The True Meaning of the Sacrament
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The true meaning of the sacraments
1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Matthew 28:18-20
Today is Sacrament Day. The sacraments are the holy rites of the new covenant established by Christ. There are two sacraments of the Church: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Sacraments are eternal ordinances that show that we have been washed from our sins by the blood of Jesus and that we have become a new person.
The means by which God gives us grace are called means of grace. The means of grace that God gives today are through the Word, prayer, and sacraments.
The sacraments are important because Jesus Himself instituted them. The baptismal service was commissioned and established before Jesus completed the atonement and ascended to heaven (Matthew 28:19). The sacrament was held on the night of the Last Supper, that is, the day Jesus was arrested before he was crucified (Luke 22:19). ) Therefore, the sacraments of the church are important holy rites performed according to the command of Jesus.
baptism
Baptism is likened to crossing the Red Sea. It means that you cannot return to Egypt again (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Through baptism, the old man is buried with Jesus Christ. To die to sin and live to righteousness. It is to be reborn as a new person. Baptism is a sign of forgiveness of sins and union with Christ, and of being sealed by the Holy Spirit that we have become the people of God's eternal new covenant. Therefore, those who can be baptized are those who believe in Christ as the Son of God, accept him as their Savior and openly confess him. You must be baptized because it is a command from Jesus. God sealed that confession with the Holy Spirit.
sacrament
At the Last Supper with his disciples the night before Jesus was crucified, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” He said that this is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord's Supper is a ceremony to commemorate the breaking of Jesus' flesh and the shedding of His blood. It is a ceremony to commemorate the death of the Lord. This is a ceremony to kill me, who was heading towards the sins and greed of the world. It is a ceremony of deep communion with the Lord. It is a ceremony in which the saints are fervently united with love in the Lord. It is a ceremony to confirm the hope of resurrection. It is a ceremony to renew the resolve to live for the Lord and die for the Lord by giving this body to the Lord.
Jesus made the covenant with His own blood. So the bread commemorates the body of Jesus. The wine commemorates the blood of Jesus. This is because salvation was not achieved metaphysically, but was a real suffering and a grueling death.
Therefore, the Lord's Supper is held from the time of Jesus' death to the time of His Second Coming (1 Corinthians 11:26). Baptism is once in a lifetime, but the Lord's Supper is a ceremony that sincere saints will participate repeatedly until the day the Lord returns.
As a view of the sacrament, the transubstantiation theory is not correct that the bread is actually transformed into the body of Jesus. We follow the commemoration. As Jesus said, “Remember me,” the bread and cup do not turn into actual flesh and blood, but commemorate it. However, it is not just a mere commemoration, but also a confession of the suffering and death of Jesus through the sacrament and participation in it. Through the sacrament, we experience God's presence among us. Celebrating the Lord's Supper is obedience to the words of Jesus. Those who participate in the Lord's Supper must know the meaning of the sacrament and attend it as those who entered the Church and were baptized. Even if you are a member of the church, those who have sinned and have not repented, and those who reject the grace of the Lord cannot participate.
Saints must participate in the sacraments. The sacraments are not baptism, the sacrament, or the rites of gaining salvation, but rather the rites of strengthening and strengthening the grace of salvation by participating in faith by believers who have already been saved. Therefore, in order to long for grace, to grow strong in grace, and to grow up, do not fall for it, and do your best to participate. Neglecting and not participating in the sacraments is disobedience against the word of the Lord. We must participate, but prepare to confess, meditate on the cross, and renew the thrill of grace through faith.
The sacraments are precious ceremonies for the saints and are extremely gracious rites. Those who properly participate in the sacraments will be filled with the thrill and confidence of grace and become powerful saints.