THE SACRAMENTS

The word 'sacrament' is not a biblical word, but a term introduced into the language of the Church toward the end of the second century A.D. It is derived from the Latin word 'sacromentum', which originally described anything sacred. In military life, it denoted the solemn oath by which a Roman soldier bound himself to be loyal to his commander and a general vowed himself to be faithful unto his solders. 'Sacrament' is used in the Latin version of the Bible as the equivalent of a Greek word 'musterion', translated 'mystery' in the English Bible.

The word 'mystery', however, in the New Testament, is applied only zto a doctrine or fact once hidden but now revealed. (See Ephesions 7:9; 3.-3; 5-22; 1 Timothy 3:16) The word seemed to have been employed to describe anything that was believed to be sacred or mysterious. Thus, the word 'mystery' does not throw much light on the meaning(s) of the Christian Sacraments; it does, however, indicate the sacredness with which they have always been regarded by the members of the Church.
The Church used Sacraments for centuries before it paused to ask what they were. Once, the question was asked, however, some attempt had to be made to answer it. The great architect of Sacramental doctrine was Augustine, who defined a Sacrament to be "the visible sign of an invisible grace", an interpretation acceptable to both Roman Catholic and Protestant Theologians. However, although Roman Catholics and Protestants are in agreement concerning the definition, they are sharply divided on the question of how one should understand the relation of the 'invisible grace' to the 'visible sign'.

Roman Catholics believe that Sacraments in themselves are vehicles or channels of sanctifying grace; that the relationship of the priestly office to this grace is so conceived that, by the mere administration of the Sacraments by the priest, grace is infused into the worshipper, if there is no obstacle in the soul. On the other hand, Protestants of all shades of opinion reject, in the strongest manner, this theory as foreign to the message of the New Testament, and degrading to Christ's holy ordinance. Protestants, unlike Roman Catholics, do not believe Sacraments to be the containers of grace - a substance to be mechanically conveyed to the worshipper by the performance of a priest. Protestants understand grace to be God's favour toward us, not gained through the merit of our own deeds; His help and power is given to us that we may live acceptably before Him. This unmerited gift is received only through faith in Christ and commitment to Him. Therefore, if faith is not present, the Sacraments are not effective at all.

John Calvin and the Reformed Churches influenced by him, saw clearly the function of the Sacraments to be the same as that of the Word of God - they proclaim and guarantee the promise of God to be gracious; they are means of grace: "They do not convey any grace of themselves, but anno,unce and fell us, and as they are
guarantees and tokens, ratify among us those things given to us by divine bounty"(John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 4.14.17).

Calvin also says: "Any man is deceived who thinks anything more is conferred upon him through the Sacraments than what is offered by God's WORD and received by him in faith" (Institutes 4.14.15). Accordingly, all creeds of the Reformed Churches are designed to assert vigorously the divine authority of the Sacraments through which the Holy Spirit works in those who receive them by faith. The Shorter Catechism (Question 92) in a brief and telling definition of a Sacrament states:
A Sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein by sensible signs Christ and the benefits of the New Covenant are represented, sealed and applied to believers.

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MEANS OF GRACE:

Reformed Churches commonly associated with John Calvin, of which the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands is a part, teach that Sacraments are means of grace. But what is 'grace'? It is God's help freely offered to us that we may fulfill His will - His unmerited favour toward us that we may live acceptably before Him. It is a personal reality. It is not a force. In fact, it is God's love in action in Jesus Christ on our behalf.

The Reformed Churches believe that the Sacraments of the Church are an essential and a primary way in which our Lord carries on His sanctifying work in us who are His members, so that we may be nourished by His life. Thus we may progress steadily towards perfect union with Christ and be empowered to live as His holy people. Like the Word of God (preached or written) the Sacraments are the Churches means of grace. They are not exclusive channels of grace as in the Roman Catholic sense, nor are they naked signs, or mere instructions in the knowledge of the truth. The Sacraments are means of communion with Christ Himself in the participation of His death and resurrection to eternal life.

SACRAMENTS INSTITUTED BY CHRIST

The use of Sacraments in the Church is based on the fact that they were instituted by Christ. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Sacraments of the New Testament are seven in number i.e. Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Marriage, Holy Orders and Unction. Here again is another point of disagreement between Roman Catholics and Protestants. All Protestants are agreed that the Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They reject the rest on the grounds that Jesus authorized two only and that they are instruments of His Spirit and are accompanied by His promises. In consequence of which they have impressed upon them an unquestionable divine authority. (See St. Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19-20) Baptism is to be received but once as initiation, and the Lord's Supper often for spiritual nutrition.
The emphasis on the institution of both Baptism and the Lord's Supper by our Lord (Dominical Institution) reinforces
the belief that the administration of the Sacraments is not something that the Church does by herself and thereby controls and manipulates grace, but something that our Lord Himself does through the Church.

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SPIRITUAL REALITIES ARE COMMUNICATED BY SENSIBLE SIGNS

Our acceptance and understanding of that which others wish to convey to us is made possible by some bodily or physical medium. It follows that things that are in our minds come to us mainly through our bodily senses. We speak of love; but no one has ever seen love. We see only actions that are loving. We speak of Truth, but no one has even seen Truth. We have seen, however, statements that are true. In every instance we are necessarily using some bodily or physical means to communicate our thoughts and express our love.

This reminds us of the great Christian affirmation that "the Word became flesh" (St. John 7:14) Here we understand from this statement that when God was ready to make Himself known to human beings, He chose for His purpose a human life and created by His Spirit our Lord, Jesus Christ. So that God has revealed Himself to us in a Sacramental fashion in Jesus Christ. Here the outward and visible sign (a human life) is the means by which an @'inward and spiritual" reality (God Himself) is given to us.

To the same effect, our Lord chose certain common acts and endowed them with special meanings. The Church calls them Sacraments because they are signs (Sensible Signs) of the covenant of grace, communicating the gospel.

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