“ A VISION OF THE TRINITY OF GOD -THE GODHEAD OF THE FATHER, JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT (Isaiah 6: 1- 6,13)
Monday Sermon for LJUSC, May 7, 2012
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The traditional view of God that has been held by Christians for the last 2,000 years is that God exists as three persons, Father, the Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit, it is not that there are three separate Gods, nor that He is one God wearing three different hats (traditionally called Modalism) - but that there is only one God who exists as three distinct Persons. This view has its roots in the Old and New Testament in the Holy Bible .
It is not surprising that this view of God is confusing to many! Not three incomprehensibles ... but... one incomprehensible."The whole thing incomprehensible!" Actually, the word "incomprehensible" in this creed does not mean that they cannot be understood at all, but rather that they cannot be grasped by mere unaided human intelligence which is beyond our understanding and they cannot be pinned down by mere mortals.
STARTING POINTS
The purpose of this sermon is to make some sense of this view of God. In doing so there are two important points that should be made at the beginning, as these will have considerably bearing on how we approach the problem.
First, this is not a mere philosophical question - not if we are talking about a God who really is there. The answers we come up with will severely impact our lives - how we relate to God, our view of ourselves, our values, our convictions about the meaning and purpose of life, our understanding of death - unless, of course, you simply choose to ignore this God and go your own way. For this reason you may find it a useful exercise to pray and ask him to guide you in your search for the truth. That is, if you can do it honestly!
Second, if this God really exists He must be a little bigger, a little more intelligent, a little more powerful, and probably a lot more good, than we are! After all, He is responsible for this universe. This means that if we are to know anything at all about this God, it will only be as He chooses to make Himself known to us. Now that is perfectly logical. Nothing could be more so. After all, He lives in dimensions that we have never experienced. And if it is true that He wants us to have some understanding of Him, and longs to have a loving relationship with us, then it is logical that He will make Himself known to us, at least if we are willing that He should do so.
Now Christians have always believed that this is what God has actually done. He has spoken through people to whom He chose to reveal himself in past ages, and finally He has spoken most clearly by entering this world himself in the person of Jesus. He has seen to it that we have the record of these revelations in the writings we call the Bible. The Bible itself puts it this way: "Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke His message to our ancestors. But now at last God sent his Son to bring His message to us. God created the universe by His Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son. God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way" (Hebrews 1:1-3). Not only has He revealed himself through Jesus, and the records we have of Jesus in the Bible, but He is also willing to reveal Himself to us personally if we really want to know Him.
Christians also believe that God has revealed all we need to know about Himself. His purpose in so doing is that we might develop the kind of relationship with him that will enable us to live the sort of productive and satisfying lives He desires for us. There is much we will never know. At least not in this life. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever... " (Deuteronomy 29:29). If we did understand all about God He would not be God. Augustine of Hippo, in the fourth century, wrote 15 volumes on the Trinity, making some of the most profound statements ever made on the subject. However, I am sure He would have been among the first to admit He was barely scratching the surface. God has given us minds, however. If we are willing to use them to explore those things He wants us to know about Himself and He will reveal those things we need.
VISION OF THE TRINITY OF GOD BY THE PROPHET ISAIAH
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Vision of Isaiah is an exciting and well-known passage of Scripture in Isaiah 6:1-6. But always seem to have missed something important that I have only noticed this time, despite reading both Isaiah and John many times if we notice that right in the middle of John, there is an explanation of what it was that Isaiah saw.
The temple was built at the command of God, and was for his worship, in the way that he commanded. The priests had a special role in leading the worship and the burning of incense, but the King, Uzziah, thought that he should do this job. He went into the part of the temple that only the priests could go and started burning incense, despite not being a priest. Because he had defiled the holiness of the temple he became ill with leprosy, and died of this disease. The king wanted to get a glimpse of God in his glory, and thought that because he was king and important that God would come to him. But He didn’t.
Isaiah, on the other hand, did not think that he was important at all, he did not try to take over the leading of the worship when he had no right to do this. However God chose to appear to him. This was in the very same year that Uzziah had died of his leprosy.
Isaiah saw the glory, the splendour, the majesty and the holiness of God. His glory filled the whole temple. He was on a throne, showing that he was the real, the ultimate king, the one with supreme power over everything. The doors and the walls were shaking, the whole Temple was filled with smoke, probably the same smoke that was described in the first five books of the Bible that protected people from seeing the whole glory of God, because they would not be able to take it in. It showed that God is holy, that He is righteous, that He is powerful, that He rules the whole universe, that He is different from us, not on the same level at all, but far above.
It was so wonderful that Isaiah was not really able to describe what it exactly looked like. He was able to describe in more detail some holy creatures that he also saw, like angels, called Seraphim, who were flying and hovering around Him, worshipping Him. Even for them, the holiness and glory of God They shouted out to each other “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory”. This glory of God, they said, filled the whole earth. In other words, it is always present, everywhere, but we just don’t see it. Isaiah was given the privilege of being able to see it.
We might think that Isaiah would be excited, would be jumping up and down with joy, or be proud to have seen this. But this was not His reaction. When he saw the holiness and the righteousness of God, he saw his own imperfections and failings, and those of his people. He cried out in terror and sorrow for his sin. Verse 5 gives his reaction. Have you ever washed something, thought you had it clean, but then when you compared it against something new and white, or the sunlight shined on it, you saw that it was still grubby? That is what happens when we come face-to-face with the glory of God, compared with His righteousness and holiness, we see how unrighteous and unholy we are.
John 21 provides us with an explanation of what it was that Isaiah saw in that Temple.
In John 21 Jesus starts talking of Himself being glorified. He prays to His Father, God, to glorify His name. The Father replied from heaven that he would do so as he had done in the past. In verse 41 John then goes on to say that the glory that Jesus was talking about the glory that Isaiah had seen in the temple some six hundred years before. None other than the glory of Christ. Christ was present in that Temple, He was a full part of what Isaiah saw in His vision. We sometimes think that Jesus is not in the Old Testament. But that is not what Jesus Himself taught, or the early Christians believed. Jesus taught that the Old Testament was a book about Him, and the first Christians saw references to Him everywhere. The prophets spoke and prophesied about Him, the law that God gave to Moses in the wilderness was to find its fulfilment in Him, the rising up of David to be king was to provide a human dynasty for Him to be born into.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was in that Temple, part of the vision of the Lord that Isaiah saw. Isaiah received his mission at that time. We are told in other places that Isaiah and the other prophets spoke the words that were given them by the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit was also present there. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, all working together. Many people think that is why the Seraphim did not just shout out “Holy!” but the triple “Holy, holy, holy!”
When we remember the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. There is only one God, but He exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are three, but they are one at the same time. You cannot have one without the other two, or two of them without the other one. You cannot pick and choose which of the Trinity you worship. We are taught that in 1 John 2:20-24.
Might seem that John is only referring to the Father and the Son. But he mentions an anointing that enables us to receive them both. That anointing is none other than the Holy Spirit.
It is easy for us to try and look for the love of the Father, and ignore the Son, Jesus, who said that anyone who wanted to follow Him must take up a cross of pain and suffering, forgetting their own plans for life, their own desires, and come and follow him. We may want the moral teaching of Jesus, but forget the justice, the holiness of the Father. We might want the power, the excitement of the Holy Spirit, but not want to submit our wills to the Father and the Son. None of this works. To have any part of God, we must have the wholeness of the godhead.
THE MYSTERY OF THE GODHEAD
How does one reconcile the "One God" of the Old Testament with the three "Persons" of the New Testament Trinity? The Sh'ma of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 clearly emphasizes the singularity of God, which is also reconfirmed in the ten commandments (Exodus 20:3), etc. Yet the New Testament clearly proclaims a three-person Godhead (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 14-17, etc.).
How does one deal with the ostensible tensions between the Old and New Testament revelations of the ultimate mystery of the Godhead - The Trinity of God.
The doctrine of the trinity has been at the heart of much theological controversy. The routine objection is that the doctrine sacrifices monotheism to tritheism. But this objection thrives on misconceptions of divine personality in the image of disparate, individual, human selves.
Rationalistic apologetics, promotive of trinitarianism on speculative rather than revelational grounds, regrettably encourages these misunderstandings.
Many of us also resort to convenient models to skirt these problems, and these, too, mislead rather than clarify. Favorites include three tones blending into one chord; a single ray of light of three primary colors; or water in the forms of ice, liquid, or steam. But each of these are, at best, clumsy illustrations, inadequate to communicate aspects of an infinite God to our finite mind.
How should we deal with this challenging issue? By confining ourselves to what God, in His sovereignty, has revealed to us of Himself in His Word only.
THE TRINITY OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
There is no absurdity involved when it is contended that plurality can (and does) coexist with unity (i.e., as in Genesis 2:24: Adam + Eve become "One Flesh"; 1 + 1 = 1).
We discover that, from the first verse of Genesis, Elohim is a plural noun used with singular verbs. This plurality even shows up in our English translations in Genesis 1:26, 3:22, and 11: 7.
If we examine the text in Ecclesiastes 12:1, we note that the source text is also in the plural:
Remember now thy Creator(s) in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Also, Isaiah 54:5:
For thy Maker(s) [is] thine husband; the Lord of hosts [is] His name; and Thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
THE WORD OF GOD IN ISAIAH 6
In the famous vision of the throne of God in Isaiah 6, we have the scene in the holy place of the holy ones, celebrated by the seraphim who veiled their faces before them: Holy, Holy, Holy. (Note that there are three declarations. This is reconfirmed in the similar scene in Revelation 4:8.) In Isaiah 6:8 we again see the hint of the plural: Who shall go for us?
Who is the Lord of Hosts ? All sources acknowledge its applicability to the Father. Yet it is provocative to notice that John attributes this passage to Christ (John 12:41), and Paul attributes it to the Holy Spirit (Acts 28:25). Thus, all three persons are included.
JACOB’S BLESSING
In Genesis 48:15-16, we note Jacob's considered preamble to his blessing:
And he blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
The God before whom my fathers did walk, The God who fed me, and the Angel who redeemed me, are all mentioned as objects of divine worship and the source of blessing: God the Father, God the source of illumination and comfort, and the Goel, the Redeemer.
THE BENEDICTION
The famous Old Testament benediction, Numbers 6:24-27:
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: (The benevolent love of God, the Father of mercies and fountain of all good);
The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: (The redeeming and reconciling grace of our Lord Jesus Christ);
The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. (The purity, consolation, and joy received by the communion of the Holy Spirit. )
Compare this with the New Testament benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, [be] with you all. Amen.
PSALM 2
Carefully diagram Psalm 2 and you will discover that it is a trialogue among the three persons of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
THE INTERGRITY OF THE BOOK
It is amazing how many presumed difficulties begin to disappear when one discovers the integrity of the Bible: although composed of 66 books penned by 40 authors over thousands of years, it demonstrates an integrity of design--every detail, every place name, the subtleties of the text--all testify to its singular authorship.
The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed; The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.
The Bible reveals to us:
The invisible Father, from whom all revelations proceed; the Son, who mediates and objectively incarnates that revelation as a historical reality; and the Holy Spirit, who is divinely outpoured and subjectively applies that revelation to each of us.
The Trinity is the foundational doctrine of God in the Christian faith. Although the word itself was not used in Scripture, it can be shown that the Scripture teaches the essential truths which lead to the doctrine. In essence, the doctrine of the Trinity explains how the following apparently incompatible statements can be true:
1.There is only one God ( Rom 3:30, etc.)
2.The Father is God ( 1 Cor 8:6, etc.)
3.Jesus is God ( John 1:1, etc.)
4.The Holy Spirit is God ( 1 Cor 6:19, etc.)
5.Jesus is not the Father ( John 1:1, Luke 3:21-22, etc.)
6.Jesus is not the Spirit ( Luke 3:21-22, etc.)
7.The Father is not the Spirit ( Luke 3:21-22) )
The Trinity tells us that there are three Persons in one Divine Nature. The names Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are names of persons. God can serve as either a name for the Father or a name for the Divine Nature. Before delving into the relative meaning of Persons and Natures it will be useful to make it clear that these terms refer to distinctly different things.
I will attempt to clarify this with an analogy. My hand has five fingers, but all five fingers are parts of one hand (and the words finger and hand do not refer to the same kind of thing). It is appropriate, therefore, that I will arrive at a different number if I count fingers than hands. Likewise, Person and Nature are different things, and when I apply these words to God I find that there are three of the former and one of the later.
As useful as analogies can be to explain a concept, in all cases we find that analogies can only provide an accurate picture to a certain extent. Therefore it is useful to point out the places where they fail, and to provide a variety of them. We will then be able to proceed to an understanding by comparison and contrast. The analogy of fingers and hands breaks down in the following ways:
1.God is not composed of matter. Instead His Nature refers to the eternal perfections that He possesses: Love, Goodness, Power, etc.
2.God is not composed of parts. If God were composed of parts, then it would be necessary to have a cause for the arrangement of the parts, and something else would be fundamental.
3.There is only one Divine Nature. While there can be many hands, there can only be one Divine Nature.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
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o ONE GOD IS THE UNITY OF THREE PERSONS: FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT
• There is one God
• The one God is a unity of THREE persons - Father, Son, Holy Spirit
One God
There is ONE God. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! Deu 6.4
(God said...) Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me Deu 32.39a
Deuteronomy 6.4 proclaims that "the Lord is one."
In Deuteronomy 6.4, the word "one" translates the Hebrew word echad. Hear, O Israel --
The Lord our God, the Lord is one (echad)!
The Bible verses alongside make it clear that the Hebrew word echad can denote a UNITY of more than one person...
• Gen 2.24 states that husband and wife are one flesh in the UNITY of marriage.
• Gen 11.16 shows that many people can have a UNITY -- a oneness -- of language and purpose.
As stated previously, the trinity doctrine holds that the one God is a UNITY of three persons - Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one (echad) flesh. Gen 2.24; see also Mal 2.14-15
And the Lord said, "Indeed the people are one (echad) and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them." Gen 11.6
THREE PERSONS
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The Bible identifies three distinct persons who are known (respectively) as...
• the Father
• the Son
• the Holy Spirit
o “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. (Mt 28:19)
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The second of these three persons, the Son, is identified as being Jesus. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples,which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31)
Jesus is further identified as "the Word" made flesh. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
DISTINCT PERSONS OF THE TRINITY
The Bible makes it clear that Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons.
That is, "Father," "Son," and "Holy Spirit" are NOT just three different names for the same person.
There are many Bible verses that establish this fact. We will look at just two...
Luke (3:21-22) records that Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit were all three present at the same event, at one and the same time. The event was the Baptism of Jesus.
• Jesus was in the Jordan River, being baptized.
• The Holy Spirit was descending upon Jesus.
• The Father was speaking from Heaven.
This makes it clear that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons. Now when all the people were baptized, it came
to pass that Jesus (the Son) also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him and a voice (the Father) came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'' (Lk 3:21-22)
John 14.16-17 records Jesus' promise to pray to the Father.
•It would be irrational for Jesus to pray to Himself by a different name.
•Therefore, the Father and Jesus (the Son) are two distinct persons.
In John 14:16-17 further records Jesus' promise that He would ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is distinct from both the Father and Jesus. (Jesus said...) "And I (the Son) will pray the Father and He(the Father) will give you
another helper that He (the Holy Spirit) may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)
Three persons are designated as "Lord" and "God".
The Bible designates each of the three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) as being Lord and God.
THE FATHER IS DESIGNED AS LORD
At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.(Mt 11:25)
THE FATHER IS DESIGNED AS GOD
There is only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. (1 Cor. 8:6).
THE SON IS DESIGNATED AS LORD
That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 15:6).
THE SON IS DESIGNATE AS GOD
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
But to the Son He (the Father) says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom." (Heb 1:8)
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DESIGNATED AS LORD
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Cor 3:17)
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DESIGNATED AS GOD
But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.'' Acts (5:3-4)
THREE GODS?
The Bible says there is only ONE Lord God. Therefore, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are NOT three Gods.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! (Deu 6:4)
(God said...) Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me .(Deu 32:39a)
We have seen that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons. Not just names. PERSONS!
We have seen that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are EACH designated as Lord and God.
Yet the Bible clearly states there is only ONE God...
• Not three Gods.
• ONE God!
THREE PERSONS ARE ONE GOD ! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE
Some folks try to explain the three persons of God by using worldly comparisons, such as...
• the three states of water (solid, liquid, gas)
• the three dimensions of matter (length, width, depth)
HOWEVER, the verses alongside make it abundantly clear that any attempt to fully understand God's nature in purely worldly terms is an exercise in arrogant futility.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,'' says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
By His Spirit God adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand? (Job 26:13-14)
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:33-36)
The bottom line is... ONLY God can reveal God!
The good news is... God HAS revealed God!
In the person of Jesus, God was manifested in the flesh.
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• "Manifested" means "revealed."
• One of the reasons God became flesh was to reveal His nature to us.
• Jesus IS the revelation of God to humankind. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. (1 Tim 3:16)
In John 1.18 alongside, "declared" translates a form of the Greek word exegeomai. (Exegeomai is where we get our word "exegesis.")
•Exegeomai means -- to make known, to unfold in teaching, to reveal, to explain (per Vine's Expository Dictionary, Strong's Concordance, Thayer's Lexicon)
•As shown by John 1.18, the bottom line is this -- one of the main goals of Jesus is to REVEAL God's nature to us.
Ergo, if we want God's explanation of Who and What He is, we must look EXCLUSIVELY to Jesus. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son (Jesus), who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared (exegeomai) Him. (John 1.18)
LOOKING TO JESUS FOR ANSWERS ABOUT THE TRININTY –THE GODHEAD
John chapter 17 records a prayer of Jesus, who was on the earth, addressed to the Father in heaven. Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You". (John 17.1)
John 17.21 declares that the Father DWELLS in Jesus.
All of the Father was in heaven and, at one and the same time, all of the Father dwelled in Jesus who was on the earth, praying.(Jesus said...) You, Father, are in Me .(John 17.21b)
Isaiah 42.1 and John 3.34 state that the Holy Spirit dwells in Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is in Jesus -- not "by measure" but in totality and fulness.I (the Father) have put My Spirit (the Holy Spirit) upon Him (the Son);He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.(Isa2:1b)
For He (Jesus, the Son) whom God (the Father) has sent speaks the Word of God: for God does not give the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) by measure unto Him. (John 3:34)
Accordingly, Colossians 2.9 states that the fullness of God dwells in the Son, Jesus Christ.
In other words, ALL of God is present in Jesus. ALL! For in Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.( Col 2:9)
John 14:11 and John 17:21 state that Jesus dwells in the Father.
These verses show that Jesus dwells in the Father at one and the same time as the Father dwells in Jesus.(Jesus said...) Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me John 14:11a
(Jesus said...) You, Father, are in Me and I in You .(John 17:21b)
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THE PERFECT UNITY OF FATHER AND SON AND HOLY SPIRIT
o The Bible straightly asserts that the nature of Jesus declares the nature of God (John 1:18). No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son (Jesus), who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:18)
As we have shown, the Bible further states that the Son is indwelt by the Father and Holy Spirit
Since the nature of Jesus declares the nature of God...
• The Father is likewise indwelt by the Son and Holy Spirit
• The Holy Spirit is likewise indwelt by the Father and Son
The mutual indwelling of Father and Son and
Holy Spirit constitutes the oneness of perfect UNITY. Jesus said...
•I and My Father are one. (John 10:30)
•If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also John (14:7a)
•He who has seen Me has seen the Father John (14:9b )
SUMMATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
•Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons.
•Father, Son, and Holy Spirit indwell one another, thereby constituting a perfect unity.
•The one God is the perfect unity of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.
•None of these three persons is ever less than the perfect unity of all three persons.
•Therefore,each of the three persons - Father and Son and Holy Spirit - IS the one God.
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Mother Church, in her Divine Wisdom, tells us that there are Three Persons in the One True God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This truth is often called the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity
The idea that One God could be three Persons is not easy for a child, who lacks abstract reasoning abilities, to understand. Realizing this fact, religious instructors often dismiss young students' questions by saying "The Trinity is a mystery". Unfortunately, this gives the children the impression that one can know nothing about the inner nature of the Triune Godhead, and that the doctrine of the Trinity can neither be explained nor understood at all.
This is not so. A "mystery" is not something we can know nothing about; it is something which we know but can never entirely comprehend. Thus everything having to do with our Infinite Creator is a mystery, for the depths of God are ultimately incomprehensible. Yet we do know something about God, for God has revealed Himself to us. And one thing God has revealed is that there are Three Persons in the Godhead.
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This is not a contradiction. If Mother Church said "God is Three Persons - but really only one Person," or "There are three Gods - but really only One God," those would be contradictory statements. But she says that there are Three Persons in one God, meaning that the Three Persons share one and the same Divine Nature.
The words person and nature describe two different things. Person denotes who someone is, while nature denotes what one is. So if we ask "Who is God?", the answer is "God is Three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit". If we ask "What is God?" the answer is "God is One - a Single Divine Nature". If we put these two truths together we find that God is Three Divine Persons who share one Divine Nature.
Here's an example to help you understand: Let's say there are three men - John, James and Joe. Each one thinks, loves and decides for himself, yet they are joined in such a way that they all share the same soul. John can think with James' intellect, because it is also his own; James can love with Joe's will, because it is his will as well.
Now, if we ask John; "Are you a person?" he'd say "Yes, I am a person." James and Joe would say the same thing, for each is a distinct person from the other. Yet we can't say there are three distinct human beings, since they share one human nature among them by three distinct Persons.
Origin of the Doctrine
Some have tried to claim that Christians copied the Trinity from similar pagan concepts. This is not the case, however. The accompanying article
(Gal 1:1), Jesus Christ His Son 1:1; 20:28) and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5: Since God cannot lie or seeming contradiction is easily reconciled by the belief that the Father, Jesus and the Holy
Christians also believe that God is Triune based on the biblical revelation that God is Love (I John 4:8, 16). Love cannot exist all alone; it is by very nature directed toward another. We love MEDIEVAL ERROR
Probably the most widely held Christian view of God is known as the “trinity.” This popular belief teaches that the Godhead consists of three distinct persons who have existed together from eternity past and are named the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. Each one possesses original, underived, and unborrowed life. They are all equally God and are one in nature, character, and purpose. They are not three “gods,” but one God in a combination of the three distinct persons.
Some have implicated trinitarianism as heresy because they claim the wayward medieval Church was the culprit to first introduce it. In fact, to distance themselves from the Catholic version of the trinity, many Protestant leaders from the 19th century preferred the more biblical term “Godhead” when referring to the triune God.
However, just because an apostate Church believes in the trinity, or any other doctrine for that matter, does not automatically make it unbiblical. The converse is also true. A position is not accurate just because some of the early Church leaders advocated it. Even the Apostles misunderstood the nature of Jesus’ first coming. Doctrinal validity must be based on biblical authority and not upon whom advocates it or rejects it.
The Old Testament was written long before the existence of the Christian Church, apostate or true and it teaches there are three persons in the Godhead. In Isaiah, the Redeemer, which is Jesus Christ in the New Testament (Galatians 4:4-5), declares the “Lord God and His Spirit” are responsible for sending Him on His mission of redemption (Isaiah 48:16-17 NKJV).
Some think that because the word “trinity” (derived from the Latin word trinitas, meaning “threeness”) is not found in the Bible, the concept of a triune God cannot be right. However, even though the word “millennium,” meaning one thousand years, does not appear in Revelation 20, we use it to describe earth’s 1,000 year rest after Jesus’ return. A teaching is not any less true simply because an extra-biblical word is used to define what is clearly a biblical teaching. This goes for the trinity, the rapture, second coming, investigative judgment and a host of other concise terms for doctrines.
ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS
The names of God reveal attributes of His nature. God has a long-established habit of using various names to describe a person’s character. Jacob earned his name that means “swindler” when he practiced deception to steal his father’s blessing away from his brother Esau (Genesis 27:35-36). At his conversion, Jacob wrestled with the angel and insisted on the blessing of God. Then his name was changed to “Israel,” which means “a prince with God.” (Genesis 32:26–28).
Likewise, the names for God found in Genesis and elsewhere tell us volumes about our Creator. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26). The Hebrew word here for God is Elohim. It is a plural noun that is used more than 2,700 times in the Old Testament. This means that inspired authors preferred to use Elohim about 10 times more than the singular form “El” when they described God. Even in the Old Testament book of Daniel, we see a picture of the Father and the Son as two separate persons. “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.” Daniel 7:13. The Son of man, Jesus, is seen coming before the Ancient of Days; who is, obviously, God the Father.
The New Testament writings are sprinkled with this concept of one God with three united, fully divine persons. The apostle Paul wrote that there were three divine persons: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4–6.
Paul frequently referred to the three separate persons of the Godhead. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14) “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14)
Revelation opens by introducing the three persons of the Godhead. “From the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.”(Revelation 1:4–6 NKJV)
In addition, we clearly see three distinct persons at the baptism of Jesus. “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt 3:16-17)
If Jesus is the only person in the Godhead, where did the voice come from that declared, “This is my beloved Son.” Did He trisect Himself into a voice from heaven, the dove wafting down through the sky and His body on the bank of the river? No. This was not simply a clever act of holy smoke and mirrors, but rather a regal reunion revealing the truth of the trinity. And on top of this, it is through the shared authority of these three persons that we are commissioned to baptize. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Matthew 28:19)
UNITY OR QUANTITY
Most of the confusion regarding the number of beings composing the Godhead springs from a simple misunderstanding of the word “one.” Simply put, “one” in the Bible does not always mean numerical quantity. Depending on the Scripture, “one” can often mean unity.
We see this principle established very early in Scripture. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24). “One flesh” here does not mean that a married couple melt into one human after their wedding, but rather they are to be united into one family. Jesus prayed that the apostles would be one, saying, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one.” (John 17:22-23)
We need to keep in mind that when Moses said, “The Lord is one,” Israel was surrounded with polytheistic nations that worshiped many gods that were constantly involved in petty bickering and rivalry (Deuteronomy 6:4), whereas the God who created is composed of three separate beings who are perfectly united in their mission of saving and sustaining their creatures. As the Spirit is executing the will of both the Father and Son, it is His will also.
“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (1 John 5:7). Granted, it is a brain exercise to grasp that one God (“He”) is also and equally, “They.” Like one rope with three united strands, the three persons of the Father, Son and Spirit make up the one God.
GOD MANIFESTED IN NATURE
Though there is nothing in this world that adequately illustrates God, Paul declares the “invisible things of him from the creation of the world” can help us understand “his eternal power and Godhead.” (Romans 1:20). The truth that God is a “tri-unity” of two invisible persons (Father and Spirit) and one visible person (Jesus) is evident even in creation.
The universe is composed of three structures: space, matter and time. Of these three, only matter is visible. Space requires length, height and width to constitute space. Each dimension is separate and distinct in itself, yet the three form space; if you remove height, you no longer have space. Time is also a tri-unity of past, present and future. Two are invisible (past and future) and one visible (present). Each is separate and distinct, as well as essential for time to exist. Man is also a “tri-unity,” having physical, mental and spiritual components. Again, two are invisible (mental and spiritual) and one visible (physical). Cells compose the fundamental structural unit of all living organisms. All organic life is made up from cells that consist of three primary parts: the outer wall, the cytoplasm and the nucleus (like the shell, white and yoke of an egg). If any one is removed, the cell dies.
In each of these examples, the removal of any one component results in the demise of the whole. In like manner, the Godhead contains three distinct persons: Father, Son(Lord Jesus) and Holy Spirit. Each is God (Ephesians 4:6; Titus 2:13; Acts 5:3-4), yet there is one God. The removal of one person destroys the unity of the whole.
Even the gospel story illustrates the interdependency of threes. The sanctuary had three places: the Courtyard, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. There are three stages of salvation: justification, sanctification, and glorification. In Isaiah 6:3, the angels around God’s throne cry “Holy, Holy, Holy” three times; once for the Father, once for the Son and once for the Holy Spirit which was the vision seen by the Prophet Isaiah.
THE SOURCE OF MISUNDERSTANDING
Almost all of the Scriptures used by those who reject the trinity to portray Jesus as a “lesser god” spring from a basic failure to understand the resurection. Jesus, God the Son, laid aside or veiled the full dimension of His divinity when He came to earth. How else could He live as God among men.
“God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3)
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)
We also clearly see that before and after His resurrection, Jesus beams again with undimmed divine glory. “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5) “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” (Hebrews 2:9)
If God the Son had not veiled His glory when He came to earth, man could not have endured His brilliant presence, much less learned from His example.
WHO OUTRANKS WHOM
Let us now venture a little deeper onto sacred ground. As we consider the mysteries of the Trinity – the Godhead, we notice that there seems to be an order of authority concerning the three persons in the trinity. Keep in mind that while all three are the same in properties and attributes and equal in power and glory, it appears that the Father is recognized as the ultimate authority. “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” (1 Corinthians 3:23). “But I would have you know, that … the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3). The Son constantly receives His glory, power, throne and prerogatives as Judge from the Father (John 3:35; John 5:22). Indeed, it was God the Father that “gave” the Son. In fact, while it might not be wrong, we are never told to pray to Jesus or the Spirit, but instead to the Father in the name of the Son. Yet just because the Father seems to have supreme authority, it does not in any way diminish from the divinity of Jesus and the Spirit. That would be like saying that a corporal is less of a soldier than a sergeant.
Among the three members of the Godhead, we do not see a clamoring for pre-eminence, vying for recognition, or reveling in power. Instead, the exact opposite is true. In fact, the Father, Son and Spirit always seem to be trying to out give and glorify each other. The Father wants to glorify the Son. The Son lives to glorify the Father and the Spirit lives to glorify the Father and Son (John 17:1, 5; John 16:14; John 13:31-32).
A FRIEND OR FORCE
It would be a mistake to leave this sublime subject without addressing an additional distortion to the teaching of the trinity. Another class of sincere Christians believes that while the Father and Son are truly distinct persons, they only see the Holy Spirit as a cosmic force or essence; an impersonal power conduit or vehicle to do the bidding of the Father and Son.
We can appreciate why the Holy Spirit seems to be the hardest member of the Godhead to visualize and define. Sometimes He is called the Holy Ghost, which leaves people with a “spooky” image. The Scriptures compare Him to everything from wind and fire, to a dove, water and even a defense attorney!
But as we consider the various features of the Holy Spirit, we can quickly see He has all the credentials of a separate and distinct, intelligent, individual being.
The Holy Spirit leads and guides. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13) NKJV. It’s true that a map or GPS can lead you, but no one calls a map “he.” It would have been very easy for Jesus to simply say, “When it comes,” but Jesus called the Holy Spirit “He” more than 15 times. Why would God go to so much trouble to personify His own inherent power to the extent that it possessed emotions, thoughts and speech independent of Himself.
The Holy Spirit also comforts. “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.” (John 14:16). I have never seen a lonely child run to a vacuum cleaner for an embrace; only intelligent beings can offer comfort. Jesus promised before His ascension that He was sending another helper; that signifies a multi-sided personal ministry as counselor, consoler advocate, helper, comforter, ally and supporter (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15). These are all traits that usually belong to a person or friend. If the Holy Spirit is merely God’s active force, then John 16:7-8 is nonsense: “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has comes, He will convict the world.” It is obvious from this text that the Holy Spirit would be more personally present after Jesus ascended. If the Holy Spirit is mere energy, there is simply no explanation or logic to why He would not come unless Jesus left.
The Holy Spirit can even be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). Cars have many unique characteristics and idiosyncrasies. At times, they might even seem to have a “personality.” But motor vehicles cannot be grieved. Nor can they speak, as the Holy Spirit does. “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot’.”(Acts 8:29). Computer programs exist that can reproduce speech, but they cannot create inspired thought. The Holy Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
We also read in Revelation 1:4, 5, a prayer for grace and peace from the Father, the Spirit and Jesus Christ. We must ask, would John have put the Spirit between the Father and the Son if he had not regarded the Spirit as a divine intelligence in the same sense as they are.
If the Holy Spirit is simply some divine force, then why is it even more offensive to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and even more fatal, than speaking against the Son “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31-32 NKJV). By definition, blasphemy is “a contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing against God.” By this simple deduction, the Holy Spirit must be God! This is also why Peter said that to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God (Acts 5:3-4).
The Holy Spirit can be a witness (Hebrews 10:15). In any court of the world, only living beings can be called witnesses. Finally, the Holy Spirit is said to have His own mind (Romans 8:27).
We can clearly see the Holy Spirit is not simply a force, but the third divine person of the Godhead. Though a spirit, He has all the characteristics of a person and individual. The Spirit is plainly portrayed as a being who speaks, teaches, guides, makes choices, witnesses, comforts and can be grieved. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV)
LOVE AT CALVARY
The truth of the triune God can also be found in the gospel itself. In essence, when we consider John, we read that God the Father so loved the world that He sent God the Son that we might be born of God the Spirit (John 3:8, 13, 16-17).
But it is especially on Golgotha’s hill that the doctrine of the trinity explodes with meaning and becomes more than denominational jousting. Before earth’s creation, the triune God discussed the potential of man’s rebellion and fall. Through the lens of divine foreknowledge, He saw the terror that sin’s rape of the world would cause. And there, before man was formed, it was decided that Jesus would leave the throne of heaven and become humanity’s substitute. Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:19-20).
If Jesus was merely a created super being, then His death for man’s redemption is no better than an angel dying for us. If Christ is not deity itself, then any angel or sinless created being could have served the purpose. This would have virtually sustained Satan’s charge that God is selfish by demonstrating that He is only willing to sacrifice His creation and not Himself.
A TEARING AT THE TRINITY –THE GODHEAD
Another point to consider is that sin causes separation from the Creator (Isaiah 59:2). The iniquities of the human race were placed upon the Son of God (Isaiah 53:6). When Jesus hung on the cross, suffering for our sins, every fibre of His being was torn as the eternal relationship with His Father and Spirit was ripped apart. In agony He cried out, “My God [for the Father], my God [for the Spirit], why hast thou forsaken me.”(Matthew 27:46). If there had been only one person in the Godhead, there would not have been this excruciating pain of separation to wring the life out of the heart of Jesus.
The real risk in the redemption plan, besides the loss of man, was the break-up of the Godhead. Had Jesus sinned, He would have been working at cross purposes with the Spirit and His Father. Omnipotent good would have been pitted against omnipotent evil. What would have happened to the rest of creation whom would the unfallen universe see as right One sin could have sent the Godhead and the universe spinning into cosmic chaos; the proportions of this disaster are staggering. Yet the Godhead was still willing to take this fragmenting risk for the salvation of man. This reveals the depth of God’s amazing love.
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have come to the conclusion of the Sermon of the Truth of the Trinity of God – The Fullness Unity of Godhead of the three different persons to enable us to understand the mystery of this Triune of God who is our one God through the definite scriptures in the Old and New Testament.
It would however be pompous and preposterous to pretend that we understand everything about God. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and His ways past finding out!”(Romans 11:33). If we could completely unpack Him like cracking some genetic code, He would cease to be God.
Nevertheless, there is much about God that is revealed for our blessing. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.” (Deuteronomy 29:29). What is revealed is that this sermon and teaching of the trinity must be important to God. The ministry of Jesus both begins and ends with an emphasis on the three persons in the Godhead. The Father, Son and Spirit are present at Jesus’ baptism and when He ascends to heaven. Jesus commanded His followers to baptize in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The testimony of Scripture indicates that the Godhead can neither be separated into three Gods nor merged into one person. This three-in-one not only created us, but they love us and devised an amazing plan to save a lost world from sin to restore us to His presence in paradise.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”(2 Corinthians 13:14)
THE CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SCRIPTURES FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE TRINITY – THE GODHEAD
THE This is also an Second Person of the Trinity is the Persona
"...in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Matthew 28:19
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I. The doctrine of the Trinity (or, Godhead) was attacked by cults (such as the Watchtower Society, or Jehovah's Witnesses) so that they can also deny the deity of Jesus which is one of the
most basic fundamentals of Christianity.
1. Although the word "trinity" is not in the Bible, the concept of the three-in-one, the triune
God, is the term "Godhead," referring to the three-in-one, can be found in Acts 17:29
and Colossians 2:9. (Many other words or concepts "not in the Bible" are scriptural
nonetheless: i.e., Theology, Bible, Rapture.)
2. The doctrine of the Godhead can be summed up in the literal Hebrew translation of one verse.
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our Gods (plural) is Jehovah a unity."
II. The concept of the Godhead (Trinity) is evident in scripture as early as the first chapter of the
book of Genesis.
1. The Hebrew word Elohim (translated "God" in Genesis 1:1) actually indicates more than
one divine personality. This same plural form is used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament.
2. In the account of creation recorded in the book of Genesis God speaks plurally of His
own Person.
Genesis 1:26, 27 (See also Genesis 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:3, 8.) "Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness ... So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him."
III. Even the Old Testament makes definite reference both to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
1.Proverbs 30:4
2.Isaiah 11:2 "... the Spirit ... the Lord ... Him"
3.Isaiah 42:1 "My Servant ... I ... My Spirit ... upon Him"
4.Isaiah 48:16 "The Lord God ... His Spirit ... sent Me"
5.Isaiah 61:1 "Spirit of the Lord God ... upon Me ... the Lord"
6.Isaiah 63:9 "He ...the Angel of His Presence ... His Holy Spirit"
7.Ezekiel 36:26, 27
IV. Close examination of the following New Testament scriptures will make obvious to anyone
who wants to see the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity of God – The Godhead.
1.Matthew 1:20, 21 "the Lord (the Father) ... the Holy Spirit ... Jesus"
2.Matthew 3:16, 17 "Jesus ... the Spirit of God ... a Voice from heaven (the Father)"
3.Matthew 12:18 "I ... My Spirit ... on Him"
4.Matthew 22:42, 43 "Christ ... the Spirit ... Lord (the Father)"
5.Mark 1:9-11 "Jesus ... the Spirit ... a Voice from heaven ... My beloved Son"
6.Mark 12:35, 36 "Christ ... the Holy Spirit ... the Lord (the Father)"
7.Luke 1:35 "the Holy Spirit ... the Highest ... the Son of God"
8.Luke 2:26, 27 "the Holy Spirit ... Christ ... Jesus"
9.Luke 3:21, 22 "Jesus ... the Holy Spirit ... a Voice from heaven ... My beloved Son"
10.Luke 10:21 "Jesus ... the Spirit ... Father"
11.Luke 12:9, 10 "God ... the Son ... the Holy Spirit"
12.John 3:5 "Jesus ... the Spirit ... God"
13.John 3:34, 35 "God ... the Spirit ... the Father ... the Son"
14.John 4:24, 25 "God ... a Spirit ... Messiah ... Christ"
15.John 14:16, 17, 26 "the Comforter ... the Father ... in My name"
16.John 15:26 "the Comforter ... the Father ... of Me"
17.John 20:21, 22 "Jesus ... Father ... the Holy Spirit"
18.Acts 2:32, 33 "Jesus ... God ... the Father ... the Holy Spirit"
19.Acts 2:38, 39 "Jesus Christ ... the Holy Spirit ... God"
20.Acts 4:30, 31 "Jesus ... the Holy Spirit ... God"
21.Acts 5:31, 32 "God ... a Prince and Savior ... the Holy Spirit"
22.Acts 7:55 "the Holy Spirit ... Jesus ... God"
23.Acts 8:14-16 "God ... the Holy Spirit ... Jesus"
24.Acts 10:38 "God ... Jesus ... the Holy Spirit"
25.Acts 10:46-48 "God ... the Holy Spirit ... the Lord"
26.Acts 11:16, 17 "the Lord ... the Holy Spirit ... God ... the Lord Jesus Christ"
27.Acts 20:21-23 "God ... Jesus ... the Holy Spirit"
28.Romans 1:1, 3, 4 "God ... His Son, Jesus Christ ... the Spirit"
29.Romans 5:5, 6 "God ... the Holy Spirit ... Christ"
30.Romans 8:2, 3 "the Spirit ... Jesus ... God ... His own Son"
31.Romans 8:8, 9 "God ... the Spirit ... the Spirit of Christ"
32.Romans 8:16, 17 "the Spirit ... God ... Christ"
33.Romans 14:17, 18 "the Holy Spirit ... Christ ... God"
34.Romans 15:12, 13 "Root of Jesse (Jesus) ... God ... Holy Spirit"
35.Romans 15:16 "Jesus ... God ... the Holy Spirit"
36.Romans 15:30 "The Lord Jesus Christ ... the Spirit ... God"
37.1 Corinthians 6:10, 11 "God ... the Lord Jesus ... the Spirit"
38.1 Corinthians 12:4-6 "Spirit ... Lord ... God"
39.1 Corinthians 7:39, 40 "the Lord Jesus ... the Spirit ... God"
40.1 Corinthians 8:2 "the Lord Jesus ... the Spirit ... God"
41.2 Corinthians 3:3, 4 "the Spirit ... Christ ... God"
42.2 Corinthians 13:14 "Jesus ... God ... the Holy Spirit"
43.2 Corinthians 5:5, 6 "God ... the Spirit ... the Lord (Jesus)"
44.Galatians 4:6, 7 "God ... the Spirit ... Son ... Father ... God ... Christ"
45.Ephesians 2:18 "through Him (Jesus) ... Spirit ... the Father"
46.Ephesians 2:21, 22 "the Lord ... God ... the Spirit"
47.Ephesians 3:14, 16 "the Father ... Jesus Christ ... His Spirit"
48.Ephesians 4:4-6 "Spirit ... Lord (Jesus) ... God and Father"
49.Ephesians 5:18-20 "Spirit ... Lord (Jesus) ... God ... Father"
50.Colossians 1:6-8 "God ... Christ ... Spirit"
51.1 Thessalonians 4:6-8 "Lord (Jesus) ... God ... Holy Spirit"
52.1 Thessalonians 5:18, 19 "God ... Father ... Christ ... Jesus ... Spirit"
53.2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14 "God ... Lord ... God ... Spirit ... Lord Jesus Christ"
54.Titus 3:4-6 "God ... Holy Spirit ... Jesus Christ"
55.Hebrews 2:3, 4 "Lord (Jesus) ... God ... Holy Spirit"
56.Hebrews 3:4, 6, 7 "God ... Christ ... Holy Spirit"
57.Hebrews 6:4-6 "Holy Spirit ... God ... Son"
58.Hebrews 9:14 "Christ ... Spirit ... God"
59.Hebrews 10:29-31 "Son of God ... Spirit ... Lord ... God"
60.1 Peter 1:2 "God the Father ... Spirit ... Jesus Christ"
61.1 Peter 3:18 "Christ ... God ... Spirit"
62.1 Peter 4:14 "Christ ... Spirit ... God"
63.2 Peter 1:21 "God ... Holy Spirit ... Lord (Jesus)"
64.2 Peter 2:1 "God ... Holy Spirit ... Lord (Jesus)"
65.1 John 4:2 "Spirit ... Jesus ... God"
66.1 John 4:13, 14 "Spirit ... Father ... Son ... Savior"
67.1 John 5:7 "Father ... Word ... Holy Spirit"
68.Jude 20, 21 "the Holy Spirit ... God ... Lord ... Jesus Christ"
69.Revelation 1:9, 10 "Jesus Christ ... God ... Jesus Christ ... Spirit"
70.Revelation 3:5-7 "Father ... Spirit ... He that hath the key of David (Jesus)"
71.Revelation 14:12, 13 "God ... Jesus ... Lord ... Spirit"
72.Revelation 21:9, 10 "Lamb ... Spirit ... God"
73.Revelation 22:16-18 "the offspring of David (Jesus) ... Spirit ... God"
V. Even though there are three individual Persons in the Godhead, there is still only one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19
The Attributes of God As Evident in Each Person of the Godhead
A.Omnipotent (All Powerfull)
1.The Father : Genesis 18:14;Isaiah 43:13;Jeremiah 32:17,27;Matthew 19:26
2.Jesus Christ : Dan 7:13,14;Mark 28:18;1Peter 3:22;John 3:31
3.The Holy Spirit : Psalm 104:30
B.Omnipresent (Everywhere)
1.The Father : 1 Kings 8:27;Psalms 139:3,7-10;Proverbs 15:3;Jer 23:23,24;
Isaiah 57:15 ; Acts 17: 24,27,28.
2. Jesus Christ : Mat 18:20;Mat 28:19,20;Epe 1:23;John 4:25,26,29;6:64
John 13:11;19:28;21;17
3. The Holy Spirit : Psalms 139: 7-10
C. Omniscent (All Knowing)
1.The Father : 1Chr 28:9;2 Chr 6:30;Job34:21,22;Ps 139:1-6,11-18;147:5
Isa 48:5;66:18;Acts 15:18;Romans 11:33-36;1 John 3:20
2.Jesus Christ : Mat 9”4;12:25;22:18;Mark 2:8;122:5;Luke 5:22;6:8
John 2:24.25; 5:42;16:19,30;Acts 1:24;Mat 16;21;20;18,19.
3.Holy Spirit : Isa 40:13;John 13:26;1 Cor 2:10,11
MORE EVIDENTS ABOUT THE GODHEAD: THREE DISTINCT PERSONALITIES
.I. The Father is a distinct personality apart from the Spirit:
Matthew 3:16, 17
Isaiah 48:16
II. The Spirit is a distinct personality apart from the Son:
Matthew 123:31, 32 (Luke 12:10)
John 16:7, 13, 14
1 John 5:6-8
III. The Son is a distinct personality apart from the Father:
Matthew 10:32; 11:25-27
Mark 13:32
Luke 17:5
John 5:19, 20, 30; 6:37-39; 14:12, 28, 31; 16:5, 16; 32:17
Ephesians 1:17, 20
1 Corinthians 3:23; 11:3
Colossians 3:1
Hebrews 1:1-3
IV. Yet "the Lord our Gods (plural, Heb.) is one Lord." This is a mystery.
Deuteronomy 6:4
Genesis 1:26, 27 ("...us...our...our")
Father loves the Son because the latter is a perfect Image of Himself (Col 1:16; He 1:3), a perfect Self-Concept (after all, how could the Omniscient One have an imperfect Self-Concept?). And the Holy Spirit arises from the Father's love for His Son/Word.
Thus the Father, Son and Holy Spirit do parallel the Self/Concept/Love-of-Self "trinity" mentioned above. (The main difference being that the Former are three distinct Persons, while the latter are not).
FINAL CHALLENGE FOR ALL BELIEVERS
What is it that God wants to do in our lives? The Bible describes a number of things. He wants to bring forgiveness for our failures, healing for our hurts, direction to our aimlessness, joy to our emptiness. Jesus said the purpose of His coming into the world was that we might know life in all its fullness (John 10:10). Most of all, however, He wants to make something of us, to produce something of His own character within us. And that means allowing Him to come and live within us by His Spirit. We can't know God, or experience any of His blessings, and still keep Him at arm's length!
The essential mark of a true believer in the New Testament is one who has received the Holy Spirit."If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Romans 8:9). We are told to live by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit, act to please the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 18, 22, 25; 6:8).
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Reuben A. Torrey, the first superintendent of the renowned Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, was a very effective Bible teacher and evangelist. In his book The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, he says:
“If we think of the Holy Spirit as merely a power or influence, our constant thought will be, "How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?" but if we think of him in the Biblical way as a divine Person, our thought will rather be, "How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?"...if we once grasp the thought that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person of infinite majesty, glory, holiness and power, who in marvellous condescension has come into our hearts to make his abode there and take possession of our lives and make use of them, it will put us in the dust and keep us in the dust. I can think of no thought more humbling or more overwhelming than the thought that a person of divine majesty and glory dwells in my heart and is ready to use even me...Herein lies the whole secret of a real Christian life, a life of liberty and joy and power and fullness. To have as one's ever-present Friend, and to be conscious that one has as His ever-present Friend, the Holy Spirit, and to surrender one's life in all its departments entirely to his control, this is true Christian living”.
To God Be All The Glory And Honor Forever And Ever, A m e n .
Daniel Pasaribu
End of Sermon
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