Know Your Bible
March 1999

Have You Been "Risen With Christ"?

Often people say, "Have you been saved?" or "Have you been born again"? There is another way those questions might be asked: "Have you been ‘risen with Christ'"? Writing by inspiration to the Christians at Colossae, the apostle Paul said, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1).

To be a Christian means to be "risen with Christ". Have you? Let us understand Paul is not talking about a physical resurrection from the grave anymore than Jesus was talking about a physical birth in John 3:3-5. What does it mean to be "risen with Christ"? The answer is found in Romans 6:3-5: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" Through baptism into Christ, we were baptized into His death. If we have been "planted together in the likeness of His death", we are also in the "likeness of His resurrection. We have been "risen with Christ"! But notice, this resurrection can not come about except there we first be "baptized into His death"!

A majority of religious people want to be saved, born again, or risen with Christ but refuse and deny that which is essential for these things to come about - BAPTISM! The inspired apostle also stated in Colossian 2:12: "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." There must be a burial before there can be a resurrection. We must be baptized into Christ in order that we be "raised with Him".

---E.R. Hall, Jr.

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Which One Saves Us From Sin?

(For the things you think it takes to save us from our sins, put a check mark in the box.)
1. Man is saved by hope.
2. Man is saved by grace.
3. Man is saved by faith.
4. Man is saved by mercy.
5. Man is saved by words.
6. Man is saved by baptism.
7. Man is saved by the word.
8. Man is saved by the truth.
9. Man is saved by obedience.
10. Man is saved by the gospel.
11. Man is saved by knowledge of the truth.
12. Man is saved by belief and baptism.
13. Man is saved by belief and confession.
14. Man is saved by calling on the name of the Lord.
15. Man is saved by the washing of regeneration.
16. Man is saved by being born of the water and the Spirit.
17. Man is saved by being faithful unto death.
18. Man is saved by God.
19. Man is saved by Jesus Christ.
20. Man is saved by the Holy Spirit.
21. Man is saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now that you are finished, read the remainder of the article to find out from the Scriptures the items you should have checked:
1. Yes, man is saved by hope-"For we are saved by hope..."(Rom. 8:24; Titus 1:2).
2. Yes, man is saved by grace-"..By grace ye are saved..."(Eph. 2:5,8; Titus 2:11).
3. Yes, man is saved by faith-"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31; John 8:21-24; Heb. 10:36-39; 11:6).
4. Yes, man is saved by mercy-"according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5). 5. Yes, man is saved by words-"Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (Acts 11:14).
6. Yes, man is saved by baptism-"The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us..." (1 Peter 3:21).
7. Yes, man is saved by the word-"...receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save our souls" (James 1:21).
8. Yes, man is saved by the truth-"They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" and "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"(2 Thess. 2:10; John 8:32).
9. Yes, man is saved by obedience-"He (Christ) became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Hebrews 5:9).
10. Yes, man is saved by the gospel-"I declare unto you the gospel...By which also ye are saved..." (1 Cor. 15:1-2; Rom. 1:16-17).
11. Yes, man is saved by a knowledge of truth-"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4).
12. Yes, man is saved by belief and baptism-"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved..."(Mark 16:16).
13. Yes, man is saved by belief and confession of Jesus-"...If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom.10:9; Acts 8:37; Matt. 10:32).
14. Yes, man is saved by calling on the name of the Lord-"...for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved..." (Romans 10:13; Acts 2:21).
15. Yes, man is saved by the washing of regeneration..-"...He saved us by the washing of regeneration..." (Titus 3:5).
16. Yes, man is saved by being born of the water and of the Spirit-"Unless a man is born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:3-5).
17. Yes, man is saved by being faithful unto death-"...Be thou faithful unto death and ye shall receive the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
18. Yes, man is saved by God-"...God our Savior; who would have all men to be saved..."(1 Timothy 2:3-4).
19. Yes, man is saved by Jesus Christ-"...He shall save His people from their sins..." (Matthew 1:21).
20. Yes, man is saved by the Holy Spirit through the agency of His word-"...chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth..."(2 Thess. 2:13-14).
21. Yes, man is saved by the blood of Jesus Christ-"...without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins..." "This is my blood... which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Hebrews 10:9; Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:9).

Having done only one thing, like faith only, will not save us from our sins. May we all see and understand that it takes all these for us to have forgiveness of sins.

Adapted from an article by Kenneth Thomas

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