Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 27: Sacraments

Order of Service

• Sermon

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Sermon Notes: The Sacraments According to the Westminster Confession of Faith

Scripture: Romans 4:11

Text of Study: Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 27

I. The Sacraments as Signs and Seals

A. The confession defines sacraments as "holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace"

1. Language of signs and seals drawn from Romans 4:11, where circumcision is called "a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith"
2. The Old Testament sacraments (circumcision and Passover) pointed ahead to Christ; the New Testament sacraments (baptism and Lord's Supper) point back to what Christ accomplished
3. Per WCF 27.5, the sacraments of the Old Testament "were for substance the same" as those of the New — both signify and seal Christ and his benefits

B. A sign points to a spiritual reality beyond itself

1. A stop sign has no intrinsic power; its meaning comes from the reality it points to
2. Baptism points to Christ washing away sins by his blood
3. The Lord's Supper points to the shed blood and broken body of Christ

C. A seal validates and confirms a promise

1. The rainbow in Genesis 9 is a seal of God's promise never to flood the earth again — a visual confirmation of his word
2. The sacraments similarly confirm and validate God's word of promise in the gospel

D. The sacraments are only meaningful in reference to the Word of God

1. Baptism is just water; the Lord's Supper is just bread and wine — neither is a magical potion
2. Their significance is tied entirely to the word of promise they signify and seal
3. Augustine: the sacraments are "the visible Word of God"

E. Because sacraments are a word-based, teaching ordinance, only lawfully ordained ministers should administer them (WCF 27.4)

1. Just as only ordained ministers proclaim God's Word publicly, so only they should administer the visible Word to the gathered people

II. The Sacraments Are Given to Us by God

A. The direction of the sacraments is from God down to us, not from us up to God

1. God instituted circumcision for Abraham (Genesis 17)
2. God instituted the Passover in Exodus
3. Christ instituted the Lord's Supper and commanded baptism in Matthew 28:19

B. The sacraments are first and foremost God's seal of his commitment to us, not our commitment to him

1. Much of modern evangelicalism treats baptism as a sign of the believer's commitment to God, leading people to be rebaptized multiple times when they feel their commitment was inadequate
2. This is a backward understanding; the sacrament signifies God's gracious covenant faithfulness, not human resolve

C. The efficacy of a sacrament does not rest in the elements, nor in the piety or intention of the minister, but in the work of the Holy Spirit (WCF 27.3)

1. Just as the Word of God must be applied by the Spirit to the heart of the dead sinner, so the visible Word must be bound by the Spirit to the heart of the receiver
2. The positive effect of the sacrament depends on the Holy Spirit knitting the gospel promise signified and sealed to the heart of the worthy receiver

III. Sacramental Union

A. WCF 27.2 teaches that "there is in every sacrament a spiritual relation, or sacramental union, between the sign and the thing signified, whence it comes to pass that the names and effects of the one are attributed to the other"

B. Old Testament example — circumcision and the covenant

1. In Genesis 17:10, God says of circumcision, "This is my covenant" — the sign is spoken of as though it were the covenant itself
2. Yet the covenant promises were delivered through God's word to Abraham in Genesis 12 and Genesis 15; circumcision is closely knit to but is not identical with the covenant

C. New Testament example — baptism

1. 1 Peter 3:21 — "Baptism now saves you" — the sign is spoken of as the thing signified
2. This does not contradict Romans 10:9-10, which grounds salvation in heart-belief and confession; Peter is using sacramental language, tying the sign to what it signifies

D. The Lord's Supper and the debate over "This is my body"

1. Roman Catholicism — transubstantiation: the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ
2. Luther — consubstantiation: Christ's physical body is "in, with, and under" the elements; the sign points to something real but Luther would not go as far as Rome
3. Zwingli — memorialism: the words are purely metaphorical, similar to John 15 ("I am the vine")
4. Calvin and the Reformed — sacramental union: the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine; Christ's body remains at the right hand of the Father; but the elements are not mere metaphor — they are a sign and seal closely tied to the promises secured by Christ's body and blood
   • Against Luther: Christ's body is not physically present in or under the elements
   • Against Zwingli: it is far more than metaphor; unlike John 15, Jesus ties these elements to a covenant-sign command ("do this in remembrance of me") and commissions their use among all nations

E. Conclusion: the sacraments are not magical, but neither are they empty symbols — they are signs and seals of the covenant of grace, validating all the goodness that flows from Christ's life, death, and resurrection