Subject: are we saved by grace or baptism? |
Bible Note: New Creature, good answer. The only editing I would suggest would be the deletion of the sentence, "Water baptism is a rite of sacrament, an external outward washing." Believer's baptism is a command; its performance is an act of obedience. It is thus an ordinance of the church, not a sacrament. I make this distinction between sacrament and ordinance for the reasons that follow..... A sacrament is a religious rite viewed as a visible expression of the mystery of the gospel and is generally considered as distinct from the idea of ordinance, in that the act of the sacrament itself is considered to be a vehicle or means of grace. The term 'sacrament' therefore is common in those communions that believe that religious rites play a part in salvation. ..... Ordinance, on the other hand is understood to be a ceremony which the Lord commanded that His church should observe. It is practiced as a memorial act of obedience rather than a sacrament. There are two such ordinances, water baptism and the Lord's Supper, neither effecting or contributing to salvation but both constituting acts of obedience. --Hank |