The catechism now turns from the disciplines of prayer and Scripture to the sacraments or, as we Baptists most commonly call them, the ordinances. These two practices, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, were instituted by Christ Himself and given to His church as what Thomas Watson calls visible sermons that proclaim the gospel. They are God’s gracious means of helping us to see, touch, and taste the truth of the Christ’s death and resurrection.

As Protestants, we recognize only these two, for both were commanded directly by Christ. In the Great Commission, Jesus instructed us to “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… (Matthew 28:19). And at the Last Supper, He commanded His disciples regarding the bread and the cup to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

We call them ordinances because they were ordained by our Lord for His people to observe. Yet whether we call them sacraments or ordinances, their purpose is the same: they are visible signs and seals of the gospel, given to strengthen our faith and bind us together as Christ’s people.

Both baptism and the Lord’s Supper point us to the same reality, namely, the death and resurrection of Jesus, but they do so in different ways.

Baptism is a picture of our justification. It points to the once-for-all sacrifice by which Christ saved us from our sins. In baptism, we see a picture of the death of our old self and the new life that comes through faith in Christ. It is, in a sense, both a funeral and a wedding. It is the death of our old nature and the public celebration of our union with Christ.

The Lord’s Supper, on the other hand, is a picture of our sanctification. Just as we need food and drink to sustain our bodies, we need the grace of Christ to sustain our souls. The Lord’s Supper reminds us that though we have been justified once for all, we still depend continually on the nourishment of God’s grace.

Thus, baptism is observed once because we are justified once. But we come again and again to the Lord’s Supper, for as Paul says, “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

In both ordinances, the Holy Spirit is a work declaring, sealing, and applying the gospel to our hearts. There is nothing magical about the water or the bread and cup, yet these simple acts are powerful means by which God strengthens faith and deepens our love for Christ.

Every time a believer is baptized, we are not mere spectators. We are witnesses and participants. We are reminded of our own baptism. It is rather like attending a wedding or a funeral. Each wedding reminds me of my vows to my wife, and each funeral reminds me that I too will die. In the same way, baptism reminds us of the covenant that we have entered into with Christ and with His people.

And every time we come to the Lord’s Supper, we again see and hear the gospel: Christ’s body broken for us and His blood poured out for our atonement.

These visible sermons proclaim the gospel week after week, century and century, assuring God’s people that they belong to Him.

There is no mystical transformation in the elements themselves, but there is a spiritual reality that is present. Through the ordinances, the Spirit strengthens our faith, deepens our unity, and renews our joy in the gospel.

Oh for grace that we might believe the gospel even more fully and treasure it more dearly through these visible signs of our Lord!