Sacrament of Baptism

On Sunday November 6, 2011 we celebrated the two sacraments of Communion and Baptism. One of our families presented their first-born daughter for baptism giving thanks to God that they found Grace Church.

What Is Baptism?

 Baptism is a sacrament. According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, a sacrament is a “holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.” Presbyterians recognize two New Testament sacraments – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (also called Communion or Eucharist).

Both sacraments are signs of God’s initiative, not ours. In them God in Christ takes the first step toward us. The sacraments are signs of God’s reaching out to us in the past and of God’s ongoing concern for us now. The most important aspect of Baptism is not what we do, but what God does. The sacraments are the tangible, concrete “seals” of the promises of forgiveness, freedom, and new life offered in the gospel. In Baptism we are reminded especially of God’s promise: “I will be your God and you shall be my people.”

 More about Communion