ORDER MY STEPS IN THY WORD

God’s Order for Quality BelieversVerse 12:Buried with him in baptism, wherein also yeare risen with him through the faith of theoperation of God, who hath raised himfrom the dead.“Buried with him in baptism. . . .” Do youknow what that baptism is? Christ’s burial.Frequently baptism does not refer to being immersedin water. “Baptism” means “to purify orcleanse.” In this context it’s going into the gravewith Christ. When he went there, we went withhim. “Buried with him in baptism, wherein alsoye are risen with him. ..We not only were circumcised in his crucifixionand baptized in his death, but when God raisedChrist, we got up with him. You and I were raisedwith Christ. “. . . Risen with him through (byway of] the faith [believing] of the operation[energeia, energy] of God, who hath raised himfrom the dead.” When Christ arose, we arosewith him. Jesus Christ believed that God wouldraise him from the dead, and we believe thesame. That’s the believing of Colossians 3:12.Ephesians 1 adds even more knowledge to this.276Ephesians 1:18-23:The eyes of your understanding beingQuickened Together with Christenlightened; that ye may know what is thehope of his calling, and what the riches ofthe glory of his inheritance in the saints,And what is the exceeding greatness of hispower to usward who believe, according tothe working of his mighty power,Which he wrought in Christ, when he raisedhim from the dead, and set him at his ownright hand in the heavenly places [theheavenlies],Far above all principality, and power, andmight, and dominion, and every name thatis named, not only in this world, but also inthat which is to come:And hath put all things under his feet, andgave him to be the head over all things to thechurch,Which is his body, the fulness of him thatfilleth all in all.Thus Colossians 2 says that we were circumcised,buried, and raised with Jesus Christ; andEphesians 1 says that we ascended with him andare seated with him. We are completely, completelycomplete! We are equipped; we’ve gotit. Not because of who we are, but because ofwhat God did in Christ when He raised him277