Together, we have faith

Oct 14, 2025
Week #41 — Day 3
The Visible Word
Q. 92. What is a Sacrament?
A. A Sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.
Gen. 17:7, 10; Ex. 12; 1 Cor. 11:23, 26.
“And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you
throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.. . . This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,. . . For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
“There have been several helpful definitions of the sacraments over the centuries. Augustine coined the phrase “visible word,” which reminds us that the sacraments present no different promises than those contained in the Word of God. The Word constitutes the sacraments, and without it they would be meaningless and vain. While there is nothing different or new communicated in the sacraments from God’s Word, we could say that the same truth is revealed in a deeper way since we can now taste, touch, and see the benefits that God extends to believers. Centuries later, Calvin fleshed out Augustine’s definition by saying that the sacraments are “an outward sign by which the Lord seals to our consciences the promises of His goodwill toward us in order to sustain the weakness of our faith.”
Excerpt FromGlorifying and Enjoying God: 52 Devotions through the Westminster Shorter Catechism (Boekestein & Cruse & Miller)
The visible Word. The Puritans note that these sacraments “represent, seal and apply” the benefits of the new covenant to us. We in the modern church are not used to such language or even such representations. There is reason why God told Abraham to look to the stars to represent how numerous his faith children would be. And there is reason for Jesus Christ to give us Communion or The Lord’s Supper. It is a visible reminder and sign that God is with us in Christ as we obediently and reverently partake the elements. What do you think about when you take Communion? What is its meaning to you?
A Puritan Prayer —
“LORD JESUS CHRIST,
Fill me with thy Spirit
that I may be occupied with his presence.
I am blind—send him to make me see;
dark—let him say, ‘Let there be light’!
May he give me faith to behold
my name engraven in thy hand,
my soul and body redeemed by thy blood,
my sinfulness covered by the life of pure obedience.
Replenish me by his revealing grace,
that I may realise my indissoluble union with thee;
that I may know thou hast espoused me to thyself for ever,
in righteousness, love, mercy, faithfulness;
that I am one with thee,
as a branch with its stock,
as a building with its foundation.
May his comforts cheer me in my sorrows,
his strength sustain me in my trials,
his blessings revive me in my weariness,
his presence render me a fruitful tree of holiness,
his might establish me in peace and joy,
his incitements make me ceaseless in prayer,
his animation kindle in me undying devotion.
Send him as the searcher of my heart,
to show me more of my corruptions and helplessness
that I may flee to thee,
cling to thee,
rest on thee,
as the beginning and end of my salvation.
May I never vex him by my indifference and waywardness,
grieve him by my cold welcome,
resist him by my hard rebellion.
Answer my prayers, O Lord, for thy great name’s sake.”
Excerpt From
The Valley of Vision
Edited by Arthur Bennett