Dear BPCWAians, Since we returned to church physically, we have quickly been able to partake of the Holy Communion and also witnessed infant baptisms. It is very important that the church observes and administers these sacraments. In our church’s constitution, it states “We believe that Christ instituted the Sacrament of baptism for believers and their children and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, which sacraments shall be observed by His Church till He comes”. Our basic Bible knowledge book rightly affirms that “keeping the sacraments must be a regular feature of any sound church. The sacraments must be held in the highest regard”. It is hence important that worshipers understand what Sacraments are in the church, and why there are Sacraments in the church.

What are Sacraments in the Church? There are only 2 Sacraments recognised for the Church. These are water baptism and Holy Communion. The believer must be absolutely clear, convinced, and able to explain these precious sacraments. If not, we will just be observing these sacraments without understanding, let alone considering them precious. They are precious because the Lord instituted them for us in His Church. If someone or your child were to ask you, “why does the church practice water baptism, and why do we conduct the Holy Communion?”, how would you answer them with understanding and conviction?

The Westminster Confession of Faith biblically defines, “Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace . . .” First and foremost, we must understand that the church administers these because of the covenant. They are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace. Then they ask, what are signs and seals? Holy signs mean they are set apart to point to some spiritual significance. Holy seals remind us that these are genuine proofs. What do Sacraments point to and what are they proofs of? The answer is the Covenant of grace! Covenants must have signs and seals. The marriage covenant has the ring. A contract has signatures and waxed stamps. The covenant of grace has signs and seals too.

Why are water baptism and the Lord’s Supper Sacraments? The word “testament” is the same word as “covenant” in Greek ie the Bible is divided into the old covenant (testament) and the new covenant (testament). Old and new does not mean that they are different covenants. They refer to the old way and the new way of administrating the same covenant – the covenant of grace. Old Testament believers were saved by grace through faith (covenant of grace), not works or obedience to the law as emphasized by God in Rom 4:2-9. They were given the law to obey because they are God’s people. Do not read it as God expects them to keep the law to be saved. Like us today, worshipers in the church are given and taught God’s laws – not to save you, but because you claim to be God’s people. The Old Testament (covenant) people who claimed to be God’s people had their signs and seals which were administered as circumcision (Rom 4:11) and the Passover. Old refers to the time before Christ came. Before His coming, it was a time that was full of symbols and rituals in the temple. The priests administered them not expecting powers from the acts and items, but to point the people to the Person and work of the Messiah who will come in the future. For New Testament (covenant) believers who are also saved by the same covenant of grace, water baptism replaces the old sign and seal of circumcision, “ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands . . . Buried with him in baptism” (Col 2:11-12). The Lord clearly replaced the old way of pointing to His sacrifice (previously the sacrifice of a spotless lamb), with the new way. This is now the broken bread and the cup which He calls the “blood of the new testament” (Matt 26:26-29) ie the same covenant of grace, but a new way of administrating the sign and seals of the covenant of grace.

That is why under the same covenant of grace, our Lord Jesus ensured that the new signs and seals were given before He went to the cross and before He left this earth physically. He commanded His Church not just to be teaching believers, but also to be “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt 28:19). Hence, the Apostle Paul reaffirmed to the Christians the significance of the “circumcision made without hands” ie water baptism. And our Lord personally instituted the Holy Communion which the Apostle Paul confirmed that it should be delivered in the Church, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you . . .” (1 Cor 11:23).

Our Lord did not command water baptism and observing the Lord’s supper out of a vacuum and without relation to the covenant of grace. Neither did He give them to us to be just rituals to observe in the church. Failing to have a proper understanding and consciousness of their significance and relationship to the covenant of grace would indeed become ritualistic observation by the recipient. He commanded them and ensured that they are administered in His Church, in these forms, because they are the holy signs (pointing to His sacrificial death) and holy seals (confirmation and proof of the covenant of salvation by grace). That is why these Sacraments (holy sign and seals of the covenant of grace) are precious and an expected part of the Church. This is why our constitution reminds us that it is the role and duty of the church Pastor  to ensure their administration, “The Pastor shall have the general oversight  of the spiritual life, regular service, and ministration of the Sacraments of the Church . . .” It is hence the Pastor’s solemn duty to the church to ensure that the Sacraments are delivered reverently and are not neglected. That is why I quickly ensured that we observe the Holy Communion and water baptisms as soon as possible when we returned physically to the church.

God willing, we shall learn next about how we should view Sacraments in the church, and how we should respond to them.

Yours in our Lord’s service,

Pastor