1 Corinthians 10:16 - "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?"  We partake in the blood of Christ and the body of Christ when we partake of the Lord’s Supper with faith. The big debate in church history has been over whether we literally (transubstantiation taught by Roman Catholicism), half-literally (consubstantiation taught by Martin Luther), spiritually (spiritual presence taught by John Calvin), or in memory memorial view taught by Ulrich Zwingli), partake of Christ.

Both the Memorial view and the Spiritual Presence view are permitted based on our church's confession of faith, the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

Although, I do not like the phrase “means of grace” because Rome teaches that the sacraments actually save those who partake of them. The proclamation of God’s word indeed saves sinners due to the Holy Spirit’s work with the proclamation of God’s word, transforming their hearts and their faith. And the Holy Spirit also uses the proclamation of God’s word to strengthen the faith of Christians in their hearts and minds. In other words, the word of God is different from the words of men. And the Holy Spirit takes this Word, preached through the Lord's Supper and baptism, and saves and sanctifies sinners, beginning and bringing to the finish, salvation in them.

Furthermore, you do not have to participate in the sacrament to be saved or sanctified because God saves by grace through faith in Christ with the preaching of the word. God does not save through the Lord’s Supper or Baptism or the Word. Rather, God saves with the Word. The Holy Spirit takes the word and applies it to those who have faith in Christ. However, participating in the Lord’s Supper with your brothers and sisters in Christ on a regular basis, helps to sanctify us. As does hearing the word preached, praying the word, memorizing the word, seeing new believers baptized, etc.

The Word is preached through the Lord’s Supper, because it’s a drama given to us by God to communicate truth! The same is true of baptism. The Lord’s Supper preaches the word of God, and the Holy Spirit applies that word to those who participate in faith, believing the word preached, and He sanctifies us, matures us—whether that Word is preached through preaching, singing, the Lord’s Supper, Baptism, reading the Word, praying the Word, etc.

To summarize, the Lord’s supper is an ordinance or sacrament that reinforces our faith, joins Christians together, and sets us apart from the world who does not observe the Lord’s Supper with us. And as we partake, we preach to one another 1) We all need Jesus. 2) We all have received Christ through faith. 3) Christ is returning soon to wage war on His enemies and set up an eternal kingdom in the New Heavens and New Earth.

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