Sep
19
Means of Grace: Sacraments
Filed Under Christian Living, Worship
So far we’ve looked at two of the four means of grace. Today we briefly cover the sacraments as means of grace. There has been considerable debate over the past few years over what place drama should have, if any, in worship. We hold to the regulative principle of worship that basically says, we do in worship what the Bible says to do in worship. So where are we left when we ask the question concerning drama in worship? Is there any merit for visual descriptions of the gospel in the corporate worship of God’s people? Sure there is! God has given us two incredibly rich visuals for worship in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
In baptism, the covenant promises of God are signified and sealed to his people. It is a sign because it illustrates, rather than accomplishes, what God does in uniting lost sinners to Christ in conversion. A frequent metaphor that Paul uses is that we are baptized into Christ’s death. That is, we have died to the reigning power of sin. But our union to Christ in baptism is also illustrated in that we are united to Christ in his resurrection. That is, we given to new life in Christ. Baptism is a seal because the promises that are offered in baptism to the believer are true as if God himself signed his signature to them.
In the Lord’s Supper, we see the death of Christ portrayed in the bread and wine. We are invited to the table to “feed on Christ by faith.” It is a chance for us to declare our need of spiritual nourishment that only Christ can provide. It is our chance to see again and consider again the great transaction that took place on the cross of Christ for our sins.
In both of these sacraments we have all of the rich visual metaphor that we need. Even old saints have deeper depths to probe when it comes to understanding the meaning of the sacraments. Let us not take for granted the grace that our God holds out to us in the sacraments.
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