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Those Three Little Words We Need to Hear
by Alan Allegra Three's a crowd; The Three Stooges; Three Blind Mice; Three on a match; Three strikes; Third time's a charm; Trilogies; Triple Crown; Three points in a sermon. What do all these items have in common? There is something about the number three. Perhaps it's because God is a trinity that three is a special number. It is said that "good things come in threes." Lovers love to hear those three little words: "I was wrong." Well, more like, "I love you." Three little words can be very powerful. There are three powerful sets of three words in the Bible that say, "I love you" and show that "good things come in threes." Genesis 1:1 begins with, "In the beginning . . .." That phrase takes us back in time as far as we can go. It is not merely the beginning of the Bible -- It's the beginning of everything, including time itself. "In the beginning" sets the stage for the pursuit of origins. If we want to find out how everything came to be, the "Theory of Everything," the moment existence came into existence, we must trace things back to their origins. What came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer can be found within "In the beginning." A second set of three powerful words closely follows "In the beginning." Genesis 1:3 begins with, "Then God said . . .." These three significant, powerful words are repeated eight times in the first chapter of Genesis (for a total of 9, or 3 x 3, times). Those nine statements are woven into the Creation narrative that answers all the "Which came first?" questions. Those three simple words, "Then God said," contain all the power, order, purpose, and color of the universe. The words of God are powerful. God needed no help to create all that is; indeed, there was no one to help Him! He just spoke and nothing became everything. "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded" (Isaiah 45:12). God created everything and called it "good." The original Creation was perfect -- until the day man rebelled against his Creator and sinned (Genesis 3). The rest, as they say and we read every day, is history. One can deny the story of Creation despite the evidence but no one can deny the sin and consequences that result in world chaos. People are looking for a savior in politicians, psychologists, popes, professors, psychics, economists, environmentalists, educators, etc., yet nothing has been found to save the world and sooth the soul. About 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ spoke three words that have the power of God to recreate and save the soul. In Mark 1:15, Jesus said, "Believe the gospel." Those three words encompass Christ's mission on earth and the hope of mankind. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). God's Word had the power to create; it also has the power to recreate. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Good things come in threes -- John 3:16 is the good news of God's "I love you": "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Alan is editor of Lifestyles Over 50 (Thrive Media) and contributor to the Allentown, PA, Morning Call. He is also an adult Sunday school teacher and Bible study leader. Passionate about reviving theology and church methodology, and being a senior citizen! Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |