THE ORDER IS IMPORTANT

by Darwin Hunter

When a lady picks up a recipe, and begins to follow it to make a cake, a certain order is given. Is it Important to follow the order? Certain ingredients of

specific measure are supposed to be mixed together, others are folded in later, until at last all of the mixture is put in a greased pan, arid cooked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. What if the order is not followed, or is confused? An empty pan in the oven will not produce a cake. Trying to put the baking powder in after the baking will not work. The order is Important. The steps must be followed.

The order is important in salvation, too. Jesus said that one must believe and then be baptized in order to be saved (Mark 16:16). Many confuse the Order and try to baptize first. They baptize unbelieving infants, a practice not found anywhere in the Bible, and then later have to teach them to believe. This is backwards and unbiblical. In another place, Jesus teaches us how men come to Him He said, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God‘ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6:45). They must hear before they can come. He did not tell his disciples to go forth and baptize and later inform them by teaching as to why had been baptized. He instructed them that the first step was to “go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). The second step in saving men was to baptize those who had believed the message “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” The order is important.

In morals, the order is important, too. Recently, it was prominently reported in the news that Hollywood stars, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, are expecting a child. They had only a few weeks prior to this report announced that they planned to marry sometime in the future. This confused order of pregnancy FIRST and marriage SECOND, is nothing new in Hollywood. It has been going on a long time without any shame among those who freely engage in their alleged “sexual freedom”. The unmarried, according to God, are not free to engage in sexual relations (1 Corinthians 6:13-20). The Scriptures warn us that those who commit fornication shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). What is in vogue in Hollywood is not the law of Heaven! The wedding certificate should come before the birth certificate! That is God’s order of things. Sexual relations belong properly in marriage (1 Corinthians 7:1-5), and those who ignore God’s will on this matter will be severely judged (Hebrews 13:4: Revelation 21:8). The order is important, even if the world ridicules it or ignores it!

God has given us the proper order of things. His way is the only way which saves. In order to live happy, honorable lives we must follow His order—His plan. Doing things our own way results in spiritual death (Proverbs 14:12).