Shorter Catechism Qs. 91–93
Q. 91. How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
A. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.
Q. 92. What is a sacrament?
A. A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.
Q. 93. Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?
A. The sacraments of the New Testaments are, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.
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“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”” (Matthew 26:26–29 ESV)
“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.” (Matthew 28:19–20 ESV)
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The word “sacrament” basically means “holy things.” But the word takes a more defined and nuanced meaning in the context of our Christian faith. The sacraments are the outward and visible representations of the internal and invisible work of God’s grace. The two sacraments (they are sacraments because the Lord Jesus himself commanded them to be practiced perpetually) are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These two things are effectual means of salvation in that, and only in so far as, they point us beyond the thing itself to the saving love of God accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is received by faith alone. The power is not in the sacraments, but in Jesus working through his Spirit. We do not receive any benefit from them unless we receive them in faith. The sacraments are not effectual means of salvation if by that we mean the naked, physical acts of receiving them save us from God’s judgment or convey any spiritual blessings to us. Sacraments are effectual means of salvation not by their own power or the power of the one performing them, but by what is meant by them: Christ and faith in him.
We can also think of the sacraments as an effectual means of salvation if we view salvation as the total process begun with our conversion and finished when we are delivered or “saved” out of this fallen world. If we think of salvation not just as the beginning of our Christian faith but the whole experience that includes the beginning, the middle, and the end, we can see the many ways the sacraments convey essential spiritual blessings we need for our life on this side of heaven. Of course, when we are in heaven there will be no more sacraments. Who needs symbols when you have the real thing? Who needs a foretaste of the glories to come when the glory has come in full? Heaven has no room for signs and symbols, because heaven only has the real things. So it helps to think of the sacraments as the spiritual provisions God gives to sojourners in this world.
In that regard, the two sacraments of baptism and Lord’s Supper work a little differently and mean somewhat different things. DV, in the weeks to come we will see how they work and what exactly they mean. In the mean time, there are obvious ways to benefit from the sacraments. For example, as believers we should remind ourselves of our baptism. If when we are faced with temptation, and then call to mind how we have been baptized and called into Christ’s gracious kingdom, then we will see with a little more clarity the true nature of sin, which crucified our dear Lord, and the gracious and redeeming love of our Savior. Of course, we don’t typically make much of our baptism the way we may make much of our political leanings, artistic preferences, etc. But we need to make much of our baptism, and make much of sin’s nature and Christ’s love.
We can benefit from the Lord’s Supper as well. We should really be surprised why something Jesus himself has commanded is not obeyed frequently, and how we have replaced Christ’s commands with traditions of man. The Lord’s Supper should be practiced far more frequently than is the case in many churches today.
And as often as we receive the Supper we need to remember we are receiving but a foretaste of heaven, and look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Supper should shake our priorities straight every time we receive it. We live not for this age, but for the age to come. In the mean time, Christ never turns away from his table the weakest believer. All struggling believers who come with faith and repentance are welcome. The only price of admission is your empty hands. Receive the bread and the cup rejoicing in the richness of God’s mercy. The weary and hard-pressed always have a seat at the table of Christ’s body and blood.