The Write Place

The intersection of the sacraments and the study of the last things is something left unnapreciated. The sacraments declare a story to us, the Gospel made manifest in physical (and spiritual) forms. They tell us where exactly we are in the story.

²⁵ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 12:25-16

The Baptists declare all God’s promises are already kept, raising the issue of the second coming of Christ. Jesus has fulfilled the Old Covenant and is currently at work fulfilling his promises to prepare a place for us and put his (and our) enemies underfoot.

The Full-Preterist declares Christ already had his second coming. This raises the question, if Jesus has already come, why do we still partake in communion? Or what role the Holy Spirit has as we are told.

¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee^[a] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,^[b] to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14

One would suppose then that the Holy Spirit no longer seals believers, because he has come in his fullness. Or perhaps he simply seals us to our deaths, not pointing towards a redemption of the body. But we eat the Lord’s supper, and we participate in baptism.

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:32

We baptize because we still need to be forgiven. We are still giving birth to human beings with a sin nature. We attest to this when we baptize, particularly infants.

He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:5

That Christ has yet to bodily return is evident in the words of scripture, faithfully demonstrated in the sacraments.

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ⁹ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, ¹¹ and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:6-11

In word and in sacrament, we know we look forward to the fullness of the kingdom. All things are fulfilled in Christ, but he has not completed his work. Not all has yet come to pass that scripture tells us of. Remember this when you eat and drink in communion, that you look forward to the day when he finally, fully crushes our enemies and returns to dwell with his people forever.