7 Baptism and The Lord Supper

ARTICLE IX: WATER BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

We believe that water baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, according to the command of our Lord, is a blessed outward sign of an inward work; a beautiful and solemn emblem reminding us that even as our Lord died upon the cross of Calvary so we reckon ourselves now dead indeed unto sin, and the old nature nailed to the tree with Him; and that even as he was taken down from the tree and buried, so we are buried with Him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life.1 (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:37, 38; Gal. 3:27, 28; Rom. 6:4, Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:20,21; Acts 22:16; Acts 2:41, Matt. 28:19,20)

We believe in observing the Lord’s supper by the sacred use of the broken bread, a precious type of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, whose body was broken for us; and by the juice of the vine, a blessed type which should ever remind the participant of the shed blood of the Savior who is the true vine of which His children are the branches; that this ordinance is a glorious rainbow that spans the gulf of years between Calvary and the coming of the Lord when in the Father’s kingdom, He will partake anew with His children; and that the serving and receiving of this blessed sacrament should be ever preceded by the most solemn heart-searching, self- examination, forgiveness and love toward all men, that none partake unworthily and drink condemnation to his own soul. (1 Cor. 11:26; 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5)”