My Most Precious Faith (Part 4) Concerning The Sacraments

Concerning The Sacraments; Baptism and the Lord’s Supper



It is quite amazing that God has always used the means of the written word to proclaimed truth to his creation and to his people. But what is more amazing is that he has always since the dawn of time used symbols as well to communicate truth which he wants us to know. For example with Adam in the garden, the tree of life represented life if he obeyed God and did not eat the forbidden fruit. With Noah the rainbow symbolized the expounded truth that the earth would be preserved until the very end and would no longer be dealt in the way that God had dealt with it at the flood. For the believer the symbolic representations have never ceased and there are two symbols that are used quite frequently in the church; baptism and the Lord's supper.


In these sacrifices Christ communicates to his people the benefits that are ours in our redemption. We are enabled by this means of communication to understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and know that God has set his seal upon us, and that we are his, and by his grace he is ours.


Baptism:


In baptism God's people are set apart as a member of the church and have the mark symbolizing the covenant of grace upon them by the means of baptism . The baptism symbolizes many things: 1) solemn admission into the visible church, 2) the symbol of the covenant of grace 3) symbolizes regeneration, 4) the cleansing from sins by the blood of Christ, 4) a walk of sanctification in newness of life.


Please understand that baptism itself does not wash away the sin nor remove our guilt, that is only done by the blood of Christ. Baptism would symbolize something like this: as we need to daily cleanse our body from the dirt and grime we come in contact with so the washing away of our sin and guilt is done by the blood of Jesus. Baptism symbolizes this washing.


Baptism is not only to be administered to believers but also to their children. There are two extremes to avoid when looking at the issue of your children. Firstly, that children are regenerated by the baptism and that they do not need to personally make a profession of faith in the savior. The second error is that the children have no real place in the church before they confess their faith, therefore they are seen just as objects of evangelism.



please understand that children always have had a place in the church and are to be treated with great respect and utmost care in discipline them in the most holy faith. Notice the command Jesus gave concerning the children

Matthew 19:13-15 Tthen were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.


In the Old Testament every male child was circumcised as a sign to show that they were God's people and to point the child toward the need of a Savior to be cleansed from their sins. It also sealed to that child the promise of God that he would be his God and the God of his family, And that they were to be the recipients of scriptural teaching while enjoying all the benefits of the people of God. The circumcision was also a warning that there were cursings if they did not love the Lord their God with all heart, mind, soul and strength and their neighbor as they love themselves. So baptism is also to us and our children the signifying of the blessings to those who walk faithfully and the cursings for those who do not walk faithfully.


I am so thankful for not only my salvation but for the promise of God to you, my children:

Genesis 17:7 and i will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a god unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And again acts 2:39 for the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the lord our god shall call.


Praise be to God for his great plan of salvation and the blessings he brings to families.

Imperfect as I have been and/or was please understand that I have desired and sought to teach you the word of God in all of life by instruction, correction, example, and encouragement.

If I have failed in my less than perfect state then I beg your forgiveness and ask that God will overshadow my weaknesses and I am trusting him to fulfill the promises of the covenant to be your God.


Lord's Supper:


Want to talk about a meal full of symbolism then lets look at this sacrament from Paul's epistle:

Corinthians 11:23-34 for i have received of the lord that which also i delivered unto you, that the lord jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the lord's death till he come.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that edith and drinketh unworthily, edith and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

But when we are judged, we are chastened of the lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will i set in order when i come.


Paul first and foremost states that the partaking of the bread and wine is the "eating of the crucified body and the drinking of his (Christ's) poured out blood. You may think that this is weird and not clear so the questioned begged is this, "What does this actually mean?". The Lord answered the question in the words, "This is my body" when referring to the bread and, "this is my blood" when referring to the wine. The Lord Jesus being present at the last supper was not in the bread nor in the wine but it was a symbol of that which was going to happen and now for the post resurrection believer a symbol of that which did happen. When believers were to partake of the supper they were to remember the new covenant in Christ's name and were to grasp the symbol that Christ died for them and they need him for spiritual life and health. The meal symbolizes our redemption in the work of Christ in his sufferings and death.


There is also the symbol of the unity of the communion of the saints, the bond in Christ of the brotherhood. Paul in the eleventh chapter of 1st Corinthians states that it was not good that there was disunity in the coming together to eat the meal of the lord but in verse thirty-three he asks them to tarry or wait for one another. This is a communion meal that not only symbolizes the suffering and crucifixion of Christ, but the new covenant of God entered into with the elect; ie, the body of Christ the church.



It is also a meal symbolizing our need to search the motives and affections of our own hearts. In fact we are called to do this very thing so that we would not come to eat with non-understanding hearts unrecognizing that we are sinners and stand in need of grace. To come to the meal in an unguarded manner is to come to a meal of judgment. We are told that it was for this reason that many in Corinth were weak, sick, and even dead. It is a meal of self judgment! In this self judgment please recognize that you are a sinner, that there is no good in you, but also in faith fall at the cross and consider the broken body and the shed blood and partake of the supper giving thanks to God almighty that he has purchased you with his precious blood. When you partake of the body and blood of Christ in the supper you are also partaking of a supper that places you in the position of an evangelist. In eating the supper you are proclaiming the Lord's death and not only that you are proclaiming the Lord's return at the last day. Oh! What a wonder testimony we have been given every time we partake of the Lord's supper. Let's do pray that if anyone sees this in our worship that they can declare saving faith in Christ and say amen in this supper of proclamation.


In summary the Lord’s supper is to be received by those who know that the Lord Jesus died in their place, have examined themselves in this knowledge, and know that they properly understand the Lord's body in His Death and His body – the Church. They must know that in his work alone they are redeemed from sin and that they have repented of sin and trust in him alone for salvation. They also must be walking according to their profession with an obedience to him as Lord and Savior in all of life in and outside the Church.

Only those who do not believe or are under excommunication of the church should not partake of the Lord's Supper. All believers should partake of this great and glorious meal.

I need at this point to define briefly what church discipline is, what it's purpose is, and its benefits.


Church discipline is the calling of every believer to support all other believers in the encouraging, exhorting, admonishing warning, and rebuking to put away sin and live a holy life. The purpose of this is done for the glory of God, the purity of the church, and brotherly restoration. There are times when someone has sinned and will not repent of his or her sin then the church is called in to work with the brother or sister to repent. When this fails then those who fail to repent are excluded from Christian fellowship and the sacraments are then withheld.


If at some point the person repents demonstrating real genuine reform they are to be taken back into fellowship as members of Christ and his church. This is the whole reason for the blessedness of discipline; ie, restoration for the glory of Christ and his kingdom.

In my life I have experienced the heartache of having my sin shown to me by believers, and been the receipent of Church discipline. I have had the pleasure of the joy that comes from renewed fellowship after repenting and seeking forgiveness. The believers that have disciplined me have always been there to love me after the fact. Praise this most blessed work of the church in my life.