corinthians 8: 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
Paul said we need to be aware of believers who have a weak conscience. These would be new believers who have been influence by the world’s false teaching or by false religions or false teachers about God’s truth. Jesus warns us when we cause someone to sin, we sin against Christ.
Jesus teaches we must also confront sin in the church.
Luke 17: 3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."
Jesus said as his followers we must confront those who sin in the church by rebuking them out of love because it is leading them from eternal life. You want them to repent, to turn from their sin and come back to Christ. Jesus said only when they repent forgive them so that they can return to the body of Christ. This forgiveness is to restore one back to the church and not having the continued forgiveness we give by the blood of Christ.
Jesus disciples found it difficult to forgive others so they asked Jesus to increase their faith so that they can forgive others.
Luke 17: 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
Jesus teaches faith as small as a mustard seed is faith that does not have any doubt. It is faith that believes that Jesus being God came to reveal his Father in the flesh to those who love him and to save all who receive him as their Lord and Savior. This kind of faith in God makes it possible for God to do the impossible for those who knows and obeys his will.
To have faith like this is to be a servant of Jesus which Jesus teaches the attitude we must have to one.
7 "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8 Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything, you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
So, if you truly confess Jesus as your Lord, you will always have this attitude of being unworthy of receiving God’s grace of eternal life and obeying his commandment to love one another as he loved us by forgiving each other’s sin because he died for them.
Be safe in Jesus, Ps. Glenn