There are two ordinances that the Lord gave to the church. These ordinances are things that each and every Christian should be observing. Neither of these ordinances have anything to do with obtaining salvation. They are steps the believer should follow AFTER salvation.
The first is water baptism of the believer.
Romans 6:1-6- What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
When Paul speaks about Baptism, he is using it as a simile. Just like we are to imagine that our old man of sin is dead, we are to imagine that we have been buried with Jesus and risen as a new creature. Did our flesh actually die? No, we will fight with it every day! Was our body actually buried? No, we were just immersed in water. It's a picture to show those who are watching what has happened to you spiritually.
It's just like a wedding ring. Those who didn't attend your wedding wouldn't know you were married, unless they saw a wedding ring on your finger. Can someone wear a wedding ring without being married? Yes. Can someone not wear a wedding ring and actually be married? Yes.
Baptism, like the wedding ring, doesn't save. It's just there to alert others. Baptism is not a part of salvation. Those who don't get baptized don't lose their salvation if they pass the statute of limitations. If it were then Paul would have been baptizing as he went along. He did not.
I Corinthians 1:17- For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
He says that God sent him to preach the gospel, not to baptize! If baptism were a part of salvation, then Paul would have certainly made sure to baptize everyone he led to the Lord.
The second ordinance is communion, or the Lord's Supper.
This communion is based on the last dinner the Lord had with His disciples. It is recorded in two of the four gospels.
Matthew 26:26-29- And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
Jesus and His disciples were eating dinner. The Lord broke bread and passed it out to the disciples to eat. The analogy was that His body was going to be broken on the Cross. Then he passed the cup around as an analogy of His blood that was going to be shed on the Cross. His physical body was sitting there with them; he wasn't giving them His actual flesh to eat. The fruit of the vine (grape juice) was not the blood running through His veins.
Christ came to fulfill the Law. He tells us often that leaven is a type of sin. The days of Passover were where they ate unleavened bread. Why would Jesus use leavened, or fermented, wine? Christ came to fulfill the law, not break it. Wine is forbidden throughout Scripture.
Proverbs 20:1- Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Isaiah 28:7- But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
A Nazarite was forbidden to drink wine as long as he was separated to do God's will.
Numbers 6:2-4- Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
As the Priest of our Salvation, Christ would not be allowed to drink fermented wine.
Leviticus 10:8-11- And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
Hebrews 4:14-15- Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Christ was drinking unfermented grape juice at the last supper. So, why is it that some denominations use fermented liquor during communion? Especially when it is forbidden for someone who is suppose to be set apart for the work of the ministry?
The disciples had a hard time understanding the Lord. He often used similes or analogies with them so that they would understand His meaning.
Mark 14:22-26- And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Jesus says that the cup was an analogy of His blood of the new testament. There was something happening that no one ever thought possible; Jesus was changing the parameters of what was currently understood to be the redemption of the soul.
Hebrews 9:13-17- For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
In the Old Testament, people had to continuously bring a sacrifice for their sin. Their sins were covered, as in hidden from God's sight because the price had been paid. However, every time they sinned they were required to make this payment again.
Jesus blood in the New Testament not only completely forgave past sins, it paid for the future sins as well. His sacrifice only needed to be offered ONCE.
Hebrews 10:9-14- Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
If Christ's blood is so perfect and so potent that it can take away the sins of whosoever asks Him, why is it that there are some denominations who believe that the communion they perform is them offering Christ over and over again as a sacrifice?
We understand that what Christ was saying was symbolic because at no time in history did God ever allow drinking blood.
BEFORE the law was given: Genesis 9:3-4- Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
AFTER the law was given: Leviticus 7:26- Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.
AFTER Christ was crucified and risen: Acts 15:19-20- Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
If God is against the consumption of blood, why is it that there are some denominations that say they are turning the wine into the literal blood of Jesus to be consumed?
Paul tells us that communion is to be a memorial to the sacrifice that Christ made for us. It's to remind ourselves of the price that had to be paid for our redemption.
I Corinthians 11:23-32- 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: 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. 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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 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. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Paul also warns us that this ordinance has consequences associated to its abuse. He says that those who eat and drink unworthily shall bring damnation to himself. It's not an eternal damnation, like you go to hell for, but rather a temporal condemnation that affects the body- many are weak and sickly and many sleep (die).
When you are asked to partake in communion, you need to make certain that you are truly saved. An unbeliever has no business taking the Lord's Supper!
This to remind you of the price paid for your sin; it is NOT a requirement to be saved.
Every Christian has the right to be included in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. It has nothing to do with being a member of a specific local church. It has everything to do with being a member of the Bride of Christ, the spiritual church that is made up of all believers from the time of Christ's resurrection until the rapture.
You also need to understand that it is not sacrificing Christ again for your sins. Christ took care of that once on Calvary. You need to observe it as a memorial, remembering that He has already paid for your sins.
Thirdly, you need to judge yourself- this means you need to examine your life and confess your sins.
I John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we judge ourselves and confess our sins and get our hearts and mind right with the Lord, when we partake of the Lord's Supper, or communion, then He won't need to judge us or chasten us for our unrepentance.
These are the two ordinances that Christ has left for the church to observe, and this is the meaning and the requirements to fulfill each of them.
