Chapter 29

Significant Practices

Sections

It is important for each Christian to understand all significant church practices. Prominent amongst these are baptism, the Lord’s Supper, confessing Jesus Christ and observing the Sabbath day of rest.

Baptism

God’s people are baptized in (or into) the “name” of Jesus

On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.   Acts 19:5 ISV

By being baptized in or into the “name” of Jesus Christ, a person declares their identification and relationship with Jesus Christ – and also their commitment to him.

Baptism signifies belief

But when they believed what Philip was saying about God’s kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they were all baptized.   Acts 8:12 CEV

Baptism signifies the washing away of sins

[Ananias, to Saul:] Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, trusting in him to save you.   Acts 22:16b NCV™

The Lord’s Supper

Observe the Lord’s Supper

[Paul, to believers:] For I received from the Lord the teaching that I passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took a piece of bread, 24gave thanks to God, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me.” 25In the same way, after the supper he took the cup and said, “This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood. Whenever you drink it, do so in memory of me.”   1 Corinthians 11:23-25 GNT

The Lord’s Supper symbolizes and remembers Jesus Christ’s death for us. The breaking of the bread symbolizes the breaking of his body, and the pouring out of the wine symbolizes the pouring out of his blood – for the forgiveness of our sins.

Confessing Jesus Christ

Confess (or acknowledge) Jesus Christ, before others

[Jesus:] But I tell you, the Son of Man will acknowledge before God’s angels everyone who acknowledges me before people.   Luke 12:8 ISV

Things to confess about Jesus Christ

And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and bring glory to God the Father.   Philippians 2:11 NCV™

If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.   1 John 4:15 NET

The Sabbath

The Sabbath is holy – keep it holy by resting on it

[God, to the Israelites:] Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy. 9For six days you may labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.   Exodus 20:8-11 NET

It is permissible to do good things on the Sabbath

People are worth much more than sheep, and so it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then Jesus told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did, and it became as healthy as the other one.   Matthew 12:12-13 CEV

Pray for persecuted Christians