Westminster Shorter Catechism2

Q. 97 What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper? A. It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to feed upon Him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgement to themselves. Today we are continuing to look at the sacraments—specifically at the Lord's Supper. Remember that with a sacrament the Lord takes ordinary physical objects and appoints actions to represent the application of Christ's saving work in us. With baptism, it is washing with water to represent spiritual cleansing from sin. With the Lord's Supper, it is eating bread and drinking wine to represent the ongoing spiritual nourishment we have from Christ crucified. God gives us things we can see to represent things we cannot see. At the Supper, we look to be spiritually nourished, but only if we come in the right way. Today we are going to look at what is required of us in coming.

Q. 96. What is the Lord's Supper? A. The Lord's Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to Christ's appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace. See here how our dear Lord Jesus shows us what to do at the Lord's Table. He gives us a pattern of what He wants us to do until He returns. The central action is the giving and the receiving of the bread and wine. It is distributed in a very simple manner—to be eaten and to be drunk. The main concern is not to satisfy the palate or to nourish the body.

Q. 95 To whom is Baptism to be administered? A. Baptism is not be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to Him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptised. Today, I want to show you from scripture that we are not to neglect the baptism of either those who profess or of their children.

Q. 94 What is Baptism? A. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to the Lord's. I will endeavour to explain this and to support it from the Bible so that you can better understand what baptism is. Mark begins his gospel with baptism, calling it the beginning of the gospel. He doesn't explain what baptism itself is because it was already known from the Old Testament.

Q. 93 Which are the sacraments of the New Testament? A. The sacraments of the New Testament are, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. That is a simple question to memorise and answer, but it is not such a simple question to explain because the church has very divergent views. The view presented in our catechism is that of the churches of the Reformation (500 years ago) which sought to return to the teaching and worship appointed by Christ in the scriptures by Christ and His apostles. Ritualism had grown up in the first 1000 years or so such that the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church held to seven sacraments. Some modern evangelical churches do not believe there are any sacraments at all. Today I will attempt to set forth the Biblical teaching about this.

Q. 92 What is a sacrament? A. A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers. What a gracious Saviour He is to give us sacraments as an additional help to our faith! Our scripture reading is from a passage that shows us His zeal for helping our faith.

Q. 91 How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? A. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of His Spirit, in them that by faith receive them. Do not think that you are blessed simply because you were baptised and eat the Lord's Supper.

Q. 90 How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation? A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives. As you can see, the reception of the Word is a very serious matter. There are four soils, and only one of them receives the Word for salvation! Only the soil that is said to "hear the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it, and bear fruit with patience" bears fruit for eternal life. God must give us such a heart because none of us has it on our own, but if we are to be saved, we must have such a heart. The parable of the lamp shows that we must receive the Word instead of avoiding it. Jesus' command summarises it all when He says, in verse 18: Take heed how you hear.

Q. 89 How is the Word made effectual to salvation? A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading but especially the preaching of the Word, and effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith, unto salvation. This afternoon we are going to look at how God uses the Bible in our lives.

Q. 88 What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption? A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are His ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation. He Himself uses these means to bring the benefits of His redemption to us.