The Trinity

Good morning and welcome to Living Faith Church. It is an honor to be able to serve you today. Your pastors consider it a great honor that you would be here and celebrate Jesus with us on this Sunday. I don’t know about you, but I am amazed at how fast this year has gone. How many of you have already begun your Christmas shopping? Does anyone already have your shopping complete?

Well, just as we are coming to the close of this year, we are also coming to the close of this teaching series. We have just a few topics left to cover in our statements of Faith. This series, if you are just joining us, is called We Are Pillars. And the truth of the matter is that each of you are pillars. God is using you in your workplace, in your home, in your school, or places of recreation as instrument of connection. Just as a pillar in a building acts as a connection between two vertical spaces, so you act as a connection between heaven and earth.

1 Timothy 3:15 (NASB95)

15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

The charge of the church, even from Christ Himself, is to go forth and connect the earth to heaven.

Mark 16:15 (NASB95)

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

When teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus sad:

Matthew 6:10 (NASB95)

10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

A Look At The Trinity

So, over the last many weeks we have been talking about these faith defining statements. Statements on Scripture, statements on mankind, statements on healing, the return of Christ. Today, we are going to take a look at one statement in particular that is defining to our faith. This is the statement, or belief that God is a triune God. If you were to go to our website, winacity.com/about you will find our statement of faith located there. And in that statement you will find this language.

We believe… In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

The belief in the trinity, in simple form, believes that our God is three distinct persons, yet one God. Now, I understand this this is hard to comprehend; however, it was just last week that I did mention that if God could be understood, He would not be God. The very idea of God is that He is beyond our comprehension. He made our mind, therefore by nature of creation He is outside of the scope of our brain.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NASB95)

9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

God, is beyond us, but we can, through Scripture peer into His divine nature. It is critical that we understand that no pen, not human speech can fully define God, and no man can fully explain thy mystery of the Godhead. Even Scripture itself does not explicitly explain the Godhead, it simply declares it!

Colossians 2:2 (NASB95)

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

1 Timothy 3:16 (NASB95)

16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.

Scripture As Our Foundation

No man can know or understand God apart from revelation. Now remember, many weeks ago we said there is no new revelation of God apart from Scripture itself. I am going to read an excerpt from the first sermon in this series:

“There is no revelation of God apart from the Holy Scripture. There is illumination, but there is no new revelation. Let me explain this. John in Revelation gives us a stern warning.

Revelation 22:18–19 (NASB95)

18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

There is no truth about God that has not already been given to us in Scripture. To have a revelation of God that is extra-Biblical would violate Scripture itself and therefore is impossible and unbiblical. God will illuminate Himself to mankind through visions, and dreams, yet He reveals Himself, His purpose, and His character to man through His Scriptures alone. So when seeking to know God, what do we do? We go to His Word”.

In Colossians 2:9 the apostle Paul addressed the Colossian Heresy, mainly the diminished role of Christ, Asceticism, strict legalism, the worship of angels, and much more. Let’s look at just two verses of Pauls confrontational speech.

Colossians 2:8–9 (NASB95)

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Colossians 2:9 (NKJV)

9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

That word “deity” or “Godhead” is the Greek word Theios or divine, or divine being. This is a critical passage when speaking of the trinity because one of the greatest arguments pertaining to the trinity is simply that Christ is not fully God.

Heretical Views of the Trinity

The Mormon religion for example states this:

Like many Christians, we believe in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. However, we don’t believe in the traditional concept of the Trinity. We believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings who are one in purpose.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/article/do-latter-day-saints-believe-in-the-trinity

This is a heretical teaching called Tritheism, and denies the unity of the persons in the Godhead.

Romans 1:19–20 (NKJV)

19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

The Onesness Pentecostal churches adhere to a Sabellianistic view. This belief formed by the early church heretic Bishop Sabellius states that “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three aspects, or three manifestations of the absolute number one God”. - (Foundations of Christian Doctrine, pg 51 Kevin Connor)

This is a dangerous teaching because it rejects the Scriptural principle of the Father loving His Son, sending His son as a sacrifice for mankind and returning to His Father.

John 3:16 (NASB95)

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

So it is critical that we base our teaching on Scripture, for when we overemphasize the oneness of God, we fall into the unitarian heresy. But if we overemphasize the threeness of God, we fall into the tritheism heresy.

God is One - That is indivisible

God is Three - That is distinguishable

Oneness of the Godhead

When looking at the doctrine of the Trinity, the Old Testament is very clear to teach us that there is not three separate Gods, but one single God. In Gods command to the nation of Israel, He said:

Exodus 20:3 (NASB95)

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Well, if God the Father, was a separate from the Son and from the Holy Spirit, this command would violate this reality. We then would not be worshipping one God but rather three Gods.

Deuteronomy 4:35–39 NASB95

35 “To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him. 36 “Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. 37 “Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, 38 driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today. 39 “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.

This is a clear declaration of the oneness of God. It plainly states “There is no other besides Him”.

Psalm 86:10 (NASB95)

10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

Now, in the New Testament we find Jesus confirming these Old Testament statements.

Mark 12:29 NASB95

29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;

This is a quotation of the Shama found in Deuteronomy 6:4.

Paul whitenessed the oneness of God in 1 Corinthians 8:4

1 Corinthians 8:4 (NASB95)

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.

Galatians 3:20 (NASB95)

20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one.

Threeness of the Godhead

Now, as clear as it is in Scripture that God is one; so clear it is that God is also three! This is the union of three in one. One God manifested in three persons.

Now to avoid misunderstanding, or misapplication of Scripture, it is important to note there are two kinds of unity, or oneness in Scripture. There is absolute unity and compounded unity. This is found through the use of two different Hebrew words. Let’s explain this.

Yachead: speaks of absolute unity. This would be a mathematical, or numerical number one. It is used about twelve times in the Old Testament, but never in reference to God. For instance:

Genesis 22:2 and 12 Abraham offered up “his only (Yachead) son Isaac

Zecharaiah 12:10 “They shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only (Yachead) son”.

But we have also the word

Echad This word speaks of a compounded, or collective unity. This means that one or more than on persons, such as one crowd, or one nation of people.

Genesis 2:24 “these two shall be one (Echad) flesh

Ezra 3:1 “People gathered together as one (Echad)

1 Chronicles 12:38 All the rest of Israel were of one (Echad) heart to make David king”

This word is used hundreds of times in the Old Testament to reference many people as one body; and it is this word that is used concerning the one God.

Zechariah 14:9 (NASB95)

9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.

Both uses of the word “one” are the Hebrew word Echad, denoting that the oneness of God is a compound oneness, or in a trinitarian sense, three persons but one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 NASB95

4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is ECHAD - He is three, but He is one!

Another way we could see this defined is in the Old Testament Scripture of Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah 48:16 (NKJV)

16 “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit Have sent Me.”

“… Now the Lord (Father) and His Spirit (Holy Spirit) have sent Me (Jesus)

Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV)

1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

“… The Spirit (Holy Spirit) of the Lord (Father) is upon Me (Jesus)

In Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1 NASB95

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The word for God is “Elohim”. Elohim is a plural form of the word El, meaning God. So Elohim is shows the plurality of the persons of the Godhead.

To look at this in the New Testament, we could look at many passages, here are a few.

Matthew 3:16–17 (NASB95)

16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,

17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

The Fathers voice spoke from Heaven

The Son of God was in the waters of the Jordan

The Spirit of God descended as a dove

When Baptizing, Jesus said Matthew 28:19

Matthew 28:19 (NASB95)

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

How about a passage that we looked at last week when talking about the Holy Spirit. This passage is found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (NASB95)

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.

6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

One last Scripture:

1 John 5:7–8 (NKJV)

7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

Relationship of the Godhead

Now, when we look at the triune Godhead, we find that each are in cooperation with each other. They are not three separate Gods, but one God in three persons.

The Scripture recognizes all three as God:

The Father is God (John 6:27, 1 Peter 1:2, Romans 1:7)

Christ is God (John 1:1, Titus 2:13, Romans 9:5)

The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3,4)

The Scripture recognizes three in the creation account

The Father is in Creation (Exodus 20:11)

The Son is in creation (Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2,10)

The Holy Spirit is in creation (Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30; Genesis 1:2)

The Father is Omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:23-24)

The Son is Omnipresent (Ephesians 1:23)

The Holy Spirit is Omnipresent (Hebrews 9:14)

Conclusions About The Trinity

The Father is God! A distinct person, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, self-existent, yet indivisible and immortal. He is, according to 1 Timothy 6:16, dwelling in an unapproachable light. No man can or has seen him!

1 Timothy 6:16 (NASB95)

16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

The Son is God! distinct in Person, co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is distinct in His personality, made visible by the incarnation. The Son was pre-existent to the incarnation in that He existed before the world was created.

Micah 5:2 (NASB95)

2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

The Holy Spirit is God! The Holy Spirit is a distinct personality. He is not merely an influence as we mentioned last week. The Holy Spirit is a divine person, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.

Genesis 1:2 (NASB95)

2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

Why The Trinity Matters

The trinity itself is a relationship. I have often heard it said that we were created to fill a relational void in the heart of God. However, Biblically speaking this is inconsistent. The trinity itself is that relational void. You could never fill a relational void toward the heart of God, we are too sinful in our unredeemed state; not to mention the fact that this makes God in need of us and God is complete and in need of nothing. The doctrine of the trinity is vital to the divinity of God because the trinity means that God the Godhead is complete lacking nothing. It also means, that in relationship to your creation, you were not created to be needed, but you were created to be desired.

The trinity is authoritative. Humanly speaking we are always looking for independent research, something external to lean on that makes our statements valid. Hebrews 6:13 says this:

Hebrews 6:13 (NASB95)

13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,

Without the Trinity, God would need to lean on His own creation to be valid. This would, in a round-a-bout way make creation over God. But because of the nature of the trinity, being three distinct persons but one God, the Godhead is absolute in authority needing no other outside influence.

The trinity enables Salvation. Without the trinity, Christs saving work is incomplete. Only God can pay the full price for the remission of Sins. God is not working independently of Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. But together, they work as one in a unified, harmonious relationship, redeeming mankind from the grip of sin.

Hebrews 9:14 (NASB95)

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

If Jesus was not fully God, Satan would still be demanding God to pay the price. No one can pay the price for sins, only God alone. But Jesus is fully God, and therefore the price is paid in full.

Salvation Response

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What is the free gift of God? It says it here plainly; Jesus Christ our Lord. If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, today is the first day of the rest of your life!

We know that sin leads to death – you’ve felt the sting, and pain of sin. The good news is this, Paul calls God’s gift of life a “free gift”. I want to pray with you right now to receive this gift. If you would say, I want God’s forgiveness, I want to accept this gift of life, I want Jesus to live in my heart, raise your hand so I know who I am praying for.

“Heavenly Father, I trust You to save me through Your Son, Jesus.  Forgive me for all of my sins.  Make me brand new.  Because You died for me, I want to live for You.  Fill me with Your Spirit, so I could follow You.  Jesus, You’re now my Lord and the Savior of my life.  Take my life.  It is Yours.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.”