The Heresy of Sacramentalism

    The reformed doctrine, again retaining the garments of Rome, teaches that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are sacraments rather than ordinances of worship. A sacrament is a religious rite or ceremony by which grace is conveyed to the one who receives it. An ordinance is simply a symbolic picture of grace. There is a huge difference between the two.

    Presbyterianism teaches that baptism, as they call it, the sprinkling or pouring of water, is a sacrament by which grace is conveyed and sealed to those who receive it.

    “Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace… Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, or his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins… Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized.” (Westminster Confession) The confession goes on to assert that baptism is properly administered, not by immersion as the word baptize necessitates, but by sprinkling or pouring and that it is to be administered to both believing adults and their unbelieving infants. Yet, it has the same significance to both.

    There are several things about this doctrine that are horribly evil. There is no place here for minced words. If these things were matters of indifference, or insignificance, I would never subject myself to what I know will come as the result of publishing this tract. The doctrine of infant baptism and its accommodating doctrine of sprinkling for baptism are horribly evil things.

    There is no biblical precept or precedent for either infant baptism or sprinkling. There is not an example in all the Word of God of any infant anywhere ever being baptized by our Lord, or his Apostles, or anyone else. We are never told to do it. It is religious ritual with less biblical support than might be mustered to defend the pope’s miter!

    The baby sprinkled is presumed to be regenerate. The child is sprinkled because there is hope that since it has been baptized (sprinkled with water), it is safe. It is raised in the church and presumed by all to be regenerate, unless it proves otherwise in later years. Thus, the sprinkling is considered the effectual companion of the regenerating grace and power of God the Holy Spirit. In the Word of God no one is considered regenerate until he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Baptism is never said to seal anyone into the covenant of grace or to seal the grace of the covenant to anyone. It is God the Holy Spirit who seals believers in Christ (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30). Circumcision is never compared to baptism in Scripture. It did not picture, or typify baptism. It typified regeneration, that circumcision not made with hands (Col. 2:11), by which we are brought into union with Christ and have sealed to us all the blessings of God’s covenant grace in Christ.

    The doctrine of infant baptism makes the grace of God run in and come to sinners by physical pedigree. Whereas the Word of God declares plainly that grace has absolutely no connection with one’s earthly parentage (John 1:12-13; Rom. 9:16).

    John 1:12-13 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

    The doctrine of infant baptism also destroys the biblical doctrine of conversion. The child raised under the presumption of regeneration cannot be expected to experience conversion. He has nothing from which to be converted, and no one to whom he must be converted. It is presumed that that was all taken care of with a few drops of water when he was a little baby. That is presuming an awful lot!

    Baptism is an ordinance of divine worship to be administered to believers only, and by immersion only (Acts 8:36-39).

    Acts 8:36-39 "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? (37) And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (38) And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (39) And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing."

    It is a picture of the gospel. The one thing required as the pre-requisite for baptism is faith in Christ, as Philip required it of the Eunuch. Immersion portrays the whole gospel of redemption by Christ. Believing sinners stand before God accepted because of their death with Christ. By baptism we confess to all the world that we trust the crucified, buried, risen Christ alone as our Savior. Being buried with him and rising up out of the watery grave, we declare both our determination to walk with Christ in the newness of life and our blessed hope of the resurrection in the last day. Therefore, baptism is always represented and spoken of as a burial (Rom. 6:4-6; Col. 2:12).3

    Both Presbyterians and Reformed Baptists make the Lord’s Supper a sacrament by which, according to the 1689 Baptist Confession, “Those who, as worthy participants, outwardly eat and drink the visible bread and wine in this ordinance, at the same time receive and feed upon Christ crucified, and receive all the benefits accruing from his death.”

    I do not need to prove to you that that is not the teaching of the New Testament (1 Cor. 11:23-29).

    1 Corinthians 11:23-29 "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: (24) And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (25) After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. (27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. (29) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

    When we eat the bread and drink the wine, we do not feed upon Christ. We simply remember him. The bread is the body of Christ only in a symbolic way. It is not the body of Christ physically, spiritually, or mystically. The same is true of the wine. Eating the bread and drinking the wine, we remember our Savior and what he has done for us with worshipful reverence.

    The Lord’s Supper does not convey grace. It simply shows by outward sign how grace is conveyed to sinners. Just as each believer takes the bread and wine for himself, so sinners must take Christ for themselves by faith. He cannot be conveyed to you by someone else. Once you have taken the bread and wine, it is yours forever. Even so, once you feed upon Christ by faith, he is yours forever.

    The Lord’s Supper shows forth the Lord’s death until he comes again. That is its purpose. Just as the bread is broken before you, so the holy human body of our all glorious Christ was crushed to death beneath the wheel of God’s justice. Just as the wine is squeezed from the grape, so the blood of Christ was squeezed from his body in death as our Substitute.

    In the Lord’s Supper, as in baptism, that which qualifies us and makes us worthy recipients of the ordinance is faith in Christ, discerning the Lord’s body. Our worthiness is not ourselves but our Savior. It is Christ, only Christ, always Christ who makes us worthy before God!

    These are issues of immense importance. Be sure you understand the teaching of Holy Scripture in these areas.

    1.The Word of God alone is our only rule of faith and practice.

    2.Salvation is in its entirety by the free grace of God in Christ, without works, conditions, or qualifications of any kind to be met by us (1 Cor. 1:30-31).

    1 Corinthians 1:30-31 "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

    3.In Christ all who believe are forever and entirely free from the law.

    •Free from its curse!

    •Free from its covenant!

    •Free from its constraint!

    May God the Holy Spirit be pleased to seal these things to your heart and grant that you may walk in the peace and joy of faith in Christ, and never again be brought into the bondage of religious tradition.

    AMEN.