### 76. Q. What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink his poured-out blood?

**A**. It means to accept with a believing heart the entire suffering and death of Christ and in this way to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.<sup>1</sup> But it means more. Through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us, we are united more and more to Christ’s blessed body.<sup>2</sup> And so, although he is in heaven<sup>3</sup> and we are on earth, we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone.<sup>4</sup> And we forever live on and are governed by one Spirit, as the members of our body are by one soul.<sup>5</sup>

<sup>1</sup> [John 6:35, 40, 50-54](/get-passage/John+6:35), [40](/get-passage/John+6:40), [50-54](/get-passage/John+6:50-54)
<sup>2</sup> [John 6:55-56](/get-passage/John+6:55-56); [1 Cor. 12:13](/get-passage/1+Corinthians+12:13)
<sup>3</sup> [Acts 1:9-11](/get-passage/Acts+1:9-11); [1 Cor. 11:26](/get-passage/1+Corinthians+11:26); [Col. 3:1](/get-passage/Colossians+3:1)
<sup>4</sup> [1 Cor. 6:15-17](/get-passage/1+Corinthians+6:15-17); [Eph. 5:29-30](/get-passage/Ephesians+5:29-30); [1 John 4:13](/get-passage/1+John+4:13)
<sup>5</sup> [John 6:56-58](/get-passage/John+6:56-58); [15:1-6](/get-passage/John+15:1-6); [Eph. 4:15-16](/get-passage/Ephesians+4:15-16); [1 John 3:24](/get-passage/1+John+3:24)