Grosey's Messages

Allow me to contextualise a reformed view against the context from which reformed churches arose, that of Roman Catholicism.

This is the main reason for the term "reformed" it means to reform back from a distorted view back to the original new testament viewpoint.

Let us understand first of all how Roman Catholicism understands the sacraments.

The Seven Catholic Sacraments

Baptism

Confirmation

Reconciliation

Mass

Marriage

Priesthood

Last Rites

 

The Latin word sacramentum means "a sign of the sacred"

The Seven Sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant, and important for Christians.

The Seven Sacraments are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant, and important for Christians. "the Sacraments are Christ's own gifts that strengthen our relationship with him, a relationship we call grace."

To Give Grace, to Strengthen Relationship with God

 A cartoon depicts an angry altercation at a session meeting: the clerk writing the minutes asks:

"In the minutes, should I record this as a 'vigorous theological discussion' or a 'serious ecclesiastical  debate'?" 

No it is so important that it affects how we understand the gospel.

The view of the sacraments is a fundamental issue for Christians.

The Heidelberg Catechism is very veyr helpful on this matter.

65          Q.          It is by faith alone that we share in Christ and all His blessings: where then does that faith come from?
A. The Holy Spirit produces it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel, and confirms it through our use of the holy sacraments.

1 Corinthians 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

 

Some see this passage as though it is about a division in the church at Corinth:

1Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.12 What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ."13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

 

But this view does not accord with the strong position Paul makes about the centrality of the gospel of Christ in verses 18-32

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

 

Why Was Paul Glad Not To Baptise

You may spoil the Gospel by substitution.

Look to Jesus Christ not: the Church, the Ministry, the Confessional, Baptism, or the Lord's Supper.

"lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."

Why Was Paul Glad Not To Baptise

You may spoil the Gospel by addition

Galatians 1:7 There are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Why Was Paul Glad Not To Baptise

You may spoil the Gospel by interposition.

   1Cor 1:21 it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Why Was Paul Glad Not To Baptise

You may spoil the Gospel by disproportion.

If you exaggerate the importance of a secondary thing, you diminish the importance of the gospel.

Why Was Paul Glad Not To Baptise

You may spoil the gospel by confused and contradictory directions. Complicated and obscure statements about faith, baptism, Church privileges, and the benefits of the Lord's Supper, all jumbled together make the Gospel no Gospel at all.

How a preacher preaches: works and discipleship, fruit inspections, mode versus meaning.

J C Ryle writes:

I know not whether I succeed in making my meaning clear. I am very anxious to do so. Myriads of our fellow-countrymen are utterly unable to see any difference between one thing and another in religion, and are hence continually led astray. Thousands can see no distinct difference between sermons and sermons, and preachers and preachers, and have only a vague idea that "sometimes all is not right." I will endeavour, therefore, to illustrate my subject by two familiar illustrations.

A doctor's prescription of a medicine often contains five or six different ingredients. There is so much of one drug and so much of another; a little of this, and a good deal of that. Now what man of common sense can fail to see that the whole value of the prescription depends on a faithful and honest use of it? Take away one ingredient, and substitute another; leave out one ingredient altogether; add a little to the quantity of one drug; take away a little from the quantity of another. Do this, I say, to the prescription, my good friend, and it is a thousand chances to one that you spoil it altogether. The thing that was meant for your health, you have converted into downright poison.

Apply this little simple parable to the Gospel. Regard it as a medicine sent down from heaven, for the curing of man's spiritual disease, by a Physician of infinite skill and power; a medicine of singular efficacy, which man with all his wisdom could never have devised. Tell me now, as one of common sense, does it not stand to reason that this medicine should be used without the slightest alteration, and precisely in the manner and proportion that the great Physician intended? Tell me whether you have the least right to expect good from it, if you have tampered with it in the smallest degree? You know what the answer to these questions must be: your conscience will give the reply. Spoil the proportions of your doctor's prescription, and you will spoil its usefulness, even though you may call it medicine. Spoil the proportions of Christ's Gospel, and you spoil its efficacy. You may call it religion if you like; but you must not call it Evangelical. The several doctrines may be there, but they are useless if you have not observed the proportions.

 

  66        Q.          What are sacraments?

A. Sacraments are holy signs and seals for us to see. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them He might make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and might put His seal on that promise. And this is God's gospel promise: to forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ's one sacrifice finished on the cross.

 

67 Q. Are both the word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?

 

68          Q.          How many sacraments did Christ institute in the New Testament?

A.           Two: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

 

 

The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are both:

Pictures of the gospel.   Baptism.. pictures death and resurrection of Christ.  Lord's Supper pictures atoning sacrifice, His body broken for us, His blood poured out as an atonement for our sins.

 

The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are both:

Promises.  They remind us that the promise to thise who have faith in the Lord Jesus is new birth, regeneration, and full assurance based in Christ's death for us.

 

The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are both:

Proofs.  Because they are public demonstrations of profession of faith, they signify to others a willingness to publicly confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

 

The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are both:

Pledges.  They both signify the believer's willingness to commit their lives to Christ no matter what.

They also remind us of God's pledge to be our God forever and ever through the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord.

 

 

Therefore Focus on the Cross