Max A Forsythe
Christ covenant reformed (PCA)
4787 Palmer Road S.W. - Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-3315

Copyright 2004

A Means of Grace
For the Lord’s Day:  the 27^th of July 2003

John 6: 35-40 & 48-51  &  1 John 1: 1-4

“That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.  And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

Introduction:  Just this last week, the early reviews have been released for Mel Gibson’s epic version of a contemporary filmed Passion Play.  Amidst politically correct liberal hype and hatred rivaling that given to God’s & Generals and specific charges of anti-Semitism, the movie is certain to become notorious, especially given the fact that Gibson is noted for a quiet dedicated conservative Catholicism.  How dare, a believer, any believer take a chance with his own money and produce an out sourced production to compete with the pagan liberality of the Hollywood crowd?  Certainly, there may be certain aspects of the movie that may offend protestant theology, however – the handful of early critics was not only impressed but teary-eyed at the graphic depiction of the crucifixion.

It is described as a scene not accustomed to in our culture outside the devotees of typical cut and slash movies.  As I have said often in the past, our culture is inoculated against the bloody process of the “sacrificial system” whereby our chicken nuggets, hamburgers, steaks and hams are produced.  Once, a customer complained because there was red juice in the hamburger I sold them.  I checked with a local meat cutter and he told me that usually a commercial product was ground in with the meat to absorb the residual blood.  Even with that explanation, my customer decided not to purchase home grown meat again – preferring not to be reminded of the slaughter house process whereby the various components of meat products are cut, packaged and made available for the table.

I say all of this, not only to prepare you for the graphic nature of the movie, should you decide to see it, but also to highlight some descriptive text quoted by Keith Mathison from a commentary by Keener in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.  We begin with the text found in the Gospel of Matthew 26: 28:  “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  Mathison/Keener describe this passage in these words:  “There are three primary Old Testament allusions in this sentence.  The reference to the ‘blood of the covenant’ points back to the ratification of the old covenant recorded in Exodus 24: 8.  It indicates that through his own blood, Jesus is ratifying a covenant.  The reference to the ‘new covenant’ and forgiveness of sins indicates that the prophecy of Jeremiah 31: 31-34 is in the process of being fulfilled; thereby identifying which covenant is being ratified. Finally, the reference to blood being ‘shed’ or ‘poured out’ points back to Isaiah 53: 12 and identifies Jesus with the suffering ‘Servant’ of Isaiah 52: 13 – 53: 12.  This reference points to the vicarious, atoning nature of the sacrifice.  The terminology in these verses is explicitly sacrificial language and, combined with Matthew 26: 26, presents a vivid picture of a bloody sacrifice.”

Development:  To see this, let us consider the various verses referred to by Mathison & Keener.  First, we turn to Exodus 24: 8 where we read:  “And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.’”  Graphic and too the point isn’t it.  I could almost get in trouble in my old teaching position if I was too graphic in describing war and combat just before lunch, let alone what happens to an aborted fetus!  The scene in Exodus is a ratification of the “Book of the Covenant”, and the bloody ritual was applied to the people when they affirmed “all that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

Second, we read in Jeremiah 31: 31-34 these blessed prophetic words:  “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD, But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD.  I will put my law within them, and I will write it, on their hearts.  And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD.’ For they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.  For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This is the “New Covenant” announced by the Lord’s Anointed.  It is a covenant in His own shed blood.  I still remember the liberal music professor at Seminary who complained loud and long about every aspect of the bloody sacrificial system that had found its way into the hymnal.  He admonished any who would listen that such themes needed to be purged from liturgy of progressive contemporary congregations.  Several of us old fashioned types kept very quiet indeed.

Third, we turn to Isaiah 53: 12 for a more instructive biblical theology: “Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

Jesus knew exactly what he was doing at the Last Supper, the night before He was crucified.  And Matthew records that immediately after the supper, the group of disciples went with Jesus to Gethsemane where the last waking hours of our Lord Jesus Christ were spent in prayer for the trials of the day laid out before Him from the dawn of time.

Application:  Now, all of this is very well known and understood – but we are often left with a question of just how the redemptive grace of the blood of our Lord is applied to us an our sorry original sinful circumstance?  There is a wonderful hymn on this topic of salvation by grace whose first line raises this same question:  “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood?  Died he for me, who caused his pain?  For me, who him to death pursued?  Amazing love!  How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?  Further, we may often wonder how this incredible grace is applied to us and made known to our hungry souls.

In his greatest work, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin addresses these issues.  In Book Four, which is entitled: “The External Means or Aims by Which God Invites Us Into the Society of Christ and Holds Us Therein,” he goes on to great lengths and hundreds of pages to outline what he means by “The Means of Grace.”  In the opening paragraph he begins with a summation of the previous Book Three and then goes on to describe these “Means of Grace.”  “As explained in the previous book, it is by the faith in the gospel that Christ becomes ours and we are made partakers of the salvation and eternal blessedness brought by him.  Since, however, in our ignorance and sloth (to which I add fickleness of disposition) we need outward helps to beget and increase faith within us, and advance it to its goal, God has also added these aids that he may provide for our weakness.”  He then goes on in the following paragraphs to describe three general and various “Means of Grace.”

        1.  The Church:  “And in order that the preaching of the gospel might flourish, he deposited this treasure in the church.”
2.   The Sacraments:  “aids to foster and strengthen faith.”
3.  The Civil Order:  to which he provides a final chapter to outline its necessary duties and restrictions.

Of course, there are divisions and necessary details in the context of a lengthy outline.  Within his discussion of the church there are thirteen chapters which cover the leaders, councils, government and discipline of the church.  The Sacraments of course have the two main courses (in six chapters) which are recognized in the Protestant Churches:  Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  There is also a discussion of what does not constitute a Sacrament as well.  And finally there is the one chapter on the purpose of the Civil Government.  For our purposes this morning, we shall limit our interest to “The Means of Grace” implicit in the sacrament of our Lord’s Supper.   There are three pointed teachings on this matter within the Reformed Community.

First Point:  Charles Hodge weighs in on this topic:  “The first point clearly taught on this subject (Efficacy of the Sacraments) is that the sacraments are real means of grace, that is, means appointed and employed by Christ for conveying the benefits of his redemption to his people.”  He goes on to observe that in this context: “a promise is made to those who rightly receive the sacraments that they shall thereby and therein be made partakers of the blessings of which the sacraments are the divinely appointed signs and seals.”  He further explains three implications of the word “grace” in this context:

        1.  It is an unmerited gift
2.  There is the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit
3.  The subjective effects of that influence on the soul

Second Point:  The source of power in the sacraments is also explored by Hodge in his detailed Systematic Theology.  “On this subject it is taught negatively that the virtue is not in them.  The word virtue is of course here used in its Latin sense for power or efficiency.  What is denied is that the sacraments are the efficient cause of the gracious effects which they produce.”  

This is the general Protestant view that in and of themselves, the wine, bread and water of the sacraments have no enabling power or influence within themselves.  The real power resides in the hands of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ and the work of The Holy Spirit.  Hodge reminds us “The Spirit, it is to be ever remembered, is a personal agent who works when and how He will.”  Just as the Word preached leads some to salvation, grace and spiritual growth – so too are the sacraments effectual means by the same presence and power of Christ in and through the Spirit.

Third Point:  Our last point in this discussion of “The Means of Grace” is, again in the words of Hodge:  “the sacraments are effectual as a means of grace only, so far as adults are concerned, to those who by faith receive them.  They may have a natural power on other than believers by presenting truth and exciting feeling, but their saving or sanctifying influence is experienced only by believers.”  This is the reason we fence the table for any visitors and limit access within our families to those children able to articulate a minimal understanding of who is Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for their eternal benefit.

Now, in all of this, you may well ask – what does this mean?  Hodge explains as simply as he can:  “The sacraments are declared to be means of grace, that is, means for signifying, sealing and applying the benefits of redemption.”  Further, and this is the ongoing operative sense:  “It is affirmed that their efficiency in conveying grace, is due solely to the blessing of Christ and the cooperation of his Spirit; and that such efficiency is experienced only by believers.”

What this means for you younger believers who have not yet gained any great spiritual experience is this.  For many years, your parents tucked you into bed in the early evening hours.  Once you were asleep, and you didn’t realize it – they may have tip-toed into the room to check up on you, to adjust the air flow, rearrange the covers and sometimes even bodily reposition you more safely in your bed!  Before leaving, they may have even kissed you on the forehead and said a little prayer for God’s continuing love and guidance.  This could very well have happened every night and if you slept soundly – you never realized it.  But, just once in a while – perhaps you smelled your mother’s perfume or felt your father’s whiskers and you smiled in your sleep, knowing that you were loved.

And so it is with communion, year after year – we go through the ritual meal and wonder – is He really present?  Is the Spirit in the room with us?  Of course He is, but only occasionally do we know and truly realize His divine presence, and then not everyone in the sanctuary senses His presence.  I have sensed His real presence only a few times in fifty-some years.  Yet, I know just as certain as I am about the taste and texture of the bread and the sweetness of the wine that He is hear.  You see, I have a slight handicap – my taste buds have never been as intense or as well developed as some are accustomed to and often a cold will make them almost dry up and disappear.  But from times past, when those taste buds were mere acute – the memories of past suppers assure me that all is well and that the Bread and the Wine are well prepared.

Be expectant, seek to know His presence and pray for a timely blessing and these experiences will be Hallmarks on your spiritual journey confirming for you the studies that you have given to His word, the prayers offered up daily and the growing knowledge that He is yours and you are His will be given gladly through the ongoing power and love of the Holy Spirit.  May, this means of grace be yours not only in this life but in the next as well for all eternity.  Come Lord Jesus, come sup with us as we gather around Your table Lord.  Amen.

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PREACHING RESOURCES

Battles, Ford Lewis.  Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion.
Hodge, Charles.  Systematic Theology.
Mathison, Keith A.  Given For You.
The Westminster Confession & Catechisms.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

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