Chapter 27 of the confession deals with sacraments. They are called signs and seals of the covenant of grace. Because it is an outward visible sign and an inward, spiritual grace to which it points to.
It is a sign because the sacrament is a visible picture that reminds and represents Christ’s covenant to us. It is a seal because it authenticates of the spiritual reality of Christ’s finished and completed work for us.
So that in faith, we receive all the benefits that comes with the covenant. The sacraments direct each of us away from self and towards Christ in faith. And because we are in Christ, we benefit in all God’s spiritual blessings including indwelling of the Holy Spirit and our union with Christ.
The sacraments are a visible proclamation of the gospel, that’s why when we partake of it we are proclaiming that we believe and trust in the work of Christ. So it provides a visible distinction between those who belong to the church and the rest of the world.
As a reminder, when we partake of the sacraments we aren’t proclaiming how big our or strong our faith is, but rather how strong Christ’s work is so that even those with the weakest possible faith can come and rest on Christ. In fact the sacraments, given to us from God, are meant for the weak in faith to help sustain those who struggle with their faith and struggle with sin.
1. Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace. They were directly instituted by God to represent Christ and his benefits and to confirm our relationship to him. They are also intended to make a visible distinction between those who belong to the church and the rest of the world, and solemnly to bind Christians to the service of God in Christ, according to his Word.
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