Tasting and Seeing the Gospel

Below is a guest post I did over at the Grace Church Youth blog for Doug.  He is going through the Heidelberg Catechism.  Enjoy.

Have you ever noticed how certain smells or tastes remind you of things from your past. They can even remind you of intangible realities. For example, maybe the smell of pumpkin pie reminds you of Thanksgiving celebrations from when you were a kid. You are caused to remember those events, but also the intangible things like the joy and excitement of the time with family (or the unpleasant feelings of dealing with socially awkward extended family). Our senses are powerful tools that can often stir us to remember and think about things.

In today's catechism questions, we learn about the sacraments1 (I know you are wondering how my introduction fits with this...just stick with me). What are the sacraments? Baptism and communion. And as the answer to question 66 says, "They were instituted by God so that by our use of them He might make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel...". So, baptism and communion aren't just rituals or a way for us to get a bath and share some crackers and juice at the end of a service. They are visible testimonies to invisible grace. Both of them give a sensory lesson about our new life in union with Christ. God gave us these sacraments so that we might see, touch, smell, and taste gospel truths. What a great way to push the truths of these invisible realities deep into our hearts.

It is also a great way to teach our children the truths of the gospel. The next time there is a communion or baptism at church, take time after the service to ask your children what they saw and to explain the meaning of these visible testimonies to invisible grace. Don't overlook the power of the sacraments in your effort to communicate the gospel to your children or to your own heart for that matter.

I'll be back next week to talk about baptism - D.V. (100 points to anyone who remembers what D.V. stands for- and no it does not stand for cool Christian)

footnote 1 Perhaps the word "sacraments" seems a bit too Roman Catholic to you, but it isn't necessarily a bad word. The Roman Catholics developed a list of seven sacraments including baptism, confirmation, communion, confession/penance, marriage, ordination, and last rites (this official list of seven came around the time of Peter Lombard and Thomas Aquinas in the 11-1200's). In the Roman Catholic view, these were seen as conveying grace to those who received them by the simple act of receiving them (with or without faith). It was like a faucet of God's grace that you could stand under and receive God's favor, even if you didn't know God. Clearly, this is a problem. But, the word sacrament doesn't have to be used this way. The reformers took the word to refer to the two sacraments that could be found in the Bible: baptism and communion (which is what the Heidelberg refers to in these questions and answers). In their view, they did not help the person on towards justification, for we are justified by faith alone. Instead, as Augustine had said centuries prior, they are visible means of an invisible grace. They are a means of grace in that they encourage me in the faith and remind me of the gospel. If the word "sacrament" still bugs you, just call them ordinances (meaning they are ordained by Christ for His church to practice).
Lord’s Day 25

65. Q. IT IS BY FAITH ALONE THAT WE SHARE IN CHRIST AND ALL HIS BLESSING: WHERE THEN DOES THAT FAITH COME FROM?
A. The Holy Spirit produces it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel, and confirms it through our use of the holy sacraments.

66. Q. WHAT ARE SACRAMENTS?
A. Sacraments are holy signs and seals for us to see. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them He might make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and might put His seal on that promise. And this is God’s gospel promise: to forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ’s one sacrifice finished on the cross.

67. Q. ARE BOTH THE WORD AND HE SACRAMENTS THEN INTENDED TO FOCUS OUR FAITH ON THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS AS THE ONLY GROUND OF OUR SALVATION?
A. Right! In the gospel the Holy Spirit teaches us and through the holy sacraments He assures us that our entire salvation rests on Christ’s one sacrifice for us on the cross.

68. Q. HOW MANY SACRAMENTS DID CHRIST INSTITUTE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
A. Two: baptism and the Lord’s Supper.