I have been known to say that God does extraordinary things in ordinary ways. As we find ourselves in the ordinary parts of public worship, the sacraments fit this bill! The Word of God is made visible, and there are benefits to this!
Imagine for a moment driving down the interstate without your phone (uh oh). What will you rely on for directions? How about those BIG GIANT GREEN SIGNS? They are signs to guide you where you need to go. So, too, are the sacraments.
Think about that same drive. Have y’all heard the “phone voice” say you have arrived at your destination? Well, we don’t have our phone in this illustration. Instead, a booming voice from the heavens declares YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION. Woah! That is God’s seal through the sacrament.
What’s crazy about this is how ordinary God wants this incredibly extraordinary gift to be. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper or Baptism, we do an ordinary thing meant for Christians all over the world. God is so good to us. Think on these things today! Blessings, Jeremiah.
CHAPTER 5.B.8.a (Ordinary Parts): SACRAMENTS
“A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.”
1. Sacraments are signs and seals of the covenant of grace. As signs, they signify (represent) the benefits promised to believers (Acts 2:37-39; Rom. 4:11, 6:3; Gal. 3:27) by God in His covenant of grace, and the duties required of them as members of that covenant (Gen. 17:1-14, Matt. 28:19-20). As seals, they confirm these promises, assuring believers that God is faithful to perform all that He has promised (Rom. 4:11-21). They also confirm our membership in God’s covenant people (Gal. 3:27-29, 1 Pet. 2:10) and bind us to our covenant obligations (Matt. 28:19-20, Rom. 6:1-14, 1 Cor. 10:21).
2. Sacraments have been appointed as means of grace. Because of the sacramental union between the signs and what they signify, sacraments are instruments for the communication of spiritual blessing to those who are enabled by the Holy Spirit to receive and partake of them by faith.
3. Sacraments are the Word made visible. They are to be administered only by ministers of the Word lawfully ordained. Their administration should always be accompanied by the proclamation of the Word, inasmuch as the Word sets forth the promises and obligations of the Gospel which the sacraments signify and seal.
4. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two sacraments of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-19, Luke 22:19-20).
5. The offering and administration of the sacraments shall at all times be under the authority of the minister and the session, in conformity with the Holy Scriptures and The Standards of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.