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Notes for the Twenty-fifth sermon in the series based on
the Heidelberg Catechism.
The Sacraments
What are we
doing when we have a baptism or the Lord's Supper? Don't be distracted if
you feel uncomfortable about the word "sacrament" over against "ordinance".
The issue remains the same. It is a curiosity to be messing about with
water in church or drinking red wine while talking about blood! What do we
think we are doing?
It has to
do with faith. People say that their faith is weak and they wish they had
stronger faith. Well, that is where the sacraments come in. They are to
strengthen faith.
The source
of faith is the Holy Spirit. If you have faith it is because the Spirit has
worked it in you. If you do not have faith it is because the Spirit has not
worked it in you. But the Holy Spirit uses means. He uses the Bible, the
sacraments, prayer, fellowship and so on. Chief among the means He uses are
Scripture and Sacrament. These are special means of grace because through
Scripture He actually CREATES FAITH.
1 Peter 1:23. Through the
Sacraments the Spirit does not create faith but He does CONFIRM faith. Let
us look at how He confirms faith.
In Scripture God addresses us with verbal statements.
The gospel promise is announced and the Holy Spirit uses that announcement
to cause some to believe. That makes it worthwhile getting people to come
and hear the preaching of the gospel, because it is through the statements
of Scripture that the Spirit changes minds and hearts. Now in the
Sacraments we are given visual signs. Signified by baptism and the
Lord's Supper are the cleansing for all who believe that Christ accomplished
by His death on the cross. In the Bible there are other "signs and seals".
For example, the rainbow signifying the promise that there should never
again be universal destruction as by the flood in
Genesis 9:16-17:
Or circumcision in
Genesis 17:11 signifying that God would singularly bless the physical
descendants of Abraham: Then there was the Passover in
Exodus 13:9-10
This is
sufficiently important that we shall add a further example from contemporary
life. The marriage ring is a visual sign that has much in common with the
Sacraments.
The sign is
given by one who is saying something. The groom professes his love and his
promise to have his bride till death do us part just as God professes
love and makes promises in the gospel statements. The
Sacraments are signs of those statements.
The sign is worn by the one addressed. It would be very odd
if the bride refused to wear the ring. Believers will want to 'wear' the
Sacraments. Christian, do not neglect Baptism, and if you have been
Baptised do not neglect the Lord's Supper. Make sure that you are present
for the Sacrament.
The sign is seen by others as well as by the one who wears
it. The bride wears her ring and everyone knows that she is married. But
also she sees it and knows that she is her husband's; he loves her and is
pledged to her for life. And the believer sees the visual signs of the
Sacraments and is always reminded of the gospel promises and encouraged in
the faith.
Do the Sacraments matter? Some say that they are necessary
to salvation. There may be fear for a unbaptised baby lest he should die in
infancy and not go to heaven. Others say that the Sacraments do not matter
at all and we should not bother with them. the Spirit will work immediately
upon our souls. Well, no doubt the Holy Spirit will do that if He so
designs, but we are commanded by the Lord to observe the Sacraments and that
makes them important. Call to mind
Matthew 28:19:
Also
Luke 22:19-20:
The
Sacraments matter because they are commanded by the lord and they matter
because they will do us good. God Himself addresses us in the Sacraments.
We could even speak of the Sacrament as in a lesser sense the word of God.
God does not speak to us in verbal statements as in Scripture, but He
speaks to us in visual signs. Here He CONFIRMS FAITH. |
