Sacraments are sacred ordinances established by Jesus Christ that serve as signs and seals of the New Covenant.
As the Westminster Confession explains, the sacraments are intended “to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the Church and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word” (27.1).
Scripture teaches that there are two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism
We affirm that baptism is administered by immersion as an act of obedience and faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Through baptism, believers are united with Christ in His death and resurrection, symbolizing new life in Him. It also identifies them with the body of Christ, the church (Romans 6:1–11; Acts 2:41–42; 8:36–39; 1 Corinthians 11:28–32).
Baptism is the rite of initiation into the covenant community. It corresponds to circumcision (Colossians 2:11–12), the Old Covenant sign given to Israel, and now marks God’s people and their children under the New Covenant (Acts 2:39). It signifies and seals union with Christ and entrance into the visible church.
The Lord's Supper
We affirm that the Lord’s Supper is to be received by believers as a proclamation of Christ’s sacrificial death and His promised return.
As a means of grace, the bread and the cup signify the body and blood of Christ. In this ordinance, Christ is spiritually present with His people, nourishing them in the present.
Therefore, we understand the Supper in three dimensions: it remembers Christ’s work in the past, strengthens believers in the present, and anticipates His return in the future.
