THE SACRAMENTS’ PURPOSE

HEBREWS 6:13–20

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath

(Hebrews 6:17).

Why do we have sacraments? Isn’t the Bible enough? The answer to the second question is yes and no. Yes, the Bible contains all the truth we need for salvation, but at the same time God has chosen to institute sacraments as additional confirming signs of His truth.

The Reformers sometimes said the Word of God is primary and the sacrament are secondary. This has been misunderstood, as if the Word were important and the sacraments were not. That was the farthest thing from the minds of the Reformers. By “secondary” they meant the sacraments are effective when done in the context of the Word.

We can see in Genesis 15 a powerful illustration of the importance of physical sacraments as seals on God’s promises. God promised Abram that he would have a son, and that his descendants would be as the stars of the heavens. We read that Abram believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness (v. 6). But then Abram asked, “How can I know this will happen?” Abram was asking the triune God, who says that everything is confirmed by two or three witnesses, to provide him a second witness (Deuteronomy 19:15).

In a dream, God had Abram slaughter some animals and separate the pieces into two rows. Then Abram saw a manifestation of the shekinah glory of God pass between the parts of the animals (v. 17). God was saying, “May I be ripped in half like these animals if I fail to keep my promise to Abram.” No greater confirming seal on God’s promise can be imagined.

The author of Hebrews says God confirmed His promise to Abram with an oath, “so that, by two unchangeable things” God testified of His truth to Abram. God has designed us to need the witness of the physical signs He has given us, and that is why He instituted the sacraments.

CORAM DEO

Ezekiel 36–37

1 Peter 3

When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, He called them a “wicked and adulterous generation.” He promised only the sign of Jonah, a reference to His death and resurrection. Seek to be satisfied with this sign—remembered by the bread and wine—rather than looking to modern “miracle” workers for confirmation of your faith.

For further study: Matt. 12:38–45; What Are the Sacraments? series

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