Heidelberg Catechism: The Second Part--Sacraments

I guess it is time to continue on with Heidelberg.  This is the beginning of a very important section concerning the Sacraments.  The questions before us are what is a sacrament and what does this mean?

Of The Sacraments

25. Lord's Day

Question 65. Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith only, whence does this faith proceed? 

Answer: From the Holy Ghost, (Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 6:23; John 3:5; Philippians 1:29) who works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel, and confirms it by the use of the sacraments. (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Peter 1:22-23)

And therefore, the first important answer of the day is that it is by faith alone that we are made partakers of Christ.  We are made partakers, we do not make ourselves partakers.  This faith comes from the Holy Ghost.  This is the job of the Holy Spirit, to give us faith in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on the Cross. 

Question 66. What are the sacraments? 

Answer: The sacraments are holy visible signs and seals, appointed of God for this end, that by the use thereof, he may the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel, viz., that he grants us freely the remission of sin, and life eternal, for the sake of that one sacrifice of Christ, accomplished on the cross. (Genesis 17:11; Romans 4:11; Deuteronomy 30:6; Leviticus 6:25; Hebrews 9:7-9, 24; Ezekiel 20:12; Isaiah 6:6-7, 54:9)

This section is full of covenant language.  Signs and seals imply the New Covenant in Christ.  So, therefore, if the sacraments are the signs and seals of the New Covenant, they must be for the Covenant members.  This issue will be addressed later.

Question 67. Are both word and sacraments, then, ordained and appointed for this end, that they may direct our faith to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, as the only ground of our salvation? (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27)

Answer: Yes, indeed: for the Holy Ghost teaches us in the gospel, and assures us by the sacraments, that the whole of our salvation depends upon that one sacrifice of Christ which he offered for us on the cross.

This is pretty straight forward.  The word and sacraments point to the cross.  Our faith and our salvation is based upon Christ's work on the cross.

Question 68. How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant, or testament?

Answer: Two: namely, holy baptism, and the holy supper.

And so, you will expect the next two sections to be about these two sacraments.  At this point, it is worth mentioning that there is a difference here between the Lutheran view and the Confessional Reformed view of sacraments.  The Lutherans believe that the Sacraments actually deliver what they promise.  In other words, the seal of the covenant delivers the promise of the covenant.  It is a very straight forward position, but it runs into practical problems with antinomian behavior, Romans 6 notwithstanding.  The Confessional Reformed view is that there is both a visible church of those within the Covenant community and an invisible church of those who are of true faith.  The external benefits of the covenant are for all visible church members, but the eternal and invisible benefits are for the true believers, the elect, the invisible church.  This is the position that I hold because it makes practical sense of the empyrical observation that not all baptized people are true believers.

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