The Ordinary Means of Grace: Why Are They Indispensable?

Published On: August 29, 2025

ORDINARY MEANS FOR EXTRAORDINARY TRANSFORMATION

What if God’s most powerful work in believers’ lives happens through the most ordinary activities? This apparent paradox lies at the heart of Reformed theology’s understanding of the ordinary means of grace. While Christians today often chase after extraordinary spiritual experiences, Reformed theology insists God has appointed specific, regular channels through which He consistently works to transform His people. These aren’t optional spiritual disciplines or helpful suggestions—they’re indispensable means by which Christ communicates the benefits of redemption to us

WHAT ARE THE ORDINARY MEANS OF GRACE?

Th ordinary means of grace are God’s appointed channels for spiritual growth, clearly established in Scripture and faithfully practiced by the church throughout history. The Westminster Confession identifies three primary means: the Word of God, the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and prayer. These are called “ordinary” not because they’re common or unremarkable, but because they represent God’s regular, appointed way of working. His extraordinary interventions involve direct revelation or miracles.

Scripture establishes this pattern early. In Acts 2:42, Luke records the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Here we see all three means operating together as the normal rhythm of Christian life. Paul reinforces this principle in Romans 10:14-17, showing that faith comes through the preached word, not through mystical experiences or human invention.

The key Reformed principle is this: God works through means, not apart from them. He has sovereignly chosen to bless His people through these specific channels, making them not merely helpful but absolutely essential.

THE WORD OF GOD: THE PRIMARY MEANS

Scripture holds primacy among the means of grace because it alone provides infallible revelation of God’s will. Isaiah declares, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose” (Isaiah 55:11). God’s Word carries divine power to transform hearts and minds.

The Holy Spirit makes the Word effective through illumination. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, spiritual truths must be spiritually discerned. The same Spirit who inspired Scripture opens our hearts to receive it. Through preaching, private reading, meditation, and study, believers encounter the living God who sanctifies us through His truth (John 17:17).

Romans 10:17 confirms this: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” No other source can create or sustain saving faith. Human wisdom, personal experience, and emotional appeals may inspire, but only Scripture carries the power to generate spiritual life and growth.

THE SACRAMENTS: VISIBLE SIGNS AND SEALS

Christ personally instituted two sacraments that serve as visible signs and seals of gospel promises. These aren’t empty rituals but powerful means through which God strengthens faith and confirms His covenant love.

Baptism signifies our union with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). This one-time sacrament marks our initiation into the covenant community, visibly declaring what God has accomplished in salvation. It’s not optional—Christ commanded it (Matthew 28:19).

The Lord’s Supper provides ongoing spiritual nourishment. Paul teaches that the cup and bread are “participation in the blood of Christ” and “participation in the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:16). Each time we partake, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). This sacrament doesn’t automatically confer grace but serves as a means through which the Spirit strengthens our faith and assures us of Christ’s love.

Both sacraments are indispensable because Christ directly instituted them, and they address our constant need for assurance and spiritual strengthening.

PRAYER: COMMUNION WITH THE TRIUNE GOD

Prayer is far more than requesting things from God—it’s communion with our heavenly Father through Christ by the Holy Spirit. Paul commands believers to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to present requests to God with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).

The Spirit enables this communion, helping us pray when we don’t know how (Romans 8:26-27). Through both private devotion and corporate worship, prayer becomes the means by which we receive what God has promised. James confirms this: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…and it will be given him” (James 1:5-6).

Prayer is indispensable because God commands it, we’re spiritually dependent creatures, and it’s the appointed means of receiving divine blessing. We cannot grow in grace while neglecting communion with God.

WHY NONE ARE EXPENDABLE

These three means work together as God’s comprehensive provision for spiritual growth. The Word informs our prayers and helps us understand the sacraments. The sacraments visualize the Word’s promises and motivate prayer. Prayer seeks God’s blessing on both Word and sacraments. Remove any one, and the others suffer.

Christ instituted all three means, the church has consistently practiced them across centuries, and each addresses different aspects of our spiritual need. History shows spiritual decline inevitably follows when churches abandon these appointed channels (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

EMBRACING GOD’S APPOINTED CHANNELS

God’s wisdom surpasses our preferences. Rather than inventing new methods or chasing extraordinary experiences, believers should faithfully engage these ordinary means with expectant hearts. Through the simple, regular practice of hearing God’s Word, receiving the sacraments, and maintaining prayer, the Holy Spirit accomplishes the extraordinary work of conforming us to Christ’s image.

Let’s trust God’s appointed channels. He uses ordinary means to accomplish extraordinary transformation in us.

THE ORDINARY MEANS OF GRACE: RELATED FAQs

What did the Reformation founders specifically teach about the ordinary means of grace? John Calvin emphasised God binds Himself to work through these appointed means rather than bypassing them. In his Institutes, Calvin argues God accommodates Himself to our weakness by providing external aids to faith, particularly the preached Word and sacraments. Calvin saw these means as evidence of God’s fatherly care, ensuring believers have reliable channels for receiving grace rather than being left to seek extraordinary revelations or mystical experiences.

How do the ordinary means differ from Roman Catholic views on sacraments and grace? The Reformed view holds the means of grace are effective through the Spirit’s work, not through the ritual itself (ex opere operato). While Catholics teach sacraments automatically confer grace when properly administered, Reformed theology teaches us God works through these means only as the Spirit applies them to receptive hearts. The Word takes primacy over sacraments in Reformed thought, whereas Catholic tradition gives equal authority to Scripture and church teaching.
Can someone experience genuine spiritual growth while neglecting one of the ordinary means? Reformed scholars like John Murray and Sinclair Ferguson argue neglecting any means stunts spiritual growth because God designed them to work together. While God is sovereign and can work despite our failures, deliberately avoiding prayer, the Word, or sacraments contradicts Christ’s commands and deprives believers of appointed blessings. Historical evidence shows movements emphasising only one means (like Word without sacraments, or mysticism without Scripture) eventually drift into error or spiritual dryness.

How does God use these “ordinary” activities to transform depraved hearts? The Spirit works through these means to overcome our natural hostility to God described in Romans 8:7-8. Through the Word, the Spirit creates faith where none existed and sanctifies believers through truth (John 17:17). The sacraments visually confirm gospel promises to doubting hearts, while prayer maintains vital communion with God despite our natural tendency toward spiritual deadness. What appears ordinary to human observation carries divine power to resurrect spiritually dead souls and progressively transform them into Christ’s image.

Why don’t Reformed churches emphasise spiritual gifts or miraculous healings as means of grace? Reformed theology distinguishes between ordinary and extraordinary means, viewing miraculous gifts as belonging to the apostolic era or as special divine interventions rather than regular channels of grace. Scholars like BB Warfield argued the ordinary means provide everything necessary for spiritual growth and sanctification. While God certainly can and does work miraculously, the ordinary means offer reliable, ongoing access to divine grace that doesn’t depend on extraordinary manifestations or special revelations.
What makes the ordinary means “indispensable” rather than just helpful spiritual disciplines? Theologians Louis Berkhof and Charles Hodge emphasise these means are indispensable because Christ directly instituted them and commands their use. They’re not human inventions or optional practices but divine appointments carrying divine authority. Scripture teaches faith comes through hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17), that we must be baptised (Acts 2:38), partake of communion (1 Corinthians 11:24-25), and pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Abandoning these means constitutes disobedience to Christ’s explicit commands. And we abandon them at our own risk.

How do the ordinary means work together to produce extraordinary transformation in believers? The means operate synergistically—the Word illuminates our understanding of what the sacraments signify, while the sacraments provide visual confirmation of the Word’s promises, and prayer seeks the Spirit’s blessing on both. John Owen described this as God’s “economy of grace”—a coordinated system where each means reinforces the others. A believer hearing Scripture gains deeper appreciation for baptism and communion, while participating in sacraments drives them to prayer and further Word study, creating an upward spiral of spiritual growth that transforms even the most hardened sinner.

THE ORDINARY MEANS OF GRACE: OUR RELATED POSTS