The spiritual blessings spoken of in the Creed and asked for in the Lord's Prayer are brought to us through the Means of Grace.
WHAT THEY ARE. The Means of Grace are: 1. The Word of God, 2. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, 3. The Sacrament of the Altar. They are called the means of grace, because they are the means or vehicles through which God's grace comes to us. It is through the Word of God and the Sacraments that the Holy Spirit does His work in us.
THE CHIEF MEANS OF GRACE is the Word of God. [I Pet. 1:23] For through it the Holy Spirit "calls, enlightens, sanctifies, and preserves us in the true faith." Even in the Sacraments, the principal thing is the Word of God with its command and promise; and without the Word of God there would be no sacrament.
ITS POWER. The Holy Spirit is always in the Word, and gives it saving power. Through the Law and the Gospel which the Word contains, He brings to repentance and faith all those persons who do not wilfully resist His grace. [Heb. 4:12] Through it He not only tells us what to do, but gives us the power to obey. [Eph 2:4, 5] Because He is in the Word, "it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." [Rom 1:16] (Compare what is said concerning the Bible in Chapter I., and concerning the Work of the Holy Spirit in Chapter XX.)
WHAT A SACRAMENT IS. A sacrament is a holy ordinance, instituted by Christ, in which invisible heavenly gifts are bestowed upon us through the use of visible earthly elements.
HOW MANY THERE ARE. In the sense in which we use the word "Sacrament" there are only two holy ordinances to which the name may be applied; namely, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. For these are the only two which possess the three essentials of a sacrament: 1. The Command of Christ; 2. The Use of Earthly Elements; 3. The Communication of a Heavenly Gift.[11]
[Footnote 11: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that there are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Confession, the Lord's Supper, Ordination, Marriage, and Extreme Unction. But five of these lack one or more of the essentials of a sacrament enumerated above.]
OLD TESTAMENT TYPES. The rite of Circumcision, practised in Old Testament times, was a type of Baptism; and the Passover was a type of the Lord's Supper.
THEIR PURPOSE. The sacraments have been given to us in order that they might bring a special comfort to our souls, in addition to the comfort which we find in God's Word. For the Grace of God which is offered to all men in the Word, is brought and sealed to each believer individually in the sacraments. My baptism assures me that all the blessings of Christ's redemption are meant for me: and the Lord's Supper assures me that Christ's body and blood were given and shed for me for the remission of my sins.
FAITH NECESSARY. Without faith, no one can obtain any benefit from the sacraments. But he who believes receives the heavenly gifts offered in them, and has the blessed assurance that he is a child of God and an heir of heaven.
QUESTIONS.—1. How are the spiritual blessings spoken of in the Creed and asked for in the Lord's Prayer brought to us? 2. What are the Means of Grace? 3. Why are they so called? 4. What is the chief means of grace? 5. Why does the Word of God possess saving power? 6. What is a Sacrament? 7. How many Sacraments are there? 8. What are the three essentials of a sacrament? 9. What is the purpose of the sacraments? 10. Does every one who receives the sacraments derive a benefit from them?
SCULPTURE READING.—The Man Born Blind, John 9:1-7.
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