How does a new Christian publicly declare their faith? How should churches recognize that someone has truly placed their faith in Jesus Christ? Throughout the Bible, the sacraments, or ordinances, of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper indicate that someone has been saved and welcomed into the church family.
In other words, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper make the church visible. The sacraments don’t produce faith, but they are God’s chosen signs and seals for publicly declaring the faith that a Christian possesses. And they play a significant role in establishing churches and obeying the Great Commission among the nations.
Baptism Helps Missionaries Identify Christians
While Baptism certainly has many benefits for the Christian life, I want to focus on how it identifies new Christians with Christ and the church.
When a local church baptized me during my sophomore year of high school, I stood before a group of people, made a public profession of faith in the sufficient and saving work of Christ, and was immersed into the water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I was publicly identifying myself with Christ, but I wasn’t the only one speaking. The church that baptized me was declaring that I belonged to Christ.
When missionaries go to the nations, they are called to make the gospel known. As they proclaim the saving work of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard this good news, they are praying that God will save people whom they interact with. As people hear the gospel and respond with faith, they are received by local churches that recognize their faith.
Baptism serves as a one-time event where an individual declares their faith, a congregation affirms their confidence in this person’s faith, and the Holy Spirit strengthens the new believer. Throughout the new Christian’s life, they can look back upon their Baptism and remember the congregation that affirmed their faith in the Triune God. When suffering comes, they can lean back on the way that the Lord worked in their heart, saved them, and prepared them for the waters of Baptism.
The Lord’s Supper Sets Believers Apart
The Lord’s Supper is the meal that Christ instituted the night before he died. I’ve written about how the Lord’s Supper unites the Global Church, but the Supper also reminds Christians that they belong to Christ. Each time a church gathers to eat the bread and drink the wine, they reaffirm their commitment to Christ, remember his sacrifice for them, and receive spiritual nourishment for the Christian life.
This is a family meal for Christians, a means of grace for those who have been united with Christ through faith and baptism. It’s not a meal for every person or one that we can take individually. It’s a corporate practice that we observe with the whole church. The Lord’s Supper is a continual reminder that we belong to Jesus.
Why Baptism and the Lord’s Supper Matter in Missions
The sacraments not only unify and strengthen believers—they help identify them.
As the gospel is proclaimed, we should remember that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are a gift from the Lord. The sacraments not only unify and strengthen believers—they help identify them. They’re visual representations of our faith that provide outsiders an example and image of our faith.
When non-Christians witness a Baptism, they see a picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. When they see Christians partake in the Lord’s Supper, they’re led to wonder what the bread and body represent. Both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper provide Christians with a unique opportunity to explain the gospel. But, sacraments also remind believers of their identity and Christ’s sacrifice. As believers rest in their identity as sons and daughters of God, they become representatives of Christ to the world.
Cole Shiflet is the content manager at Radical. He and his wife Courtney are members of Redeemer Community Church and he is an M.Div. student at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.
