After completing the lesson, the student will be able to:
Be able to define the terms “sacrament” and “means of grace”.
Identify the two sacraments of the Lutheran church.
Identify the three components that make both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper a sacrament.
Understand God’s pattern of using means to accomplish his purposes
Understand God’s pattern of using rituals to remind his people
Two Important Notes About the Sacraments
The Sacraments only work because they connect us to the Savior.
We will be saying things like “baptism saves” and “we receive forgiveness in communion.” We are not saying Baptism is another way of salvation apart from faith in Christ. There is one salvation, and that is Christ! Baptism saves us because it brings us to the Savior. Remember that electricity example. The power lines are pointless unless they connect us to the source of the power.
The Sacraments do not work apart from faith.
You can’t run around the mall throwing water on people and crying out “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!” It doesn’t work that way. The sacraments are not magical things that work apart from faith, but rather work to give faith, work through faith, and work to strengthen faith. Listen closely the next time a baptism happens in church. Notice the warning given, that: “this faith may be lost.” Just because we have been Baptized or have taken the Lord’s Supper, doesn’t mean we can go off and live however we want. This misses the whole point.
The Sacraments | MORE THAN A SYMBOL
One thing that separates what Lutherans believe about the Sacraments from many other Christians comes when we ask the question “What do the Sacraments do?” For many protestant denominations, the Sacraments (or what they call “ordinances”) don’t do anything for us - they are only a symbol. In contrast, we believe that the Sacraments are “efficacious” - or that through these Sacraments, God is effectively doing or accomplishing something in our lives. Throughout scripture we find that God has often used “means” (visible/material things) to accomplish his purposes. It’s not that he needs a physical object to do what he has planned, but he chooses to work through mundane, physical things.
Look up the following examples where God used means to accomplish his purposes. Write down (1) what or who God uses and (2) what God does or accomplishes.
Student & Parent Questions (for the student and a parent to discuss and answer together)
