The Five Fundamentals of the Faith (Part 1: The Trinity)
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Introduction:
Attention:
Have you ever tried to comprehend something that was hard to understand?
Maybe it was a math problem
Maybe it is the rules to the the card game Dos
Maybe its trying to figure out where the dishes are supposed to go
We’ve all been there
And when it comes to the Bible, one of the hardest things to understand is the Trinity
Yet, it is a very important doctrine to what we believe about God!
Our understanding of it shapes the way that we understand other doctrines about God
Today, we are starting a brand-new series about the Five Foundations of the Faith
These are the most essential beliefs that we have as Christians; in order to truly be a “Christian,” these doctrines are essential
The first foundation is the Trinity
This evening, we are going to answer two questions.
First, we will look at what the Bible has to say about the trinity
Second, we will see if there are any analogies that can help us to understand it better
And we will finish up by looking at how the Trinity affects us on an individual level
But before we do that, let’s talk a bit about why this is such an important doctrine to tackle
Need:
The trinity is a unique claim; no other religions beliefs anything like this
This doctrine sets us apart
In fact, it is so unique that many individuals have challenged this doctrine
Sometimes it is brought up that the word “trinity” never occurs in the Bible
How could Jesus be God if he is God’s son and He prays to His Father?
It is important for us to answer these questions and to know why we believe what we believe in general
This is another opportunity for you to make your faith your own.
It is also important for us to understand what it is about this doctrine that makes it so fundamental to what we believe
So, without further adieu, let’s get into it!
Question: What does the Bible say about the trinity?
There is only one God
This fact is all over the Bible, both OT and NT
Let’s look at three of the main passages where we see this
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
Q. What do you learn about God from this verse?
God alone is to be worshipped
This is the first of the 10 commandments, so certainly it is incredibly important!
The very concept of idolatry is rooted in the fact that there is only one God, because any effort to add to the list of gods is considered sin.
The word that we use for this is monotheism (one God).
The Bible is monotheistic, whereas religions with multiple gods are polytheistic (many gods)
So, there is only one God, and He alone is to be worshiped
Let’s look at another important verse:
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
This is called the Shema
This is because this is the Hebrew word for “hear”
This was (and is) recited by Jews on a regular basis
Q. What do we learn about God from this verse?
This further points out that there is only one God; this is a very central thought in the Bible
It was worth repeating it back then, and it still is today!
And we don’t just see this all over the OT; its all over the NT as well
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
So in the New Testament, not only are Christians monotheists, but demons are, too!
All of these passages demonstrate the oneness of God.
We cannot escape this fact; its everywhere in the Bible!
Question: What does the Bible say about the trinity?
There is only one God
Three persons are God
Next, we will establish that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each God
And we are going to start with God the Father
This one is easy to prove
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Q. How is the Father described as “God” here?
A. It literally says “God the Father.”
This verse is actually going to be relevant later on in this conversation, but for now let’s just focus on the part about God the Father
It clearly refers to God as “the Father”
Thus, he is God
And We can trust that Jesus is God, too!
Check this out:
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Q. How is Jesus claiming to be God here?
“I am” is what God refers to Himself as when he appears to Moses in Exodus
So Jesus is equating Himself with God
Not only that, but the people throw stones at Him! Why?
Because He was claiming to be equal with God, and they considered that heresy.
If Jesus wasn’t claiming to be God, they would not have tried to stone Him here.
John 1:1 should also bear some attention here:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Q. What do we learn about Jesus in this passage?
Jesus is the Word
So Jesus is God
But not only this; He is WITH God, too!
How does that make sense?
Only in the context of the Trinity
So far, we’ve seen that the Father is God, and we’ve seen that Jesus is God, but what about the Holy Spirit?
There are a few different places we could go to with this one, but we are going to look at Acts 5:3-4
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
Q. So, who is being lied to in verse 3?
A. The Holy Spirit
Q. What about verse 4?
A. God
Lying to God and lying to the Holy Spirit are the same thing
Thus, the Holy Spirit is God
Question: What does the Bible say about the trinity?
There is only one God
Three persons are God
These three persons are the same God
So, is the Bible contradicting itself? Of course not!
Although God is revealed in three separate persons, these three persons share the same essence (or you might say “the same substance”) as the one and only God of the universe.
We will focus on two passages in order to demonstrate this point.
The first one is VERY familiar; we look at it a lot (as recently as last week!)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Q. There is an important word here that is a singular noun. Can you find it?
A. “Name”
This seems pretty strange; shouldn’t it read “names?”
No, it shouldn’t. And the trinity is the reason why
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share the same singular identity of “God”
And the believer is to be baptized in the name of the Trinity!
Why is this the case?
Part of the basic Christian understanding of the God that we place our faith and trust in is the fact that he exists within a Trinity
It is at this point that it becomes appropriate to look at 1 Peter 1:2 a second time
2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Here, we see the inter-workings of the three persons
God the father Himself foreknows (or “chooses)” us
The Holy Spirit sanctifies us (makes us holy)
We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus
This is important, because it shows us that all Christians experience the reality of all three persons of the Trinity upon salvation
Jesus creates a bridge giving us access to God the Father, and the Father then sends the Holy Spirit to make us more holy
So here, we see that there are three persons, yet one God, and we see this play out in salvation.
However, I know that this is all still confusing!
So here is a diagram that is helpful
This diagram is helpful, because it shows us that the three persons are not each other, but they are all God
The Father is not the Spirit or the Son, the Spirit is not the Father or son, nor is the Son the Father or the Spirit.
BUT… they each are God.
So when you get confused about the trinity, look at this chart! It is helpful
And we are actually going to use this chart (along with the Bible verses that we have looked at) to test a couple of different illustrations and to see if they describe the Trinity correctly
Alright, here’s our first analogy:
Analogy #1: The Trinity is like an egg: the yoke, white and shell together make one egg
Q. Does this sufficiently describe the trinity? Why or why not?
The reason that this one ultimately doesn’t work is because an egg is only an egg with these three elements.
An egg shell by itself is not fully an egg, while a single person of the Trinity is fully God
So yeah, the first one is a no-go
Analogy #2: The Trinity is like water: it can be solid, liquid, or a vapor
Q. Does this sufficiently describe the trinity? Why or why not?
This one is helpful in that it demonstrates that one thing can come in three separate forms
But the reason it falls flat is this: water cannot be liquid, solid, and gas all at the same time. It is only one of these
While on the other hand, each person of the trinity is eternal and simultaneous.
God the father is eternally present
God the Son is eternally present
God the Spirit is eternally present.
None of these ever cease to be
So this one won’t work, either
Analogy #3: The Trinity is like a person’s different roles. For example, I am a son, a husband, and a pastor
Q. Does this sufficiently describe the trinity? Why or why not?
In my opinion, this one does the best job of any of the analogies given
I am all of these different roles at the same time. I never cease to be any of them
Yet, in these different roles, you end up having the same Michael
So this is helpful! But its still not perfect
Namely, these roles aren’t quite distinct enough
A role isn’t quite as distinct as a person.
Also, with out roles as humans, there is sometimes tension between these role
For example, my being a son or a pastor should NEVER come before being a husband
Wheareas, with the Trinity, there is no tension at all
But still, I wouldn’t be afraid to use this analogy sparingly!
But we do need to ultimately realize that the Trinity is a mystery, and it always will be in this life
It is beyond human comprehension; it is bigger than us
And this is cool, because it reminds us how great and huge our God truly is!
Application
All this is good and all, but how does this impact our lives?
We have a heavenly Father who loves us
God loved us so much that He sent His Son to prove it
When we accept Jesus into our lives, it is the Holy Spirit that comes to live inside of us.
We also have a God who is bigger and better than we could ever comprehend
He is bigger than us
He is sovereign
He is in control
These doctrines matter to us on an individual level
Let’s not lose the significance of that!
Conclusion:
The trinity is confusing
But it is also important
I hope that you have greater clarity and understanding about the Trinity
And I pray that as your understanding of who God is grows, your love for Him would grow as well
I am going to pray, and then we will continue these conversations in small groups.
PRAY
Lesson Overview:
Question: What does the Bible say about the trinity?
There is only one God
Three persons are God
These three persons are the same God
Question #1: Which part about the Trinity fascinates you the most? Why is that?
Example answer: It is cool how all three of the persons of the Trinity work together in salvation!
Question #2: Why do you think it is important for a Christian teenager to understand the Trinity?
Example answer: You are becoming a more thoughtful person as you get older. It is important for you to think these things out yourself so that you can discuss the Trinity with others.
Question #3: Why do you think that this is considered a foundational part of the Christian faith?
Example answer: It is all over the Bible, and it is a part of the Christian’s mission (Matthew 28:19-20) and a part of salvation (1 Peter 1:2)
Question #4: What aspects of Christianity don’t work without the trinity?
Example answer: If Jesus isn’t God, then He was a liar and He’s no able to save us. And if the Holy Spirit isn’t God, then it is impossible for Christians to be holy. But of course, if the Father isn’t God, then we have no God in the Bible at all!
Question #5: What is one application for your life that you can glean from the Trinity?
Example answer: Christians should be unified and get along with one another.