BAPTISM & COMMUNION

In the Reformed tradition, there are two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, also known as Communion. These sacraments, instituted by Christ, are a means of grace within the covenant community. They are visible signs and seals of something internal and invisible and the means by which God works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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             BAPTISM

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Jesus Christ, by word of His Apostle Peter, commands His people to be baptized (Acts 2:38). Baptism is to be administered once in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by an ordained minister to both children of believing parents and adults who receive the gospel. (Matthew 28:19). Baptism admits people into the visible church. Baptism is a sign and seal of God’s covenantal relationship with His people. Baptism being a sign means that water is either poured or sprinkled on a person during a Lord’s Day (Sunday) worship service. A person can also be dipped into water when being baptized. Baptism as being a seal means that our sins have been washed away (forgiven) because of Jesus’ cross-work, resurrection, and the pouring out of His Spirit on His people (1 Peter 3:21; Titus 3:5). Baptism demonstrates that God’s covenant people 1) died with Christ (our sinful old nature has been put to death with Jesus) (Colossians 2:12), 2) will be raised with Christ because He has been raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29), and 3) are being transformed into the image of God in Christ because Christ has been raised (Romans 6:4).

As has been implied with the inclusion of the word “once” above, but to address an important issue relative to baptism with more specificity, it is to be noted that if an adult who once received Christian baptism as a child approaches Canyons to be baptized again because they believe their child-baptism was ingenuine due to a lack of faith present at the time of their baptism, Canyons’ Elders lovingly affirm Scripture's teaching of a single baptism (Ephesians 4:4-6). The primary reason for this is because baptism demonstrates what Christ has already done for His people (this is true both when a child is baptized or an adult). In other words, Christ came to us and secured our salvation before we determined if there was a presence of faith in us. Therefore, one baptism, and not multiple baptisms, is what Christ calls His Church to obey.

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(See too Westminster Confession of Faith 28.1-3)

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COMMUNION

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Jesus Christ commands His people to take Communion (Luke 22:19-20). Communion is a covenant-renewal meal for all who have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (at Canyons, we celebrate this meal weekly). Communion should not be taken by those who remain unrepentant (they, without concern, persist in sinful living). With respect to children participating in Communion, if they have been baptized and are able to discern the difference between a snack and a sacred meal (Communion), they are welcome to participate with parental approval. A suggested starting point for believing parents of baptized children to help their children discern the difference between a snack and the sacred meal is to read the following (including Bible verses) as a family before discussing the matter: the meal of Communion consists of bread and wine (or grape juice). The bread represents Jesus’ body which was broken for His people on the cross; the wine/juice represents Jesus’ blood that was shed for His people on the cross. Both the food (bread) and drink (wine/juice) are consumed during the worship service, and when this happens, by faith, God’s people spiritually feed on Christ which results in the nourishment and growth of their Christian life. In light of this, Communion, when participated in with faith, serves to have God’s people 1) remember that Jesus is their once-for-all sacrifice, the perfect Passover Lamb, who atoned for (blotted out) their sin (Exodus 12:11-12; Hebrews 9:22; Luke 22:14-15), 2) confirms to God’s people the truth that Jesus alone can provide abundant life, not idols (John 10:10), and 3) reminds God’s people that Jesus is coming again to consummate the kingdom of God which He inaugurated during His earthly ministry (Luke 22:16-18).

 

(See too Westminster Confession of Faith 29.1; Westminster Larger Catechism Q&A 170)

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