A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. God gives us the sign as a means by which we receive that grace and as a tangible assurance that we do in fact receive it.

I should receive the sacraments by faith in Christ, with repentance and thanksgiving. Faith in Christ is necessary to receive the grace of the sacraments, and obedience to Christ is necessary for the benefits of the sacraments to bear fruit in my life.

The two sacraments ordained by Christ that are “generally necessary to salvation” (1662 Catechism) are Baptism and Holy Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Holy Eucharist). These are sometimes called “sacraments of the Gospel.”

Other rites and institutions commonly called sacraments include confirmation (2 Timothy 1:6–7; Hebrews 6:1–2), ordination (Numbers 8:9–14; 27:18–23; 1 Timothy 4:14), marriage (Genesis 2:18–24; Matthew 19:4–6; John 2:1–11), absolution (John 20:21–23; Acts 2:37–41), and the anointing of the sick (James 5:14). These are sometimes called “sacraments of the Church.”

They were not ordained by Christ as necessary to salvation, but arose from the practices of the apostles and the Early Church, or were blessed by God in Scripture. God clearly uses them as means of grace.

The outward and visible sign is water, in which candidates are baptized “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The inward and spiritual grace is death to sin and new birth to righteousness, through union with Christ in his death and resurrection. I am born a sinner by nature, separated from God. But in Baptism, through faith in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, I am made a member of Christ’s Body and adopted as God’s child and heir.

Two things are required: repentance, in which I turn away from sin; and faith, in which I turn to Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord and trust the promises that God makes to me in this sacrament.

Because it is a sign of God’s promise that they are embraced in the covenant community of Christ’s Church. Those who in faith and repentance present infants to be baptized vow to raise them in the knowledge and fear of the Lord, with the expectation that they will one day profess full Christian faith as their own.

I should hope and pray that the Holy Spirit, who indwells me, will help me to be an active member of my Christian community, participate in worship, continually repent and return to God, proclaim the faith, love and serve God and my neighbor, and seek justice and peace.

He instituted it for the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of his atoning death, and to convey the benefits of that sacrifice to us.

The visible sign is bread and wine, which Christ commands us to receive.

The inward gift signified is the Body and Blood of Christ, which are truly taken and received in the Lord’s Supper by faith.

As my body is nourished by the bread and wine, my soul is strengthened by the Body and Blood of Christ. I receive God’s forgiveness, and I am renewed in the love and unity of the Body of Christ, the Church.

I am to examine myself: Do I truly repent of my sins and intend to lead a new life in Christ? Do I have a living faith in God’s mercy through Christ and remember his atoning death with a thankful heart? And have I shown love and forgiveness to all people?

I should continue to grow in holiness, avoiding sin, showing love and forgiveness to all, and serving others in gratitude.

Confirmation is the laying on of the bishop’s hands with prayer for strengthening by the Holy Spirit, following a period of catechetical formation. In confirmation, I make a mature confession of faith, publicly renewing the vows and promises made at my Baptism.

In confirmation, I am further empowered and gifted by the Holy Spirit for daily growth in wisdom, courage, and humility before God in every aspect of my life and work.

All Christians are to bear witness to Christ in their lives; to care for the poor, strangers, widows, and orphans; and, according to their gifts, to serve Christ in the world and in the Church.

Ordination is the laying on of the bishop’s hands with prayer, which confirms the gifts and calling of the candidates, consecrates them, and grants them authority to serve Christ and his Church in the office to which they have been called.

In ordination, God conveys the gift of the Holy Spirit for the office and work of the order being conferred.

The three orders are bishops, priests, and deacons, which we have received from Scripture and the historic Church.

Bishops represent and serve Christ and the Church as chief pastors, catechists, and missionaries in the tradition of the apostles. They are to confirm and ordain, and to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church.

Serving Christ with their bishops, priests (or presbyters) nurture God’s people through the ministry of Word and Sacrament and pronounce absolution and blessing in God’s Name.

Serving Christ under their bishops, deacons care for those in need, assist in public worship, and instruct both young and old in the catechism.

Christian marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, uniting them in self-giving love, joy, and faithfulness. It is ordained by God for the procreation and spiritual nurture of children, the sanctification of husband and wife, the mutual support of their common life, and the flourishing of family, church, and society. Husband and wife enter into this covenant by exchanging vows before God and in the presence of witnesses.

The union of husband and wife in one flesh signifies the communion between Christ, the heavenly bridegroom, and the Church, his holy bride. Not all are called or able to marry, but all Christians are joined to Christ as members of his Body.

In Christian marriage, God unites husband and wife and blesses their common life, that they may grow together in love, wisdom, and godliness, patterned on the sacrificial love of Christ. A Christian marriage embodies this grace in the world, especially through hospitality and care for those who are lonely or in need.

In absolution, a priest, acting under God’s authority, pronounces God’s forgiveness in response to repentance and confession of sin.

In absolution, God conveys his pardon through the Cross, removes and cancels my sin, declares me reconciled and at peace with him, and grants me the assurance of his grace and salvation.

Repentance, in which I intend to resist further sin, accept responsibility for my actions, and endeavor to repair damage I have caused; and faith, by which I thankfully receive God’s forgiveness.