“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
God has given the church two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Both are simple acts with rich symbolic meaning.
Baptism is the outward sign of God’s forgiveness and of receiving a new life in Jesus Christ. When somebody becomes a Christian and becomes member of a church, he or she is baptized.
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic meal where believers eat a piece of bread and drink a little wine, representing Jesus’ body and blood. Jesus commanded His disciples to do so: “Do this in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).
The Lord’s Supper is a strong reminder of His sacrificial death on our behalf. It reminds us how His body and His blood were given as a ransom for sin. Taking communion strengthens our faith and honors Jesus for His offer of salvation.
Celebrating the Lord’s Supper together is also a powerful expression of the unity of all believers, since they all share in the salvation earned by Jesus: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Have you been baptized? And do you regularly take communion?