Question 164. How many sacraments did Christ institute in the New Testament?

 

Question 164. How many sacraments did Christ institute in the New Testament?

Answer. In the New Testament Christ instituted only two sacraments in his church, namely, baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Sacraments include baptism and the Eucharist. Baptism is a ceremony in which believers are united with Jesus' death on the cross and die together, and believe that they will rise again with Jesus' resurrection. The Eucharist commemorates this by breaking bread and drinking a cup. Ultimately, the sacrament is about baptism.

Baptism symbolizes the death and resurrection of the cross. First, the death of the cross can be explained by dividing it into water baptism and fire baptism. Water baptism is often likened to the flood of Noah, and it is God's judgment on those who did not repent of their sins. Fire baptism is likened to Sodom and Gomorrah, and it is God's judgment on those who followed other flesh. It is believed that this judgment of God was made by the Son Jesus Christ dying as a substitute, and that those who are united with Him also died in this way. Therefore, believers who were sinners were judged by God in Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, sinners killed a sacrificial lamb, sprinkled its blood on the altar (water baptism), and burned its meat (fire baptism). So, although the sacrificial lamb died as an offering and was offered to God, they had to realize that the sacrificial lamb was none other than the sinner, the believer. However, few people realized this. Today, when people are baptized in the church community, they think that they are now free from sin because Jesus shed His blood for them and atoned for their sins. The baptized person does not die to sin. They still love the world and think that they are sinful, so they demand the blood of Jesus every day.

The resurrection is expressed through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit receive the resurrection life of heaven and become reborn beings. The resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples and breathed resurrection life into them.

John 20:21-22 “Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The difference between believers and saints today is whether or not they have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit cannot be called saints. They have been baptized (water baptism and fire baptism), called, and entered into a covenant, but they have not been chosen and confirmed in the covenant. Believers consider baptism (usually water baptism) as a sign that they have become a covenant people, but that is not the case. And most believers do not even know about fire baptism. Water baptism and fire baptism symbolize those who died with Jesus.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is Christ giving the saints resurrection life. Therefore, it is the confirmation of salvation. Those who do not believe in the present resurrection have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who are baptized today but are under the law have also never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift from Christ to those who believe in dying with Jesus and being resurrected with Christ in the present. Believers who believe in the resurrection after the death of the body commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

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