Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Two Demonstrations of the Gospel

Two Demonstrations of the Gospel
Romans 6: 1 – 7 AND 1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 34


What do you think is the most important value in the United States of America? From my perspective, it seems that our culture places a priority on “tolerance” as our most important value. Religious tolerance…Political tolerance…Tolerance of “alternative sexual lifestyles.” However, if you listen to the arguments for tolerance, it quickly becomes apparent that many people do not make a distinction between “tolerance” and “acceptance.”

In a religious sense, I believe it is important for Americans to tolerate all world religions and even to protect their rights to express their religious views. But, I do not believe we are required to accept all world religions as equally valid or even viable expressions of true faith, as if all religions lead to the same God.

My faith in Jesus requires me to be exclusive in my understanding of the Christian faith as the only true faith. My faith is grounded on the exclusive claims of Jesus as the One and Only Son of God, who is “the way, the truth and the life…no one comes to the Father except through Jesus (John 14: 6).”

My faith in Jesus also requires me to acknowledge that sin is a reality. Sin is real. Sin exists in our world. And, sin affects all human beings equally. Since all humans are sinners, all humans are separated from God and have a basic need for God’s offer of salvation. God is the only One who can save us. Salvation is available ONLY on God’s terms—faith in Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Son of God.

Many of the lifestyle choices our American culture promotes through entertainment and media are choices to rebel against God and to refuse God’s offer of salvation. In short, these lifestyle choices are sin.

At some point in the future, Christians will no longer live in this sinful world. When Christians die, God will take us into Heaven to live with him eternally. When Jesus returns as he promised us, he will take Christians into Heaven to live with God eternally. In Heaven, we will no longer live with sin. We will not commit sin…We will not face the temptation to sin…We will no longer have to choose between tolerating a sinful world or accepting sin as an “alternative lifestyle” or a viable option.

When someone tries to promote tolerance as a virtue, they are usually demanding acceptance. American culture has a difficult time distinguishing between tolerance and acceptance of sin. Therefore, I do not believe tolerance is our culture’s most important value. I think individual freedom is that most important virtue. Everybody gets to choose how they will live their lives. No matter what you choose, you are right. No matter what you choose, you cannot make a wrong choice. Everybody is right. Nobody is wrong.

In fact, I would even go so far as to say worship of self is the American religion. Sadly, this has crept into the way American Christians understand our faith.

American Christians are prone to describe their faith exclusively in individualistic terms…a private matter of the heart…an individual decision…Don’t ask and don’t tell, because this is between a person and God.

There is truth in this individualistic view of spirituality. Every person who becomes a Christian does so through individual profession of faith. Jesus died on the cross for individuals. Individual men and women must make a personal profession of faith that Jesus is the Lord of their lives. However, God’s purpose for our lives goes beyond our individual profession of faith. God saves us as individuals and brings us together in the church so that we become a part of the Body of Christ. It is within the Body of Christ that we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives and God’s mission in the world.

Another way to say this is to say there is both an individual expression of the Christian faith as well as a corporate expression of the Christian faith. As Baptist Christians, we demonstrate the individual side of our faith and the corporate side of our faith through the two ordinances of our church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper serve as visual demonstrations of the Gospel.


Baptism and the Gospel… Romans 6: 1 – 7.


What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

In this Scripture, the Apostle Paul clearly describes the symbolism of baptism. He helps us to realize that nothing magical or mystical happens when a person is baptized.

The water in our baptistery is not holy water. It comes from the City of Lufkin’s water supply. It is just like the water we drink, use in our cooking and take a bath in every day. We don’t ship it in from the Jordan River, and we don’t do anything to bless it before we fill the baptistery. It is plain, Lufkin water…It probably even smells a little like eggs to people who haven’t lived here their entire lives!

The water in that baptistery cannot wash away a person’s sins. There is only one thing that can take away a person’s sin…The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

Forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation can only be accomplished by God. God accomplished your forgiveness and salvation on the cross of Jesus. It is a free gift, an expression of God’s grace. All you have to do is accept God’s gift.

We do not believe baptism can save anyone. But, we do believe baptism is required. Baptism is required for anyone to be a member of our church. Baptism is required as an act of obedience. (Since Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, we think all Christians ought to be baptized to follow the example Jesus set for us.) And, Baptism is required as a visual demonstration of what God has already done for us through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

If Baptism does not wash away a person’s sins, what does Baptism do? It tells a story. On one hand, it tells the story of Jesus. On the other hand it tells a personal story of what Jesus has done for me.

Baptism tells the story of Jesus by demonstrating visually the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, he literally and physically died. Jesus’ followers took his dead body down from the cross and buried his body in a tomb. But, death was not the end for Jesus. Just as Jesus predicted, and just as the Old Testament had prophesied, Jesus rose from the grave on the third day.

Baptism tells a personal story of the person standing in the baptistery. All humans are sinners. Sin separates us from God and makes it impossible for us to achieve our own forgiveness or to save ourselves. The logical conclusion of sin is that sin leads to death. Therefore, as long as we are unforgiven, we are dead. However, when we accept God’s gift of grace—forgiveness and eternal salvation—the old dead sinner is buried and through faith raised to live a new kind of life. This new life is the life led by God’s Holy Spirit.

Baptism is a visual demonstration of the Gospel, because it shows us how God changes individual men and women through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.


The Lord’s Supper and the Gospel…1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 34.


For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.


In this Scripture, we read the Apostle Paul’s theological understanding of the Lord’s Supper. He offers his theological understanding of the Supper in response to an abuse that was taking place in the churches of Corinth. The church members were being selfish. Some people ate too much. Some people got nothing to eat. Some people were even using the Lord’s Supper as an occasion to get drunk. Paul addressed these concerns theologically.

First, Paul tells us that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he shared a meal of bread and wine with his disciples. Jesus specifically taught his disciples that the elements of this supper were symbolic—they are reminders of what Jesus has done for us. The bread is a reminder of the physical body of Jesus. No one took his body from him. Jesus freely and willingly laid down his body by going to the cross. The wine is a reminder of Jesus’ blood. The blood reminds us of the gruesome nature of crucifixion. Jesus gave his life freely and willingly, but he did not die an ordinary death. He freely and willingly died in the most painful and gruesome manner of execution ever known.

Second, Paul teaches us that the Lord’s Supper is proclamation. Whenever we partake in the Lord’s Supper, we are preaching the story of Jesus’ death. Just like Baptism, the Lord’s Supper tells a story. On one hand, it tells the story of Jesus who gave his life freely and willingly. On the other hand it tells our story.

The Lord’s Supper is different from Baptism. While baptism tells the story of what Jesus did for individuals, the Lord’s Supper tells the story of what Jesus did for the church—the community of faith or the Body of Christ. Baptism is something we do individually. The Lord’s Supper is something we do together.

Through the centuries of Christian theology, there has been much debate over who can participate in the Lord’s Supper. Some people say the Lord’s Supper is for all Christians. The context does not matter. The Lord’s Supper can be taken in a church service, a youth group meeting, a choir practice or even a gathering of multiple churches in a convention or retreat setting. Other people say the Lord’s Supper is for the church alone. It must be offered in a church worship service, and it can only be taken by people who are members of that church alone. (Our practice is to offer the Lord’s Supper only in a church worship service, but to allow any Christian present to participate.)

There are many differences in these interpretations of the Lord’s Supper. However, there is one thing they have in common. No one believes the Lord’s Supper is something an individual does on his or her own. It is reserved for the community of faith, the Body of Christ, the church.

The Lord’s Supper is a visual demonstration of the Gospel, because it shows how Jesus has brought us together. Yes, salvation is a gift of grace which must be accepted individually. However, salvation brings us together into the Body of Christ.


Conclusion: The Body of Christ…1 Corinthians 12.

The context of Paul’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper is significant. He gives us his theological understanding of the Lord’s Supper immediately before he enters into a detailed description of the church as the Body of Christ.

The Body of Christ is made up of many different people with many different spiritual gifts. This is just like the human body. The human body has two eyes, two ears, two hands and two feet. None of these body parts can change places. Each has its own job. And, the body is only successful when each part of the body does the job God created it to do.

The same thing is true for us. God brought you into this church to do a specific task. God has given you talents, the passions, the experience and the spiritual gifts you need to accomplish that work in the church.

It does not matter who you are or where you came from. Jesus has destroyed all the walls that divide us. No race, no gender and no class can divide us. We are united as one Body as we gather at the Lord’s Table.