At College Church, we have people who use different words for church practices. Some will use the word "ordinances." I tend to prefer to use the term: "sacraments." So, what is a sacrament? The basic meaning of the word comes from its root, which means "holy." Sacraments are "holy things." In other words, sacraments are practices that are "set apart" to be a part of holy WORSHIP for God's people when they gather together corporately.
But, the second part of the definition of a sacrament comes, not from the root of the word itself, but from the institution of the practice. A sacrament is by definition something that is established — ordained — by Jesus Christ Himself. Sacraments are not done by our church because they developed over time, were formed by tradition, or make for a beautiful addition to a worship service. We practice the sacraments because our Lord Jesus Christ established them and set them apart for us to practice as we worship Him together in the context of the church.
Now, we'll move to an even more focused description of a sacrament. A sacrament is made up of 2 parts — a SIGN and a SEAL. There is a SIGN — something physical — that is part of a sacrament. That sign is there to represent a spiritual reality. But there is also a SEAL that occurs through the practicing of a sacrament. By "seal" we mean that, in the performing of the sacrament, the goodness and grace of Jesus is "sealed" inwardly to believers as the Holy Spirit is active in their hearts through faith. John Calvin puts it this way: A sacrament is "God's witness to us of his favor toward us, by means of an outward sign." So, in a sacrament, there is a physical SIGN, and a deeper SPIRITUAL reality that the sign represents, which is SEALED to the hearts of believers through the working of the Holy Spirit. This is an amazing truth!
We believe, because of what the Bible teaches, that Baptism and The Lord's Supper are the two Christian sacraments (or "ordinances") that are to be practiced by the church of Jesus Christ. These are the only two that Jesus has established for us in Scripture. Let's consider both of these briefly in light of our previous discussion of SIGN and SEAL.
Baptism
The sacrament of baptism is established by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20. Listen to what Matthew records:
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
In the sacrament of baptism, the SIGN is water; a person baptized literally gets wet with the physical, tangible sign. The SEAL, then, is the Holy Spirit working in the heart of the person who is baptized. This is totally an act of God's grace! I do need to pause here, as a Pastor at College Church, and tell you that I serve at a church that affirms the validity of both infant and adult modes of baptism. It is a great blessing to serve at a church that keeps the gospel of Jesus central, and allows for members who disagree on this issue to serve and fellowship together. I'm the only Presbyterian on staff at College Church, which means I am the Pastor who usually performs infant baptisms. Let me take a moment to distinguish the two views a bit.
I believe that my little daughter's baptism, while it did not save her, did by God's grace set her apart as a child born into the covenant community of God (the church). I believe that by the work of the Holy Spirit in her heart and life, she will one day put her faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. She can certainly reject that work of the Holy Spirit in her life — some children do! But, by the SIGN and SEAL of her baptism, the Holy Spirit is even now active in her heart and life, drawing her to Jesus as she grows up in a Christian family and in the church. I hope by God's grace that she will grow to affirm as true what was indicated by her baptism — that her faith is in Jesus Christ and her salvation is in him…by faith alone and through grace alone. The covenantal infant baptist position sees baptism as the New Covenant sign, replacing circumcision, which is to be placed on every child that is born into the covenant community — the church.
The baptist position focuses more on baptism as an outward sign of an inward reality; the sign of washing with water demonstrates the faith in Jesus Christ and the washing by his blood that the person baptized demonstrates through his/her profession of faith. Those who affirm this position usually dedicate their babies, and wait until a clear profession of faith to have them undergo baptism. The baptist position sees baptism as the New Covenant sign, replacing circumcision, which is to be placed on every person who clearly professes faith in Jesus Christ, and so enters into the body of believers through faith.
The Lord's Supper
The Apostle Paul's summary of Jesus' establishment of the Lord's Supper is well known and extremely helpful. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, he writes:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
In the Lord's Supper, the SIGN is the elements; at College Church, this means bread (crackers) and juice. The SEAL is the Holy Spirit, making the physical elements spiritually effective and nourishing through building the faith of believers that take them. In the Lord's Supper, we believe that the real spiritual presence of Jesus — though not the actual physical body of Jesus — is present with his people in the church. Jesus is spiritually present in a special way at Communion — spiritually strengthening and nourishing the believers.
Here is the important point to grasp: something REAL happens in the sacraments . They are not simply signs that cause us to think spiritual thoughts, or merely reminders of the things God has done for us. They are actually real means of GRACE to us, given by God. Why is this? It sounds a bit mysterious and supernatural, doesn't it? Well, we can say this — that sacraments are real means of grace to us as believers — because Jesus Christ, by personally INSTITUTING these sacraments, has chosen to graciously ATTACH and BIND himself to these ordinary physical things. He has done this in order to make them spiritually significant and powerful to people through the working of the Holy Spirit in their hearts by faith. There is nothing special about the water in the baptismal tank at College Church. But, there is something special — glorious and divine, even — about the Lord who instituted baptism. There is nothing "holy" about the bread and grape juice that we consume once a month. But, there is something powerful in the way that Jesus promises to be spiritually present as his people celebrate his death together in the specific way he ordained. Jesus has graciously chosen to "bind" himself to these ordinary elements — physical signs — in order to help us grow in faith in Him by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
You may be asking: "What in the world does all this talk about the sacraments have to do with spiritual discipline?" I want to make the argument that participation in the sacraments has been vastly underestimated as an important aspect of living a disciplined spiritual life as a follower of Jesus. When discussing spiritual discipline, we are quick to emphasize the importance of Bible reading and prayer — and those were our first two topics this summer! But, regular worshipful and thoughtful participation in the sacraments should be "up there" with BIBLE READING and PRAYER as a discipline that can build and grow your faith. Let's talk briefly about what this looks like.
First, let's discuss BAPTISM. Often for us, witnessing baptisms at church is a fun thing — a nice change to the usual rhythm of the service. But, the celebration of this sacrament in the context of local church worship should be so much more! How can witnessing baptisms be a worshipful experience, and even one that helps build your faith in Jesus in a disciplined way? Let me offer a few suggestions. When you witness baptisms at church:
When you take the Lord's Supper at church:
It is my prayer that, more and more, the celebration of Baptism and the Lord's Supper in the context of the church will not just serve as fancy "add-ons" to the order of the Sunday service. These are given to us as gracious gifts from the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They are opportunities for growth and worship as we live lives of discipline for His glory. Let's be people who read and study God's Word, give ourselves to regular prayer, and worship him joyfully and regularly through the celebration of the sacraments.
