Can you get by without the sacraments?

[psalms 91]

Yes

 

[Josiah]

God gives us the sacraments to strengthen us and those who don't believe in sacraments don't really believe God can do such things so they poo poo it all they can and call God a liar even without saying so specifically. I know they don't want to believe God can work through means but we see so many examples in the old testament that get ignored and past aside.

While I believe the Sacraments are not ESSENTIAL in the sense that one is automatically doomed to hell without one or more (I think of the thief on the cross, for example)..... I do believe these are divine blessings.


I think how we approach such depends largely on how we approach Christianity.

Some see Christianity as a matter largely of what SELF does - SELF reaching up to heaven, SELF trying to reach up to God, SELF being obedient or at least trying to be good, the arrow going up - from SELF to God. They speak a LOT of OUR works, OUR efforts, OUR stuff - essentially earning. To them, the Sacraments make little sense and are simply additional "hoops" for US to jump through or perhaps outward signs of successful hope jumping. Infant Baptism in particular reveals this approach since these folks will ask, "what did the infant DO?" They often embrace these things but call them "ordinances" - a matter of LAW, of mandates..... hoops we need to jump through and then can pat ourselves on the back when accomplishes, checking that off the list of "must dos.

Some see Christianity as a matter of what GOD does for us - GOD reaching down to us, GOD blessing us. God seeks ways and means to bless. "Sacraments" are simply seen as such ways.... these folks call them "SACRAments" - literally, sacred or divine or God acts - things GOD does. And they tend to see them as "means of grace" means or tools or vehicles of God's mercy, grace, favor, blessing.

I think how we see these is simply an application of this orientation: Is Christianity about our reaching up to God and trying to appease or please Him? Of checking off a list of "hoops" we must jump through? Ordinances? OR is Christianity about God reaching down to us, unconditionally loving us, blessing us, including in means of His grace/mercy?



- Josiah