Christian Living

A Sacramental Life

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
07/19/21
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“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Today we are talking about the Sacrament life of the Christian. Two sacraments universally recognized in the Christian Church are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Some Christian Churches shy away from the use of the word sacrament and use the word ordinances. The word sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace that comes from God. Sacrament also refers to special healing or the saving power of God. For our purposes, living the Sacramental life is living in the presence of God. God is the ever-present supreme deity that can be found above and throughout His creation. By believing in God through faith in His Son, we will know the presence of His power and be led by His Holy Spirit. “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

When we answered the call of Jesus to follow Him, we were freed from the bondage of our sins, past, present, and future. We were also given a commission to fulfill in obedience to His commandments. Our obedience to His commands is the proof of our love for Him and the grace He has given us. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) We have this command, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Now, this point has been bothersome to me. Lately, I was called and saved by calling upon the name of Jesus from the punishment that I so richly deserved by His grace towards me. Yet, when it comes to telling others what Jesus has done for me, I falter.

I was looking at a rainbow the other day arching across the sky. It was a marvelous sight to see with its brilliant colors. The colors are caused by the reflection, refraction, and dispersion of light passing through drops of water in the atmosphere. The light comes from one sun but is seen in many different colors. The same light produces different colors as it passes through the moisture. The body of Christ is like this. They follow one light, the Son of God, yet they have many different talents and abilities. As the Apostle Paul tells the Ephesians. “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

God, our maker, has given us all unique talents. Some have many talents, but all have at least one to use for the glory of God. That one light that we follow, the Son of God, causes many different abilities to abound in us. These gifts come down to us from God above the Father of lights. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17) It is for us to develop our talents through study and practice and employ them for the glory of God.

Paul tells us that some are called apostles, some as prophets, some as an evangelist, and some as pastors and teachers. The list may be as endless as the work that needs to be done within the Church of Jesus. As Paul says, the purpose is to equip the saints for the work of the service to build up the body of Christ. Each of us in the body of Christ has unique talents that we perform in supporting the Church, but what it comes to evangelism, many of us fail. Yet, that is the central command. (Matthew 28:19-21) I wonder why that is? I can preach the Word of God in front of hundreds of people in the power of His grace. Yet, I cannot sit down with one stranger and testify of the marvelous things that Jesus has done in my life.

Some of the most common reasons are people feel that they are not smart enough. But that is not true. What they are saying is that they do not have the experience. If they gain the experience, then they would feel easier about sharing the gospel. The truth is that if they are waiting to have the experience, they will never have it. The only way to gain the experience is to practice it and go out and start sharing your testimony. Paul told Timothy that we must be ready to speak on God’s behalf because His call is constant, and we never know when that prepared soul is in front of us. “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2)

Some may say that it is a very personal subject. People do not want to offend or make them mad at them. Some will indeed become mad, some will become offended, but they have the right to choose their eternal destination, and we have that obligation to give them that opportunity. I truly believe that God prepares people’s hearts, and if He places one in your path and we fail to speak, it is we who will be held accountable. Worse, that one will face eternity without the love of God. We are not alone, God is leading us, and we have a cloud of witnesses ahead of us. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

We are not in the soul-saving business, only God is in that and it is His work. We are in the seed planting business. We are planting the seeds of God’s truth and God will cause the increase. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6) Some feel that their friends will make fun of them. Friends may, but how will they laugh when they face God on judgment day. If they are your friend, you cannot let that happen to them. Neither should we pre-judge the work of God. It is God who causes the seed to grow and at the perfect time. We may never know when until we walk the streets of heaven and see our friend.

Others say that none of their Christian friends are evangelizing. Perhaps then it is you who should remind them that following Christ is not staying in the boat. We have to get out and follow Him. I heard a Pastor state that he wasn’t a judgmental person, as we are not to do that. But that he was a fruit inspector. Jesus sent His disciples our in twos at first. Perhaps you should invite some of your Christian friends to go with you. You could encourage each other and practice evangelism together. “And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:7)

Some will say they do not even know where to start. Jesus said, “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The place to start is with your family, then your workplace, your community, and on from there. How to start is to start being a follower of Jesus. Be led by His Spirit and go where He takes you. The work that He has set before us has been prepared ahead of us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Jesus does not chase after us, neither does He push us; he leads us into the green pastures. The Sacramental life is an outward and visible expression of His grace. We step out in faith in His world. Faith is the conduit of His grace flowing through us that we do for His glory in all that we do. If God is leading us into prepared ground, then what excuse do we have but to follow Him and give Him glory for the good work He will do through us. “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, January 31, 2018