The Signs of the Promise

Text. Romans 4:11 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:


The Bible is full of promises.  What is the greatest of these promises, In fact the single promise, from which every other promise flows? It is this, “that God graciously grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross.” Now, not only has God given us this gracious promise but he has pointed us to it and stamped it with his seal of authority. That sign and seal is known in the church as the Sacraments.
1. The FUNCTION of the Sacraments.  
Read Genesis 17:1-14.

Why was Abram dependent upon God? ______________________________________ What was the OT sacrament that God gave Abraham? _________________What did it point to? ___________________________What did it assure Abraham was going to happen when God fulfilled his promise? _______________________What is the second Old Testament sacrament? ______________________

• The sacraments are SIGNS. God’s gift to us, to help us understand the Gospel.
• The sacraments are SEALS. They stamp God’s promises to us with us divine authority.

What are the promises that we observe when the sacraments are administered in Church?

Look at your wedding ring.
What promises did you make at your wedding? _________________________________________________

What does the ring signify and remind you of? _________________________________________________

When apart, what confidence does it give you? _________________________________________________

What has God given to us to give us this confidence in Him? The S____________________________________

2. The FOCUS of the Sacraments.

Faith is God’s gift to us, conveyed to us by the preaching of Christ in all the Scriptures, and applied to our hearts in conviction and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. So the sacraments point us to Jesus, and to Him alone. Away from ourselves, away from our subjective experiences, testimony etc, and to Christ and Calvary.

But why do you think the Heidelberg instructor is so insistent on teaching that there is only one sacrifice for sins?
3. The FINALITY of the Sacraments.
  Jesus only gave us two sacraments.

They are:
B_________________ Matthew 28:19-20. and The L____________ S_______________. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

But may we not invent some extra sacraments?

Why do Christians not circumcise and celebrate the Passover? ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________. Here’s a clue to help: 1 Cor 5:6-8 ‘Christ our passover is sacrificed for us…’

H/C, Lord’s Day 25


66. What are the sacraments?
A. The sacraments are holy, visible signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by their use he might the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel. And this is the promise: that God graciously grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross.
67. Are both the Word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?
A. Yes, indeed. The Holy Spirit teaches us in the gospel and assures us by the sacraments that our entire salvation rests on Christ’s one sacrifice for upon the cross.
68. How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant? A. Two: baptism and the Lord’s supper.