THREE GREAT THREES

THREE GREAT THREES adapted from Walter Scott

      Almost 204 years ago Gospel Fires seemed to spring up all across the nation.  We believe the Lord was leading those who proclaimed a return to the Faith of the Jerusalem Church in the Book of Acts.  "Speaking the truth in love and unity" was their guiding light (Eph. 4:1-16).  They worked to call the believers in Christ into the Church as Christ gave it.  1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:14-22; Gal. 3:26-29

      Walter Scott was "The Evangelist," along with Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, and John Smith.  These four men were leaders in the effort to give form to their faith according to what Alexander Campbell called "The Ancient Order."  Many people joined in their crusade.

      The Gospel is Christ Jesus: His death and His resurrection.   He took our sins and  destroyed  them.  He is The Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (John 1:20-34; Hebrews 1:3).

      Walter Scott wrote:  “What then are baptism and the Lord's  Supper?    I answer that they are the crucifixion, or death, burial and resurrection of Christ repeating themselves in the life and faith of the disciples. These proclaim that He who was to come, did come.   In baptism and the Lord's Supper,  the disciples on their part declare that through faith in His Name they are before all men dead and buried to sin, and alive unto righteousness.”

      In baptism:

      1. We are buried and resurrected.  Col. 2:12

      2. We are planted and raised.  Romans 6:4-6

      3. We are begotten by the word, and born of water and

          the Spirit."  1 Peter 1:22-23; Titus 3:4-7

      "Thus baptism is made the focus of the relationship of our new life here and our eternal life hereafter; of our regeneration, remission, salvation, faith and hope, adoption, the gift of God's Spirit, citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, and of all that it means to be a Christian."

      Alexander Campbell stressed that "Facts are stubborn things."  Facts cannot be explained away.  Scott used the facts of the Gospel to preach Christ Jesus.  The great love of God stands out in these Facts we read about Jesus Christ.

      1. Three great facts to believe:

      a. His death.  Hebrews 9:11-17  “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”  Heb 9:11-12 (NKJV)

      b. His burial.  Matt. 27:57-61  “When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.”  Matt 27:59-61 (NKJV)

      c. His resurrection.  Mark 16:1-l6; Phil. 3:8-11   “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”  Phil 3:10-11 (NKJV)

      2. Three commands to be obeyed.

      a. Faith.  Acts 10:38-43  “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.  To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." Acts 10:42-43 (NKJV)

      b. Repentance.  Luke 24:45-47  “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:45-47 (NKJV)

      c. Baptism.  Romans 6:3-7  “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”  Romans 6:3-4 (NKJV)

      3. Three promises to be received.

      a. Forgiveness of sins.  1 Cor. 6:11  “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”  1 Cor 6:11 (NKJV)

      b. The Holy Spirit as a gift. Acts 2:38; 5:32; 11:16-17

          “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  Luke 11:13 (NKJV)

      c. Eternal life.  1 Cor. 15:20-23; 1 John 5:11-13  “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”  1 John 5:11-12 (NKJV)