But we read in Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” In writing to the Hebrew Christians Paul said, “… the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.” We observe then that the old ordinances of the old dispensation passed with the passing of the first covenant.

With the ushering in of the new covenant we look for new ordinances and we find them clearly and unmistakably set forth. An ordinance, in the excellent definition of R. R. Byrum is “a divinely appointed outward observance which is significant or a spiritual truth of the Bible.” The Roman Catholic church holds seven ordinances, or sacraments as they call them. Most Protestant bodies hold two: the Lord’s supper and baptism. We think, however, that the New Testament actually sets forth three ordinances.

The reason for the passing of the Old Testament ordinances is quite simple. The Old Testament concerned itself largely with types and shadows, all of which endeavored to point man to the coming Messiah who would take away the sins of the world. When Jesus came, He ushered in a “new and living way.” No longer was man to live by law inscribed on tablets of stone but God willed to write His law on the “fleshly tables of our hearts.” There was no longer any need for the types and shadows of the Old Testament. To make a sacrifice of the blood of “bulls and goats” is quite meaningless to the person who has become a partaker of the sacrifice of Calvary. Ceremonial washings are sheer nonsense when one has been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. As Paul says it, “the law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ,” Galatians 3:24. Since Jesus Christ came and made the atonement for our sins the old order of law and sacrifice passed away and the new covenant and its ordinances were ushered in. Let us consider the reason back of the ordinances of the New Testament before we consider the ordinances themselves. Life has three basic relationships. The whole of life comes under these basic relationships and we learn that all of life can be a harmony by keeping these relationships above the dust of earth. Man has a relationship to the world in which he lives; to the eternal God and to his brother. This is basic to life and everything important flows through these great rivers and all these rivers empty into the sea of God’s eternal love.

For these three basic relationships God has definite and positive teaching. Let us consider then, one by one. The proper relationship of a man to the world in which he lives is expressed in such words as, “Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him.” I John 2:15. James says the same thing but in different words, James 4:4 “… know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” Many scriptures teach us that we must “set our affection on things above and not on things of this world.” However, God our Father knew the impossible task of man to love heavenly things which he had not seen while his nature was carnal and his life earth bound. Because God loved us He gave His only begotten Son, Who in turn gave Himself as atonement for our helpless souls. Through Jesus Christ every person can come to God, confess his sin and through the merits of the blood of the Saviour be born again. The teaching is clear then; man must die to sin, self and the world. This is a basic teaching of the New Testament and deals with that basic relationship of a man to the world in which he lives. God makes possible the experience and instituted an ordinance to help us remember. The ordinance is water baptism.

Water baptism, as the other ordinances, is for born again Christians. It is not for nominal but for actual Christians. People who have died to sin, self and the world and have been spiritually resurrected, born again, and walk in newness of life. Baptism is not for infants. Infants are pure and held guiltless until they reach the age when they are capable of giving an account for their deeds. Baptism is not for sinners. It would be meaningless to them. An ordinance is not substitute for the actual experience. An ordinance is, “an outward symbol divinely appointed to represent a great fact or truth.” An ordinance must never be considered as a simple liturgical act. Baptism is an ordinance depicting death to sin, self and the world and a resurrection to a newness of life. It is divinely appointed … represents a great Biblical fact and a personal relationship of the participant. We need not be technical about the mode of Baptism. The word Baptize has never meant anything but to immerse and nothing short of immersion could possibly depict death, burial and resurrection. Nothing short of immersion could properly be called baptism. Water Baptism is also a witness to God, to fellow Christians, to the world, to the devil and perhaps even more significantly to one’s own self that he is completely committed to God through Jesus Christ. No longer of the world but “hidden with Christ in God.”

The second basic relationship of life that we would consider is man’s relationship with God. This is a continuing relationship, throughout time and eternity. God has given us the ordinance of the “Lord Supper” to help us remember and assist us in the deeper levels of love and devotion. This is the most beautiful of the ordinances and the most important, if it is ever proper to say one Biblical teaching is more important than another. Without the experience of salvation, made possible through the blood of our Saviour, the other ordinances would be meaningless and this is what prompts us to consider this ordinance the most beautiful. This ordinance; eating of the unleavened bread and drinking the fruit of the vine which are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus, was instituted to help us “show the death of the Lord until He come.” The Lord said, “this do in remembrance of Me.” It is a “divine requirement … universal and perpetual … an outward symbol divinely appointed.” God pity those who take “communion” as a simple liturgical act. They “drink damnation to their own souls,” not by the simple act of taking the elements of communion but by deadening their spiritual sensitiveness to the eternal God by not “discerning the Lord’s body.” Let us examine our hearts, beloved, not just before “communion” time, but every day and always lest we should fall into the snare of the devil.

We must hasten to the third basic relationship of life which is so often ignored. Because of man’s refusal to consider this relationship of life and know his duties, obligations and privileges; the world lives not as a brotherhood but is divided into enemy camps. What is the relationship of a man to his brother? The Bible says, Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” Would this world not be an “Eden” if men would follow the teaching of the Scripture? How quickly the divisions would melt away between nations if all men would come to grips with this basic relationship of life and “prefer one another” instead of fearing, mistrusting and hating. No matter what the world does, the God of heaven has a divine requirement for His disciples and that is that they must love one another. We recognize love cannot be commanded into existence, but we also recognize the divine obligation to crush hatred, mistrust, envy, malice and everything else that would keep a man from loving his brother. This, my friend, is your responsibility and mine if we are to have any part or lot with God in this world or the world to come. Jesus gave but one direct command and that was, “I command you that you love one another.” This leaves no basis for argument. “God is love,” if His spirit possesses us, we too shall love. The ordinance we speak of as “Feet Washing” is intended to help us in this basic relationship of life. If ordinances are helpful in the other two basic relationships; an ordinance will be equally helpful in this relationship also. Jesus instituted this ordinance and told us very matter of factly, “ye ought to wash one another’s feet.” Many doubt this as an ordinance and manufacture some very absurd arguments against it. Some say the reason Jesus washed the disciples’ feet was because they were dirty. Strange why He never did it but that once. Some say it was the custom. It is still the custom for men to wash their feet and feet still get dirty whether they are adorned with sandals, shoes, or unadorned. One might just as well argue that baptism was intended to give the entire body a bath, or the Lord’s Supper was merely a part of the meal. No my friend, this occasion of Jesus’ washing the feet of the disciples as recorded in John 13 is not to be taken as a simple act of a servant. Jesus is our Saviour and took the form of a servant but never intended to teach us by example or precept that he was anything but our Saviour and that we were anything but brethren ON EQUAL STANDING WITH ONE ANOTHER, always willing but never “forced” to serve. Where we often miss the significance of the ordinances is in expecting than to be the spiritual experience which they are not, nor were they ever intended to be. They are ordinances intended to help us keep our experience. The ordinance of feet washing is not intended to MAKE us humble. We observe the ordinance because we are humble in our attitude toward our brethren. If we do not possess this humbleness of heart and sincere brotherly love, then we have absolutely no right to observe the ordinance. To observe it while having hate or any such evil in our hearts is an act of pure hypocrisy. “Even as ye do it unto the least of these my brethren ye do it unto Me.” To go through the motion of this ordinance without having a pure love for the brethren is as ridiculous and as hypocritical as taking communion while using the Lord’s name in vain or being baptized without a genuine experience of salvation.

Now may we consider the matter of being “blessed” in the observance of the ordinances. Too often a show of emotionalism has been superficial; not hypocritical mind you, but sincere people have tried to act as though they were emotionally moved because they thought it was expected of them. Let us be sincere. Let us allow God to give us whatever blessing He wills us to have. We do not have to “put on any kind of a front.” Obedience is its own reward and if God should not see fit to add some special blessing or ecstatic experience each time we observe the ordinance; why should we worry ourselves. It is ours to obey and His to bless. Personally, I was blessed with I was baptized in an open stream during the month of November. I had no ecstatic experience but a warm inner glow and peace as I fulfilled the law of the New Testament. Since conversion is not a continuing experience we do not keep on observing this ordinance; it is once and for all. I am always blessed, as in reverence and awe I approach the Communion Table, remembering Calvary, the blessed Lord and His suffering for my sin. This is a continuing experience and so I observe the ordinance and “show the Lord’s death until He come.” And believe me, I am blessed in the observance of feet washing. This too is a continuing experience, a fellowshipping with the brethren so long as we live. As I wash my brother’s feet I think of my brethren through Christ, all over the world, every social strata, every race and color and I remember that at the foot of the cross the ground is level and here in this beautiful ordinance I prove to my own soul, the soul of my brother, my God and to the devil that I am intricately and indissolubly bound with Christians all over the world. It is in this way we find fulfillment of the words, “happy are ye if ye do these things.” If our hearts are right; if we properly understand what we are doing; if we do them in faith; the ordinances are happy, joyous experiences. Not hilarious, but joyous. The blessing springs from within. It is the Holy Spirit within our hearts that prompts obedience and this same Holy Spirit will bring the blessing needed.
[The End]