Marking and Motivating the Church

Baptism and the Lord's Supper mark the church off from the world, and motivate the church to live unto the Lord. They say, "you belong to Me" and "live like those who belong to Me." The lesson establishes that sacraments—baptism and the Lord's Supper—are divine signs and seals of the covenant of grace, instituted by God to visibly distinguish His church from the world, and call them to live in the world as His own. The sacraments are not magical rituals but means through which God strengthens faith, reminds believers of their union with Christ, and challenges them to live in accordance with their identity in Him. Ultimately, they serve both to identify the church and to engage its members in faithful obedience to Christ according to His Word.