Journal: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
Volume: RPTJ 10:1 (Fall 2023)
Article: From Rutherford Hall
Author: Barry J. York

RPTJ 10:1 (Fall 2023) p. 3

From Rutherford Hall

Dr. Barry J. York

President and Professor of Pastoral Theology and Homiletics
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Over the past three autumns, the RPTS Faculty has treated what our confession of faith calls “the means of grace” at our annual Westminster Conference. After addressing the Word of God and the sacraments in the previous years, in September the professors looked at the topic of prayer in this light. As you read the enclosed articles on prayers based on these messages, it’s important to recall what a means of grace truly is. In a recent article I wrote for Ligonier Ministries titled “Why is Prayer a Means of Grace?”, I explain it in the following manner:

Theologians define the media gratia, or means of grace, as the channels by which God works His grace into our hearts. Like the pipes delivering the water into your home’s faucets from the local reservoir, God bestows the blessings of our salvation by using these “outward and ordinary means,” as the catechism states. Perhaps we see God’s use of means most clearly—and receive help in answering our question—by looking at the first two means that the catechism mentions, which are the Word of God and the sacraments.

By the preaching of the Word, the Lord brings salvation to sinners as His Spirit grants them faith to hear and believe (Rom. 10:17). He then further uses the Word to sanctify His people. As Paul told the Ephesian elders, “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32, emphasis added).

Likewise, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are instruments that the Lord uses to bring fully the benefits of salvation to His people. Clearly, we are not speaking of receiving salvation via participating in the works of the sacraments, as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Rather, by faith already granted and justification already received, the Lord delivers to us the full benefits of our salvation in the sacraments. Our baptism is a sign and seal of the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). The Lord’s Supper is a “cup of blessing” that offers to us “participation in the blood of Christ” and “bread that we break” that is “a participation in the body of Christ” (1 Cor. 10:16). Sanctifying and strengthening grace is experienced through the sacraments.

Coming then to prayer, we similarly see in Scripture that it is a channel through which our Father in heaven blesses...