In the September 25 morning worship we will witness the baptism of a covenant child and of one who comes to profess faith in Jesus; and when we gather in the evening together we will take our place around the table of the Lord to share in his body and blood. These two practices of the church—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—are sometimes called by various names, but historically the church has referred to these good gifts as sacraments. Derived from the Latin sacramentum, the word sacrament originally related to oaths assumed in the Roman culture, whether by those in the court or by those in the military. Early Christian writers however came to use the word as an equivalent to the Greek word mysterion, usually translated in contemporary English Bibles by the Word, mystery (Horton, The Christian Faith, 764). Our confession of faith defines sacraments this way:

Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ and His benefits; and to confirm our interest in Him: as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word (WCF 27.1).

More simply, we might think of the sacraments, as was done during the reformation, as visible words. In this light John Frame has mused,

The sacraments are somewhat hard to place in this scheme. Literally, they are events, not words (Doctrine of the Word of God, 264).

Frame is on to something here. He wants to be sure that when we think about the sacraments we don’t forget that God uses them effectively and powerfully. He doesn’t want us to think of them as inert words.

Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace

Rather, he wants us to see in them words and divine actions which convey divine presence. While he is on the right track, it is perhaps better to be reminded that God’s Word is never inert and thus we do not need to make any distinction between events and Words. To be sure, the sacraments work because of and together with God’s Word. But God’s Word produces events. Thus, as God Word works in connection with the sacraments they become effectual for salvation.

This understanding of the sacraments does two things. It keeps us from finding in themselves the power of God. It delivers us from magical superstition and reminds us that they are means of grace and highlight our union with Jesus and the sacraments are instruments God uses to unite us to Him. Secondly, it delivers us from any notion that the sacraments are a time when we do the speaking. In some corners of the church the sacraments are empty and effect nothing, only serving as a time or remembrance of committal on the part of the one receiving.

By understanding the sacraments to be the visible word of God we understand them to be instruments in the hand of God that become effectual for our salvation. As such they are wonderful gifts for which we should thank God and to which we should avail ourselves.