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Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and a few Protestant denominations use the term sacrament to describe a rite through which God’s grace is conveyed to an individual. Many evangelical churches prefer the term ordinance, which can be defined as a “God-ordained ceremony.”
A sacrament is often viewed as a means of God’s grace—when a worshiper performs a specific religious rite, he or she receives divine blessing, either for salvation or sanctification. An ordinance is typically not seen as a channel of grace but rather as a practice commanded by the Lord. In essence, a sacrament involves a supernatural work of God, while an ordinance is merely an act of obedience by man to God.
Adding some complexity to the matter is the fact that some churches do consider the ordinances as means of grace; others see the sacraments as symbols of spiritual reality rather than the reality itself. In such instances, the terms ordinance and sacrament are essentially interchangeable.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that there are seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Holy Communion, confession, marriage, Holy Orders, and the anointing of the sick. According to the Catholic Church, these sacraments “are effective signs of grace, established by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which divine life is given to us. The visible rituals by which the sacraments are observed signify and make present the graces specific to each sacrament” (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition, p. 293). Additionally, “The Church asserts that for believers, the sacraments of the New Covenant are essential for salvation” (Ibid., p. 292). This doctrine reveals a salvation system based on works and a worship approach centered on priests.
In contrast, the Bible teaches us that grace is not imparted through external symbols, and no ceremony is “required for salvation.” Grace is God’s gift, freely given.Given to the undeserving. “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7; NKJV).
Protestants and evangelicals reject the notion that sacraments can offer salvation. Rather, most see them as signs and signifiers (and sometimes seals) of grace already received. To help avoid communicating the idea that their religious activities are channels of grace, most evangelicals prefer to call them “ordinances.” They see the ordinances as symbolic reenactments of the gospel message. Rather than being requirements for salvation, ordinances are visual aids to help us better understand and appreciate what Jesus Christ accomplished for us in His redemptive work, and they are testimonies that we indeed believe in Christ. Ordinances are determined by three factors: they were instituted by Christ, they were taught by the apostles, and they were practiced by the early church. Baptism and communion (or the Lord’s table) are the two rites that most evangelicals consider ordinances, and neither of them is a requirement for salvation. Scriptural support for baptism is found in Matthew 28:18–20, and support for communion in Luke 22:19.
