The Sacraments

- Notes from a class on “The Means of Grace”

I.  The Gospel in Pictures

A. Where does the word come from?

Ephesians 3:2-3  Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation,, as I have already written briefly.

The words translated MYSTERY in this passage was translated in the Latin Bible with the word SACRAMENT.   Because of the tremendous influence of the Roman Catholic Church with its use of Latin in writing theology and in practice, the term has been passed down to us.  John Calvin writes, “What the Latins call “sacraments” the Greeks call “mysteries” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, Chapter 14, section 2).

     B.  What is a sacrament?

We have in the sacraments another aid to our faith related to the preaching of the gospel.  It is very important that some definite doctrine concerning them be taught, that we may learn from it both the purpose for which they were instituted and their present use.

First, we must consider what a sacrament is.  It seems to me that a simple and proper definition would be to say that it is an outward sign by which the Lord seals on our consciences the promises of His good will toward us in order to sustain the weakness of our faith; and we in turn attest our piety toward Him in the presence of the Lord and of his angels and before men.  Here is another briefer definition:  one may call it a testimony of divine grace toward us, confirmed by an outward sign, with mutual attestation of our piety toward Him.  Whichever or these definitions you may choose, it does not differ in meaning from that of Augustine, who teaches that a sacrament is “a visible sign of a sacred thing,” or “a visible form of an invisible grace.” – John Calvin, Ibid, section 1).

C. Word and Sign

Now, from the definition that I have set forth we understand that a sacrament is never without a preceding promise but is joined to it as a sort of appendix, with the purpose of confirming and sealing the promise itself, and of making it more evident to us and in a sense ratifying it.  By this means God provides first for our ignorance and dullness, then for our weakness.  Yet, properly speaking, it is not so much needed to confirm his Sacred Word as to establish us in faith in it.  For God’s truth is of itself firm and sure enough, and it cannot receive better confirmation from any other source than from itself.  But as our faith is slight and feeble unless it be propped on all sides and sustained by every means, it trembles, wavers, totters, and at last gives way.  Here our merciful Lord, according to His infinite kindness, so tempers Himself to our capacity that, since we are creatures who always creep on the ground, cleave to the flesh, and, do not think about or even conceive of anything spiritual, He condescends to lead us to Himself even by these earthly elements, and to set before us in the flesh a mirror of spiritual blessings….because we have souls engrafted in bodies, he imparts spiritual things under visible ones (Calvin, same chapter, section 3).

D. The Word must Explain the Sign

What, therefore, was practiced under papal tyranny involved a monstrous profanation of the mysteries.  For they thought it enough if the priest mumbled the formula of consecration while the people looked on bewildered and without comprehension.  Indeed, they deliberately saw to it that, from this, nothing of doctrine should penetrate to the people; for they spoke everything in Latin among unlearned men.  Afterward, superstition came to the point that they believed consecration duly performed only in a horse whisper which few could hear.

Far different is the teaching of Augustine concerning the sacramental word:  “Let the word be added to the element and it will become sacrament.  For whence comes the great power of water, that in touching the body it should cleanse the heart, unless the word makes it?  Not because it is said, but because it is believed….”  …The sacrament requires preaching to beget faith...whenever God gave a sign to the holy patriarchs it was inseparably linked to doctrine, without which our senses would have been stunned in looking at the bare sign.  Accordingly, when we hear the sacramental word mentioned, let us understand the promise, proclaimed in a clear voice by the minister, to lead the people by the hand wherever the sign tends and directs us (Section 4).

E. The Sacraments as Seals

Romans 4:11 And he [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised…

If, as Calvin argues, the Word of God must accompany the outward sign in a sacrament in order to understand and benefit from the sacrament, then why is an outward sign needed at all?  Why didn’t God just give us the preaching of His Word?

Calvin answers this objection:  the seals which are attached to government documents and other public acts are nothing taken by themselves, for they would be attached in vain if the parchment had nothing written on it.  Yet, when added to the writing, they do not on that account fail to confirm and seal what is written….Paul expressly argues that Abraham’s circumcision was not for his justification but for the seal of that covenant by faith in which he had already been justified.  And what is there, I beg, to offend any man greatly if we teach that the promise is sealed by the sacraments, when it is clear from the promises themselves that each confirms the other.  For the clearer anything is, the fitter it is to support faith.

…The sacraments, therefore, are exercises which make us more certain of the trustworthiness of God’s Word.  And because we are of flesh, they are shown us under things of flesh, to instruct us according to our dull capacity, and to lead us by the hand as tutors lead children.  Augustine calls a sacrament “a visible word” for the reason that it represents God’s promises as painted in a picture and sets them before our sight, portrayed graphically and in the manner of images (section 5).

F. The Holy Spirit in the Sacraments

….Faith is the proper and entire work of the Holy Spirit, illumined by whom we recognize God and the treasures of his kindness, and without whose light our mind is so blinded that it can see nothing; so dull that it can sense nothing of spiritual things.  But for one blessing of God which they proclaim, we recognize three.  For first, the Lord teaches and instructs us by His Word.  Secondly, He confirms it by the sacraments.  Finally, He illumines our minds by the light of His Holy Spirit and opens our hearts for the Word and sacraments to enter in, which would otherwise only strike our ears and appear before our eyes, but not at all affect us within.

…the sacraments properly fulfill their office only when the Spirit, that inward teacher, comes to them, by whose power alone hearts are penetrated and affections moved and our souls opened for the sacraments to enter in.  If the Spirit be lacking, the sacraments can accomplish nothing more in our minds than the splendor of the sun shining upon blind eyes, or a voice sounding in deaf ears (from sections 8 and 9).

G. Sacraments are a MEANS of grace, not the grace themselves!

…[God] nourishes faith spiritually through the sacraments, whose one function is to set His promises before our eyes to be looked upon, indeed, to be guarantees of them to us.  It is our duty to put no confidence in other creatures which have been destined for our use by God’s generosity and beneficence, and through whose ministry he lavishes the gifts of His bounty upon us; nor to admire and proclaim them as the causes of our good.  In the same way, neither ought our confidence to inhere in the sacraments, nor the glory of God be transferred to them.  Rather, laying aside all things, both our faith and our confession ought to rise up to Him who is the author of the sacraments and of all things (section 12).

In other words, the sacraments have no magical power in themselves and should not become our focus.  The purpose of sacraments is the same as the purpose of preaching:  to glorify God in the hearts of His people.  Don’t attach a superstitious power to the outward sign, as though it had power to bring grace to someone all by itself!

Calvin puts it:  “…any man is deceived who thinks anything more is conferred upon him through the sacraments than what is offered by God’s Word and received by him in true faith.  From this something else follows:  assurance of salvation does not depend upon participation in the sacraments, as if justification consisted in it.  For we know that justification is lodged in Christ alone…(section 14).

H. Christ Jesus is the central focus of the sacraments

…Christ is  the matter or (if you prefer) the substance of all the sacraments; for in Him they have all their firmness, and they do not promise anything apart from Him….the sacraments have effectiveness among us in proportion as we are helped by their ministry sometimes to foster, confirm, and increase the true knowledge of Christ in ourselves; at other times, to possess Him more fully and enjoy His riches.  But that happens when we receive in true faith what is offered there (section 16).

Therefore, let it be regarded as a settled principle that the sacraments have the same office as the Word of God:  to offer and set forth Christ to us, and in Him the treasures of heavenly grace.  But they avail and profit nothing unless received in faith.  As with wine or oil or some other liquid, no matter how much you pour out, it will flow away and disappear unless the mouth of the vessel to receive it is open; moreover, the vessel will be splashed over on the outside, but will still remain void and empty….We must beware lest we be led into a similar error… - to think that a hidden power is joined and fastened to the sacraments by which they of themselves confer the graces of the Holy Spirit upon us, as wine is given in a cup; while the only function divinely imparted to them is to attest and ratify for us God’s good will toward us (section 17)

I. Sacraments as Covenant Signs

But as we have stated above that they are testimonies of grace and salvation from the Lord, so from us in turn they are marks of profession, by which we openly swear allegiance to God, binding ourselves in fealty to him.  In one place Chrysostom therefore has appropriately called them “covenants,” by which God leagues Himself with us, and we pledge ourselves to purity and holiness of life, since there is interposed here a mutual agreement between God and ourselves.  For as in them the Lord promises to cancel and blot out any guilt and penalty contracted by us through our transgressions, and reconciles us to Himself in His only-begotten Son, so do we, in turn, bind ourselves to Him by this profession, to pursue piety and innocence.  Hence, you can rightfully say that such sacraments are ceremonies by which God wills to exercise His people, first, to foster, arouse and confirm faith within; then, to attest religion before men (section 19).

J.  A Summary Definition

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 (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 27, section 1).