Baptism and the Lord's Supper — Journey with Justin

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are acts of grace affirmed by and celebrated within the local church. Therefore, baptism and the Lord’s Supper will not be celebrated on Journey with Justin study tours.

The nature of the ordinance dictates the use of the ordinance. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper belongs to regenerate believers. Evidence of true faith occurs over time and in community. Jesus gives authority to local churches to affirm who is or is not a true believer (Mt 16:19–20). Therefore, it is the local church’s responsibility to oversee and administer the ordinances of both baptism and the Lord’s Supper, not a study tour.

Baptism

Baptism is for regenerate born-again believers. Regeneration occurs through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon repentance and faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through repentance, a person dies to their old sinful nature, and through faith, the individual receives a new nature and awaits consummation of such reality at the return of Christ. Baptism by immersion is an outward expression of this inward reality.

With new birth simultaneously comes a new family. Baptism declares this reality. The believer is birthed into both a global, but more importantly a local family. The local family expresses the global reality and becomes the context for which believers live out their faith and the one-another commands of Scripture. Jesus places authority upon local churches to determine who is or is not of genuine faith (Mt 16:19–20, 18); therefore, affirmation of genuine faith including baptism occurs in the context of the local church.

In baptism, the participant declares they have chosen to follow Jesus. Following Jesus includes committing to love other believers in a local church setting. Baptism is an obedience ordinance affirmed and celebrated by the local church.

The lord’s supper

The Lord’s Supper also occurs in the local church. Members of the local church partake of the Lord’s Supper and at the oversight of the pastor/elder. Again, the nature of the ordinance dictates the use of the ordinance.

The Lord’s Supper represents the believer’s on-going dependence and renewal on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Where baptism is like the wedding ceremony, the Lord’s Supper is like the anniversary celebration. Baptism is the one-time initiatory rite into the family and the Lord’s Supper is the continuing rite or reminder of the family and its privileges. The Lord’s Supper portrays fellowship with Christ and one-another, a physical act as a spiritual reality.

The Lord’s Supper takes place in the context of the local church. Four times in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul emphasizes the “coming together” to eat of the Lord’s Supper. This special Supper took place in fellowship within local churches. Therefore, affirmation (of who can partake of the Supper) and administration (of the Supper) should also occur in the local church. An unrepentant sinner or unregenerate unbeliever cannot truly experience the spiritual fellowship the table represents and so the table must be guarded.