Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Message: Administering Sacraments
Time: Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, is credited with this book, despite the fact that he did not sign it. Dating it's writing is difficult, but most agree it to be AD 60-65 since it does not mention the destruction of the temple in AD 70. A Jew, he includes 50 direct citations and many other indirect citations from the Old Testament.
What the Lord is Saying:
The text today from Matthew 28, that was looked at in the previous lesson in which I focused on the idea of teaching and observing all that Christ commands which means teaching and observing the Word of God in its entirety -- now also mentions the importance of baptism -- Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them. And then also prior to his death on the cross, Christ emphasized the Lord's Supper. In I Corinthians 11:26 Paul emphasizes that we are to do the Lord's Supper often. Thus, it is clear that in addition to the faithful preaching of the Word of God, there are also practices or acts or sacraments that the church needs to be involved in regularly observing and leading the congregation and the other church people doing. I believe it is clear that sacraments are needed and a part of church life.
Yesterday, when I mentioned teaching the Word of God faithfully, I did not mention all of the various ways in which I think this is done in the Church. In the same way, sacraments is also varied in what different churches emphasize as the sacraments. It would seem from this lesson in Tabletalk, which is overseen and written by Ligonier, that at the minimum churches need to be practicing the Lord's Supper and baptism.
I saw this comment from Charles Simeon (1759-1836), a theologian associated with the Church of England:
So say I of baptism and of the Lord’s Supper: “In their proper and appointed use they cannot be too highly valued: but, if abused to purposes for which they were not given, and looked to as containing in themselves, and conveying of themselves, salvation to man, they are desecrated.”
Now, in this comment, it seems he is saying that while important and highly valued, baptism and the Lord's Supper should not be seen as salvific. And yet this is where the Roman Catholic Church resides. I saw this article that states: "The Divine Salvific Offer is Based on the Interrelationship between Faith and Sacraments." And this comment from Basil the Great, a bishop born in Turkey, living in Asia Minor from 330-379 stating:
Faith and baptism are, however, two mutually inherent and inseparable modes of salvation, for faith is in fact perfected through baptism, and baptism, for its part, is founded through faith, and both attain their fullness through the same names. For as we believe in the Father, in the Son and in the Holy Spirit, so we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And certainly the confession of faith goes forward, which introduces us into salvation, but baptism follows, which seals our assent.
Thus, the differences are clear. While both emphasize the importance of baptism and the Lord's Supper, there are clear differences in how they are applied in the church and meant to be viewed toward an individual's salvation. And then Roman Catholicism has 7 sacraments and other churches and denominations also have certain beliefs about these sacraments that they are to be defined a certain way.
So what is my conclusion? I believe they are necessary and valued, but overall in Scripture it seems incompatible to say they are necessary for salvation and yet they are necessary and important and need to be observed. I think there are scripture that can infer that they may be salvific, but again, overall the reading and observation of scripture does not speak that they are in conjunction with salvation. And then as I watch and look at Jesus and what He spoke about and said, it seems that salvation is by faith alone and even more salvation is a gift from God and man once he is called has no choice but to respond in faith. Now, it could be said that once called man has not a choice to also practice the sacraments and in the many different ways that they are instituted. That is possible. I suppose this is an area in which the focus needs to be on the heart.
As is mentioned in Psalm 51, it is God that creates in me a clean heart and it is Him that restores to me the joy of my salvation and He delivers me and He is my salvation. To me it is all Him and yet following and practicing will happen. James speaks of works and Paul speaks of works. Yet, the works are automatic in the life of the one that is called and I don't believe the works even as they include these sacraments are salvific.
Summary: Part of a church's mission and belonging to a church is participating in and doing sacraments and instituting the Lord's Supper and believers following through with baptism are the minimum and yet neither are salvific.
Promise: Sacraments need to be part of a church existing, but they also need to be rightly administered.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your word and its teaching. Lord, it seems normal and yet I wish it wasn't so at times that there is some much variation in our lands of these ordinances and what is emphasized and what is taught as being associated with salvation. Because this variation often results in division and differences and in our land today, those feelings are already high in matters not directly associated with the church's mission. So I pray Lord that you would heal your land and you would conform people to Your Word. I pray that we would be a people of the heart and even in our differences, we would show respect and not strong emotions of dividing or even war. May you be glorified in all that we do and say and my Your name continue to be proclaimed. And as we do these works which I believe normally follow our faith filled lives, may you help me do them for your glory and remember the meaning of them as I do them.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.
Christ's Body
The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see.
Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed
Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church. One People Throughout History - God has only one people; throughout the world there are people that share doctrines and truths despite their being differences in where we attend or belong. God's Holy People - By being in Christ, though we still have a fallen nature, God has set us apart as holy, as his saints. True Catholocity - God's people includes men and women from every tribe and every tongue that hold to the biblical gospel. The Apostilic Church - we are fellow citizens with all people from all tribes and tongues throughout history, united by being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets teaching, thus apostolic, with Christ Jesus being our cornerstone.
What the Church Does and Believes
Preaching Christ and His Commandments - A church needs to be committed to faithfully preaching the Word of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment