Christian Sacraments
In Colonial days in the eighteenth century a wave of Calvinistic revivalism swept the settlements of the Atlantic seaboard. Jonathan Edward’s name was stamped on it but the effect lived long after his preaching. It was a gospel couched in the fiery, sulphuric terms of literal hell and damnation. God was pictured as the inexorable Judge meting out rewards and punishments to His trembling creatures – chiefly punishments of a horrid and terrifying character. For several generations, itinerant revivalists followed the retreating frontier to remind the adventurous pioneers that God was after them and eternal doom was just around the corner.
Such a distortion of Christ’s Gospel could go just so far before the inevitable reaction set in. People refused to think of God as a judge at all. They saw him as the loving Heavenly Father whose single desire was to shower blessings and benefits upon His children. Of the two, the latter is healthier but both are out of balance. Today, people claim the privilege of imposing on His divine good-nature, demanding His fullest benediction in return for an occasional nod of recognition. Religion has become a pleasing experience shorn of any obligations and drained of any sense of duty. God still loves them regardless of their actions.
Holy Baptism provides an example of that attitude. Christians have always been baptized and Christ certainly commanded it. But if they prefer to avoid it, what difference does it make? If they find it easier to be Christians in their own way rather in Christ’s way, what does it matter? There are plenty of good people who have never been baptized – why worry about it? In the days of Constantine, Christianity became the established religion and Baptism became really indiscriminate. But Baptism is the profession of discipleship and we should never let membership in the Church become a matter of course.
We know that Christianity is more than a pleasant state of mind. If Jesus had only talked about sacrifice, it would have been interesting. When He died upon the cross, it became a fact. If he had only talked about immortality, it would have been inspiring. When He rose from the dead, it became real. How could we assume He is less serious about the way of life He showed us? He instructed his followers in prayer and then gave them a prayer to use. He told them they must be born again, and gave them Baptism as a means of regeneration. He taught them the need for spiritual nourishment and provided the Holy Communion for that purpose. How can we believe his Teaching and ignore His commands?
Some might say that Christ meant a symbolic appeal to our better natures instead of a sacramental rite. Look at the recording of the life of early Christians. They were baptizing with water with the Trinitarian formula and were sharing the Lord’s Supper. Our Lord was explicit and surely intended a sacramental rite. The Christian life is a mutual experience in which God takes us into spiritual partnership. A spiritual partnership requires spiritual contributions in both directions.
A Sacrament of the church is “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us; ordained by Christ Himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.” How many things are outward visible signs of inward and spiritual grace? Are these Sacraments: man, speech, book, handshake, the universe? The world is made up of material things and spiritual things. Material things are those you can see, hear, feel, touch or smell with your senses. Spiritual things are those that are not responsive to the senses – love, thought, will and memory.
The Church is a sacrament – a visible society of men and women whose thoughts, wills, memory and love belong to Christ. The Bible is a sacrament as it visibly portrays the love of God for men. Worship, praise, self-denial and Christian service in contributions of time, effort, or money are sacraments. Sacraments are the way we exhibit the invisible spiritual relationship we have to God.
Jesus came to give new life to our relationship to God. In so doing, he explicitly made two sacraments to stand above all others. He gave us Holy Baptism and Holy Communion and told us to use them for our own salvation. In the twelfth century, after years of study by many scholars, Peter Lombard wrote his “Book of Sentences”, in which he enumerated five Minor Sacraments in addition to the two Major Sacraments. The five Minor Sacraments are Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Penance, and Unction. Combined, these seven Sacraments were eventually regarded as the technical Sacraments of the Church.
The five Minor Sacraments lack Jesus’ explicit direction to use them but all had scriptural authority to support them. They are accepted in eastern Christendom as well as in the west. The two Major Sacraments were directly enjoined upon us by Christ and are regarded as “generally necessary to salvation.” They are meant for everyone. The other five partake of the sacramental principle and derive from Scriptures and Apostolic teaching, but do not apply necessarily to everyone.
It is important to realize we are not talking about theories. This is the actual experience of Christian people stretching over a period of twenty centuries. It may appear that the inward, spiritual grace derived from our sacraments is inappropriate to the outward visible sign we offer. We might expect such great results to require correspondingly significant efforts. But consider the limits of the outward visible world we see and the timeless, all-encompassing spiritual grace of the heavenly kingdom. The proportions are probably just about right. We are indeed getting an incredible bargain but it could hardly be any other way.
Each Sacrament has two parts. The outward visible sign consists of matter and form. The inward spiritual gift consists of what is received and the benefit (virtue).
Holy Baptism uses water and the Trinitarian formula as the outward visible sign. The spiritual benefit consists of life in union with God and grace to overcome sin. This is available to all people and is done only once.
Holy Confirmation uses the hands of the bishop with the words “Defend, O Lord, this, thy child” as the outward visible sign. The spiritual benefit consists of the sevenfold gift of the Holy Ghost along with grace and strength to serve God. The seven fold gifts are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Strength, Knowledge, Godliness and Holy Fear. This is available to all baptized people and is done only once.
Holy Communion uses bread and wine with the words “This is My Body – This is My blood” as the outward visible sign. The spiritual benefit consists of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and refreshing of the body, mind, and soul. This is available to all people confirmed by a bishop in apostolic succession and is received as often as necessary.
Holy Orders use the hands of the bishop with the words “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” as the outward visible sign. The spiritual benefit consists of the power and authority from God to exercise the ministry and the grace to use it effectively. This is available to all men called to the ministry and each office is done only once.
Holy Matrimony uses the joining of hands and exchange of rings with the words of mutual pledges as the outward visible sign. The spiritual benefit consists of “Two becoming one flesh” and the grace to live together in holy wedlock. This available to all confirmed people and is done only once.
Holy Penance uses the sins confessed and the words of absolution as the outward visible sign. The spiritual benefits are forgiveness of sins and grace to conquer temptation in the future. This is available to all people and is done as often as necessary.
Holy Unction uses the pure olive oil blessed by the bishop and the words of anointing as the outward visible sign. The spiritual benefits are healing of body and soul and either restoration of health or preparation for death in accordance with God’s will. This is not to affect God’s will nor does it indicate that God wills every individual thing to happen. This is available to all people and done once for each illness.