Thank you both for your answers. I guess its hard for me to understand the rules of a church. The church that I attend doesn't have rules (honestly). I know you may not believe that, but the only rules we follow are God's rules (the Bible), so it is hard for me to imagine making rules for Jesus' church when He already made all the rules for us.
The question: When am I cleansed enough to take communion?
The church that I worship at does not restrict anyone from taking communion. But the teaching of Christ is that those who belong to His church and should be taking communion, are those who God added to His church.
Acts 2: 38-47
When the people asked Peter what they should do he said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit....With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
...And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
1 Corinthians 11 tells us that "whoever eats or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself."
We need to recognize the price that Christ paid for us and honor this sacrifice when taking the Lord's supper. If we haven't done what He instructed us to do, being baptized into Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, then we will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord.
I believe you are cleansed enough to take communion when you have heard God's word, accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God, repented of your sins, and was baptized (immersed in water) for the forgiveness of sins.
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