When Israel was told to sacrifice and eat the Passover the night they were delivered from Egypt, they were told, “You shall not leave any of it over until morning” (see Exodus 12:10). As we’re told in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Christ is our Passover.” When Christians pick and choose which part of Christ they want to partake of, and which not to, this not only costs them the benefits Jesus paid for on the cross for us to have with salvation, but it can cost them their very salvation. This is made clear in the New Testament, as we will cover.

       Is this not also why the body of Christ is so shallow and weak in our time compared to the biblical example? If we only partake of part of the Savior, we not only limit ourselves to a partial redemption and salvation, but we are very basically rejecting His lordship. He is either Lord of all or not Lord at all. Nowhere are we told we only need part of His truth to be redeemed or set free.

       As we’re told in 1 Corinthians 11:27-30, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.”

       Here it is clear that to “not judge the body (of Christ) rightly” is why many Christians are “weak, sick and a number sleep” (die prematurely). This is the only verse in Scripture that tells us why Christians are weak, sick, or die prematurely, so should we not pay attention to what it says about why this is?

       We have a most serious reason to discern His body rightly, which means that it is crucial for us to be joined to His body rightly. It does us no good to know the truth if we do not obey it. If a member of our body is severed or cut off from the body, it will become weak, sick, and die very quickly if not properly rejoined to the body. This has happened to multitudes of Christians, often risking their lives in Christ, and even their very lives, when they reject the body because of offenses, or any other reason.

       For this reason, our goal of discerning the identity of the metaphors used in Revelation, let us above all identify the true body of Christ and the part of it to which we’re called. Let us also identify the false. May this compel us to find our place in His body, where we will find true, koinonia fellowship. According to 1 John 1:7, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship (Greek koinonia) with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

       So, it is through koinonia fellowship, the bonding together in a body of believers that is stronger than any other bonding, that we are cleansed from “all sin,” not just some sin. Is this not an ultimate sanctification? We are also told in Hebrews 12:14, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” Is this not why Christians portray as many different versions of Jesus as there are different camps in the church?

       John 6 is a pivotal chapter in the New Testament. It begins with how multitudes followed Him because of the signs He was performing. Then, He multiplied the bread and fish to feed the people, and more followed Him for His provision. Then, He gave one of His most important teachings—that He was the Bread of life, and that it was Him that we need to seek and partake of as the one Loaf. For this reason, it says, “even many of His disciples departed from Him and did not walk with Him anymore” (verse 66).

       This is a good example of how Mystery Babylon will be scattered. The multitudes that follow Him for what they can get from Him—the miracles and the provision—will be separated from those who follow Him because of Who He is—the Messiah, the King of kings. The Lord knows people’s needs and wants to meet them, but the ones He’s after to dwell with are those who seek Him for who He is above all else.

       After John 6, Jesus’ ministry changed. Before this chapter, most of His teaching and ministry was for the multitudes. After this, most of His teaching and attention was for His disciples. Before this chapter, He did miracles to help people believe in Him, but after this, He only did miracles for those who did believe.

       As Peter Lord used to say, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Jesus is the Main Thing. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Can we truly know Him as the Way or Truth if He has not become our Life? The Father, who so loved us that He would send His beloved Son to pay the price that He did for our redemption and salvation, also sent Him to be our Life.

© 2026 Rick Joyner. All Rights Reserved.