Chapter 6

A SACRAMENTAL LIFESTYLE

Matthew 3:13-17

 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"  But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,  and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

When we speak of a sacramental lifestyle we must first define what a sacrament is. The easiest ways to define a sacrament is this:  A Sacrament is an activity that the redemptive grace of God is present within or notable because of the actual act. If someone was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition they were taught that there are seven sacraments. Most Protestants only acknowledge two of the sacraments and often refer to them as “ordinances”.

This type of language and doctrine dates back to the attitude of the early Protestant Reformers who were very intent on not having any reflective image or even a liturgy that could be associated with what they commonly referred to as the “harlot church of Babylon”. One of the Swedish Protestant Reformers named Ulrich Zwingli was so intent on having a clear distinction between his form of Protestantism and any other version of Christianity (in specific Roman Catholicism) that he removed any and all icons from the church building and their sanctuaries. He also painted the entire inside of the sanctuary white so as to eliminate all forms of sacred art. This was so there would not be a distraction from the preaching from the pulpit which he placed in the center of the platform where the altar table formerly was.

Our two Scripture readings for today show us that Jesus Christ Himself established the two most familiar ordinances practiced in the Protestant Christian Church today – those being Baptism and Holy Communion. Jesus not only established these for our benefit, but He also participated in them, showing us His undeniable humanity.

Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, not because He was displaying His need for repentance from sin, but rather as an example for us to follow. John the Baptist was baptizing people in that day as a sign of their repentance from sin. When we repent of our sin and turn to Christ we are baptized so as to show the spiritual transaction of salvation from our sins that has taken place in our lives.

In the more liturgical Protestant Churches an infant may be baptized as an act of the parents dedicating that new life they have been entrusted with to follow in the Christian faith and lifestyle. But the baptism actually becomes spiritual legitimate when the child grows up and cognitively in a public congregational setting professes their faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ through what is often called confirmation. It is then that the baptism becomes an identifying factor of that child or adolescent with Jesus Christ and His Church. In other Protestant traditions the adolescent or adult is baptizes after they have made a cognitive public choice to confess their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their savior. 

Paul writes in Galatians 3:27 saying, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” This means that our baptism is when we are officially identified with Jesus Christ and His Church. In a way it’s a form of “branding”. If a rancher buys a head of cattle, it’s his the moment he pays for it. But it is not identified as his property until he places his brand on it. This is exactly the same parallel to our initial Christian conversion. We become a Christian in our hearts when we confess our sins and accept Jesus as our savior (1 Corinthians 6:20). Then in our baptism we identify publically with Jesus and His Church.  

There are three types of Baptism mentioned in the New Testament. There is Baptism in water which identifies us with Jesus Christ and His Church (Acts 8:36-38). This is usually a one-time experience in our lives. However, some Christians are baptized as an infant and then later in life, as an adolescent or adult. 

Then there is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). This is a spiritual experience that initiates the surrender of one’s life to the empowerment and control of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is illustrated throughout the Book of Acts. Some Protestant Christian congregations and denominations place a strong emphasis on this form of baptism being identified in some form of miraculous evidence, such as speaking in tongues, healing or prophesying. Other Protestant churches are content to simply observe a Christ-like lifestyle in the presence of the Christian who acknowledges that they have had this spiritual experience.     

Finally, there is the Baptism by fire which is the refining and edifying touch of God to prepare us for work in His Kingdom. Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16) In Scripture fire is almost always used in application to refine or purify. This baptism by fire is often paralleled in our lives with the trials and adversities that will draw us closer in our lives to a more personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. We often resist the baptism by fire , but ultimately, those experiences always prove to be events that enhance our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself. We often call it “Holy Communion” or the “Eucharist” (Greek, eucharistia, ‘thanksgiving’[1]). To communion with someone is to take the time we need with someone to get to know them better. This is what we do when we come to the Table of the Lord.

When we eat the bread and drink the wine, we partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ by faith. The actual elements do not change in quality or appearance. But our faith in the redemptive act of Jesus Christ through His death burial and resurrection make the time of Communion a spiritual enhancement and benefit to our total being.

We find healing and hope in His body which was crucified and resurrected. We also find forgiveness of sins in the shed blood of Christ. In the very earliest texts of the Old Testament we find the shedding of blood (sacrifice) necessary to receive forgiveness or “covering” of our sins.   This is exactly why we consecrate the elements (bread and wine) by repeating the Scriptures of what Jesus Christ said when He instituted this Sacrament. (I Corinthians 11:23-26)

Jesus is quite clear in John 6:48-58 about our participation in the sacrament of Communion. Jesus Christ qualifies the emphasis in John 6:48 when He says, ”He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him”.  The relationship we have with Jesus is a two way inhabitation. When we come to the Lord’s Table and partake  we  acknowledge  our  salvation through His Body and Blood and the undeniable fact that we live in Him and He lives in us.   

Even though the vast majority of Protestantism is content with these two fundamental sacraments (ordinances), there are five other “Protestant Options” which though not acknowledged in most congregation’s “Statement of Faith”, they are generally all adhered to and practice with deep theological and spiritual sincerity. They are as follows:

• Confirmation – Confirmation is a public acknowledgement by an individual recognizing Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This event is typically a more formal recognition of one’s salvation in a public arena, done in some congregations. Some less mainline and more evangelical Protestants would call this the giving or speaking of one’s testimony. (Romans 10-:9,10)

   

• Marriage – Marriage is an institute of God for family unity and support. Marriage is the application for procreation as God instituted in Genesis1:28. All Christians attach a sacred responsibility and faithfulness to both partners in marriage. The Scriptures always describe marriage as the uniting of a man and a woman.

    

• Ordination – Ordination is the acknowledgement of those who are called to lead the Church. All Christians who meet together acknowledge those who lead them in their faith because they recognize that God has called and gifted those specific people to be leaders in His Church. (Ephesians 4:11)

   

• Confession – Confession is the personal acknowledgement and verbalization of one’s sins. This is often a process that Protestant people go through in their own private prayer lives. However, it can also be an integral part of Biblically based pastoral counseling. Some of the more fundamental Protestant denominations do this publically at events referred to as “Altar Calls” at the conclusion of a worship service. (1 John 1:9)

   

• Anointing – When someone requests to be anointed with oil it is a display of the person’s trust in God’s ability to heal, restore and preserve our lives. Anointing is accompanied by the prayer of the person requesting it.  (James 5:13-15).

   

  The Sacraments (or Ordinances) are an active foundation for our daily lives that we should and must participate in to grow spiritually in our faith in Jesus Christ. It is a very necessary building block for a Biblically based Christian lifestyle. We can confidently see Jesus Christ clearly in Sacrament. It is He who set the example for us in sacramental living.

  The final result of a sacramental lifestyle should be the expression of God’s love through our daily living. No one should ever be excluded from experiencing the love of God regardless of their race, gender, political persuasion, their social status, or even their preferential lifestyle.

  Unfortunately, we are taught by our society to be a culture consisting of  “social groups”. There are some people who take individuals and place them in a group and then persecute and even condemn everyone in that group because they are not like themselves or because everyone in that does not agree with them. That process is sinfully wrong and not Christ-like in any way.

  Then there are some who take individuals and place them in a group and exalt the group and even demand special treatment for the members of that group. That process is equally wrong and not Christ-like either.

  Jesus Christ did not give His life for the sins of this world to condemn or vindicate any people group. God loved us as individuals so much that He sent His only Son to redeem us from our sinful estate. Brothers and sisters, this is the love that comes out of a Sacramental lifestyle focused on Jesus Christ. We need to always be focused on presenting the Gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ’s redemption for every single person in all of mankind, regardless of how we might be tempted to categorize them.