Trinity: The One Who the Love of God Comes

We continue to explore the trinity this morning.

In my study this week, one author said that we don’t ask what is God?

Meaning you don’t walk up and say what is Amy. well...

She is a female...

You ask who is God?

When you ask the question of who, then we are striving to learn more about who God is and get to know Him more. The more we learn who God is the more we discover that we want to know Him better.

As we ask who He is in the trinity, we have learned that you start with God as Father who is eternally loving the son through the Spirit.

Tim Mackie describes God as from scripture

Eternally Others centered life giving being who is love

This is a major difference from the word Father or for some of you the word God that you grew up with. Growing up as you sought to answer the question of who God is, then you answered it by saying God will strike you dead.

Scripture tells us God is Father loving the Son before the creation of the World.

Let’s look at evidence of the Trinity in the opening pages of the Bible

Genesis 1:1–3 HCSB

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

In the very beginning of the scripture you have

God as Father

Spirit of God

God Spoke

John 1:1 HCSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word is Jesus

So in the very beginning of scripture we see the Trinity.

I think this Bible project video can help us learn a little more about who God is when it comes to the trinity.

They use some words in this video that are very familiar to those who have been in church a while but very unfamiliar for those who have not.

One of those is He will say Hebrew Scriptures. He is referring to the Old Testament in the Bible. The Old Testament took place before Jesus came to Earth.

(Video)

Tri-unity: is to claim that the universe is held together by and eternal community of love.

“The God of the Bible is not a God that you understand. The point is to know and be known by this God, so that we can participate in His love.”

The Baptism of Jesus

Matthew 3.

The last two weeks we have worked our way at a surface level of this idea of God as Trinity. Week 1 we explored that God is Father and what is He doing before the creation of the world? He is a Father eternally loving His Son. Last week for Easter Sunday, we saw how Jesus the Son reveals the Father.

We want to know who the Father is and what is His character then the Son came to reveal the Father. What did Jesus ultimately do? He died on the cross and defeated the grave.

Today we turn our focus to the Holy Spirit in the trinity.

Matthew 3:13–17 HCSB

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized. 16 After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!

This resembles Genesis 1 that we read earlier. In Genesis 1 we see Father God is present, the Spirit is present and the Word is present.

Jesus the Son is baptized and at the baptism the Spirit of God descended like a dove and came down on Him.

What happens after the Spirit of God descends on Jesus?

The Father’s love is made known.

This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!

Michael Reeves

For the way the Father makes known his love is precisely through giving his Spirit

Romans 5:5 HCSB

5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

How is God’s love poured out in our hearts?

Through the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit was given to us.

Romans 8:6–8 HCSB

6 For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Life and Peace

The Spirit not only brings love but joy. The joy the spirit brings is one that wine can’t bring or be a substitute for.

Romans 14:17 HCSB

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:9 HCSB

9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

God reveals is love through the Spirit. Where does the Spirit of God live?

The Spirit of God lives in you

Michael Reeves,

The life that the Spirit gives is not some abstract thing. In fact, it is not primarily some thing that he gives at all. The Spirit gives us his very self, that we might know and enjoy him and so enjoy his fellowship with the Father and the Son.

I love that God is Trinity. God gives himself to us. He loves us through the Spirit and he doesn’t just love from a distance but he loves us and gives himself to us.

Romans 8:10–11 HCSB

10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:12–17 HCSB

12 So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Conclusion

Another image that theologians have liked to us of God is that of the radiant sun.

“As the Sun gives of itself-its own light and warmth-in shining on us, so God gives us himself and the blessedness he has always enjoyed. He does so in giving us his Son, and he does so in giving us his Spirit.”

I encourage you to go sit in the Sun and let the rays hit you. Feel its warmth! As you feel its warmth, recognize that as the sun pours out warmth so the Father has poured his love our on us through giving us His Son and Giving us the Spirit and ultimately giving us Himself.

I like to try to bring in different things to our sermons to continue to grasp the love of the father. Sometimes this is images, sometimes it is music, sometimes it is art and today it will be words or poetry or creative writing.

So if words or poetry or creative writing move you then set back and enjoy.

Michael Reeves Delighting in the Trinity Page 90

All shall stand about the God of glory, the fountain of love, as it were opening their bosoms to be filled with those effusions of love which are poured forth from thence, as the flowers on the earth in a pleasant spring day open their bosoms to the sun to be filled with his warmth and light, and to flourish in beauty and fragrancy by his rays. Every saint is as a flower in the garden of God, and holy love is the fragrancy and sweet odor which they all send forth, and with which they fill that paradise.