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Romans 4:11–12
“[Abraham] received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well” (v. 11).
Now that we have identified the marks of a true visible church—preaching of the gospel, right administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline—it is time to look at the sacraments in more depth. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, being the only rites immediately instituted by Christ, are the only new covenant sacraments (Matt. 28:18–20; Luke 22:14–20).
We must first ask, What is a sacrament? Looking to texts such as Romans 4:11–12, Westminster Confession of Faith 27.1 states that “sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ, and his benefits; and to confirm our interest in him: as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church, and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to his Word.” There is much to explore in this statement, but let us focus on the sacraments as “signs and seals of the covenant of grace.” Dr. R.C. Sproul explains that “a sign points beyond itself to some higher meaning or significance. Baptism is not redemption in Christ; the Lord’s Supper is not the crucifixion of Christ. These things point to the realities, but they are not the realities. They are nonverbal confirmations of the promises of God.” So the sacraments are pointers; they direct us to the real object of our faith and His benefits—the Lord Jesus Christ. They remain distinct from what they signify, yet they cannot be separated from it.
Sacraments are also seals. A seal is a mark of ownership that also authenticates something. In the ancient world, when a king sent a letter, he would close it with wax that had been impressed with an image that belonged exclusively to him. Often this seal was made using a signet ring. When you received a letter with the king’s seal, you knew that you had a message that really came from him. Other seals that we might be familiar with are cattle brands, marks made by a hot iron on the flesh of cattle to indicate their owner.
In a similar way, sacraments serve to mark people off as belonging to God in a special way, and they confirm to us the truth of God’s promises, that what we believe are His words and not the words of mere men. Sacraments impress on our souls, when we receive them in faith, the truth of the gospel and increase our assurance that we belong to our heavenly Father as His beloved children.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Sacraments are nonverbal forms of communication, pictures that depict realities such as the cleansing of sin and the atoning death of Christ. They do not explain themselves, which is why they must always be accompanied by the preaching of the Word. When the Word is preached and the sacraments are appended to it, we have the truth of the gospel impressed on our senses and are reminded that by faith we are the children of God.
For further study
- Genesis 9:8–17
- Exodus 31:12–17
- Luke 11:29–32
- 2 Corinthians 12:12
The bible in a year
- Ezekiel 20–21
- James 1