Baptism and the Eucharist: Are these mere rituals?

 I grew up under the Reformation belief that although Christ commanded us to observe Baptism and the Eucharist (or the "Lord's Supper", faulty terminology as we shall see), these are simply rituals or ceremonies or symbols, and we celebrate them for two reasons:

1. Christ commanded it
2. It reminds us of the "spiritual meaning" behind the ceremony.

However, as we look closely at how the post-Apostolic church understood and obeyed it, we begin to realize that our salvation may even be at stake if we do NOT take them as seriously as the way the early church did. 

We have a different point in this article but for those who would like a background, please refer to the previous article on Relationship vs. Union

Now, after reading the previous article, once we realize the full meaning of being united with the body of Christ in his death, burial and resurrection we will see why these rituals are necessary to maintain the salvation given to believers. (Refer to the articles and videos on the Two stages of salvation as believed by the early church )

The main point of this article, however, will prove how MANDATORY these rituals are. It answers the question, "Why would a physical action or event negatively (even mortally or fatally) affect our spiritual standing with Christ???"

The answer is found in the gospels and it is Christ himself who answers this issue. 

In John 13 we see Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Most exegesis deals almost only with the humility and servanthood aspects of the story. But that betrays ignorance of the early church understanding and when the gospel of John was written. 

In verse 6 Peter asks why Jesus had to wash his feet. Christ replies in verse 7 by saying he would not understand it now but afterwards he will. Christ explains later that a believer has to love and lead by serving, and this lesson is quite obvious, hence, most preaching and exegesis revolves around this theme today.

On the other hand, the next verses unveil a principle that is most often overlooked in exegesis. Verse 8 shows Peter refusing to be washed and Christ replying with the answer to the issue we presented in this article, restated another way, "Why does a physical ritual impact a spiritual outcome?" "UNLESS I WASH YOUR FEET, YOU HAVE NO PART (NOR SHARE) IN ME". This is a loaded statement since the Apostle wrote this gospel in his mature age and shortly before he wrote the book of Revelations. John was at Ephesus, in his old age, ministering to the church which had been practicing salvation by water baptism and the Eucharistic partaking of the blood and body of Christ every time the church congregates. ALL the epistles of the New Testament have already been completed and read by the extant churches. 

So John, in fact, and indeed was validating the physical practice of water baptism as the means to entering the kingdom of God (John 3:5) and he was validating the physical activities behind the celebration of the Eucharist as partaking constantly of the life blood and immortal body of Christ. In water baptism for example, the Lord Jesus Christ was quite clear, "Unless one is born of water (by water baptism) and the Spirit (baptism of the Holy Spirit) he CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD." The early post-Apostolic Christians, who spoke Koine Greek (the language of the New Testament), who were directly taught by the Apostles UNANIMOUSLY UNDERSTOOD that being "born of water" meant water baptism and water baptism only (they had no alternative interpretation nor understanding of the phrase). Praying to receive Christ MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT for the purpose of salvation plainly because this Scripture prescription is Christ's own EXPLICIT DECLARATION OF TRUTH!

We also have to note that John the Baptizer initially refused to baptize the Lord because he considered himself unworthy for such a lofty task. "But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented."(Matthew 3:15 ESV).  Christ replied with a statement that EXPLICITLY points out its NECESSITY, even for Him Who was sinless! Would it not be arrogance or callousness on our part to consider baptism and the Eucharist as a symbols and optional for salvation ("fulfill all righteousness")?

This emphatically means that unless we perform the physical activity and event around these sacraments, the spiritual reality we claim MAY NOT OR EVEN DOES NOT EXIST!!!

Our appeal to modern day Christians or people who claim to be believers AND people who desire to enter and enjoy the kingdom of God...YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WATER BAPTISM (as specified by the Didache) AND you CAN NEVER skip a Eucharist service of your home church. You should also encourage your pastor and church leaders to celebrate the Eucharist every time you congregate (not just once-a-month or on special days) to realize the presence of the Lord when he said "Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I am in their midst"

In conclusion: the purpose of both Water Baptism and the Eucharist is NOT to remind us of the spiritual meaning of each but for the believer to actually EXPERIENCE ITS SPIRITUAL REALITY in their lives, to enable us to experience actual union with the life blood and immortal body of Christ and his Church. Furthermore, by experiencing the body of Christ which is the Church, we experience the actual communion of saints not only with present saints but altogether with the saints of the past, Paul, Peter, James, John, Justin Martyr, Perpetua, etc, etc. ALL IN THE VERY PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.