I. Though it could be said that there are others who are more qualified than myself to write such an article as this, it has fallen to me to write this article concerning the ordinances of the local church. As a pastor,regarding the practice of the ordinances in the local New Testament church, it is not only required for me to be an expert, but it must also be done faithfully in all ways to make sure our Saviour Jesus Christ is glorified in that local body.
It must be pointed out that this is a Baptist distinctive. What is meant by this is that it separates the true and sound Baptist churches from the rest of the denominations and practices. Though it may sound elitist to say this, it must be pointed out that Jesus Christ is elite for there is no other like Him in any way and there is no God beside Him before or after Him (Isa. 43:10, 44:6). What all this means is that we must not fail to represent Him as He is and not as we feel He should be, this is the biblical definition of faith (Heb. 11:6). The ordinances are all about Jesus Christ and they are both testimony and memorial of Him and can not be failed or taken lightly to achieve what He has intended them to be. As a Baptist and a pastor of a Baptist church I must find them to be based solely on the Bible and what it has to say concerning the practice and meaning of them. There has been way too much interjection of practice and doctrine based upon somebody who feels it to be a certain way or a church or origination that wants to make Christianity more mainstream and acceptable. No one person, no church, no ecclesiastical body or proclaimed authority in this world has right or authority to change them. It makes it a Baptist distinctive not by superiority but by message and obedience to the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). Thus those who fail to practice these ordinances according to the directives of the Word of God and go about the practice of them according to their own understanding or feelings of what is right, should be removed from fellowship as an unscriptural church, thus making it distinctive.
I know that those are strong words, but in these days strong words have fallen to the wayside and they usually end up in a feel good statement that is designed to please man and not God. What is worse, the attempt is to try to please both and this is the very thing Jesus was talking about when He said, "you cannot serve God and mammom." (Matt. 6:24). This is not what the Lord put His church on this earth to do. He established His churches to make a stand, and to hold to the truth of both the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the doctrine that He has given to His true churches (I Cor 15:58).
A. An ordinance, in simple definition, is an authoritative act done under the order and command of the founder or head of an organization. In short it is doing what Jesus put in place without our ability to alter or adjust it, for it is only the Head and founder of the church that can do that, in such Jesus Christ. To give you an example, when a city council sets an ordinance, say parking meters. The entire citizenship and user of that parking space must pay the parking fee or be ticketed as an offender. Nobody can change the order and requirements of that ordinance except those who are in authority to do so. When John the Baptist came baptizing only he could do it for He was a man sent from God, John 1:6. Nobody else could use this authority to baptize as John did for no other man was sent from God except Jesus Christ, John 5:36 & 37. Thus we see that when Jesus Christ organized His first church He did so with those who were baptized by John the Baptist, Acts 1:21 & 22, Peter distinguished the baptism of John as the foundation of that first church that Jesus organized, Luke 6:13 and Mark 3:13. When the Lord's Supper was discussed, by the apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 11, he made it clear that the instruction he was to give was not his own. The instruction was what he got from the Lord, I Cor. 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Vs. 23 "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you,---' Thus we see very plainly, as the definition states, that the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper must be given by God and altered by no one else.
1. But is an ordinance a sacrament? A sacrament is an act that is required by a person to receive the grace and or action of God in their life. So that if these were sacraments then the Lord's Supper and Baptism would be required to receive salvation and other gifts from God. But the Bible clearly speaks of the redemption of our soul as being a gift of God, Rom. 6:23, II Cor. 9:15, Heb. 6:4, James 1:17, I Pet. 4:10 Just to list a few. The salvation we have received is purely by grace and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, Eph. 2:8 & 9. So it can not be a sacrament for there is nothing that God finds done by mankind able to garner grace from Him. In fact the Word states our righteousnesses are the equivalent of filthy rags Isa. 64:6, what gall it takes to think the actions of sinners will claim grace from a holy God. Once more the belief that ordinances or any work no matter what it might be must be done to garner or help God in our salvation is absolute pride and foolishness. God makes it plain in the Word of God that if He doesn’t save by grace than it is by works. If by works than the glory of God is destroyed and pride becomes the moniker of the redeemed. Note some passages on this Rom. 11:5-7 Vs. 6 And if by grace it is no more of works; Eph. 2:8-10 Vs. 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Thus it is the glory of God to save us and the humility of man to receive it and not earn it. The ordinances are not sacraments because it would be against all Biblical principle and all practice of God as Saviour.
2. Ordinances have a rightful order to them. That order is simple, salvation first then baptism. Baptism and church membership second and then the Lord's supper. It is the basic teaching and example of the Bible. Acts 8:36 The Ethiopian eunuch asked What doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip in all general statement answered "are you saved?" If the eunuch wasn't saved the ordinance could not be done. But because he made a profession of Christ as Saviour the chariot was stopped and the baptism then could proceed, Vs. 37 & 38. By example we never see what is practiced in mainstream religion of using open and close communion. The Bible by example never has anybody partake of the Lord's Supper that isn't a member of that local church body, in fact it is plainly stated in I Cor. 11:18 it says "For first of all, when ye come together in the church,--" No nonmember of a local church can come together in the church. No excuses or loop holes that is fact.
B. In conclusion then, an ordinance is an authoritative act unalterable by anybody but the founder and head of an organization. It is not a sacrament but rather an act as a result of the salvation and then church membership given by Jesus Christ.
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