The Mystery of the Trinity: God

Main Truth: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit are all equally and unified as one God while three distinct persons.

My thoughts

Is the reason that God didn’t systematize a teaching on “trinity” is that it’s immensity would be lost and its packaging would distract us from it’s importance?

The Father sent His Son to die for you, a truth made known and applied by the Spirit

Outside thoughts

3 who’s, 1 what

False:

3 gods

1 god who shows up in three ways

3 persons all fully God. One God who is fully one

Slowly revealed over time

Christian implications for trinitarian God

baptize in the singular name of trinity

worship, obedience, following God— we need to be sure we are following the ACTUAL God of the universe. Are we sanding off the edges of God?

No analogies for trinity because God is immense

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate persons, each person is fully God, there is One God

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/love-seeking-understanding

God the Father exists absolutely perfect and powerful and awesome

God the Son is the Image, Word, Idea, Logic, Understanding of God that God the Father has of Himself

The Son is then existant with the Father as the Father understands Himself

God the Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son

God the Father always existed and there was never a time when He didn’t fully understand who He is. That understanding is not less, but different than the Father and is the Son. The Son is the exact image of God because God’s understanding of Himself is perfect.

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“God’s idea of himself is absolutely perfect and therefore is an express and perfect image of him, exactly like him in every respect; there is nothing in the pattern but what is in the representation—substance, life, power nor anything else…But that which is the express, perfect image of God in and in every respect like him is God to all intents and purposes…” (Jonathan Edwards, An Essay on the Trinity, p. 101).

“God’s idea of himself is absolutely perfect and therefore is an express and perfect image of him, exactly like him in every respect; there is nothing in the pattern but what is in the representation—substance, life, power nor anything else…But that which is the express, perfect image of God in and in every respect like him is God to all intents and purposes…” (Jonathan Edwards, An Essay on the Trinity, p. 101).

The Father and the Son love each other and glorify each other. But, God is love. How? Because God the Father and God the Son give their entirety of themselves into loving the other that a river of perfect joy and love has always existed. This is the Holy Spirit that we can experience and have within us.

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(Discussion on God’s actions being completely consistent with who God is. There for it is the total identity of God that is existent in each action. God’s love for Himself is God. God’s love is God. God is 3 in one.)

Sproul

Law of non-contradiction states “A cannot be A and non-A at the same time and in the same relationship”. However, the trinity is that God is one in A and three in B.

Tri- unity— 3, but rooted in monotheism

Progressive revelation of the trinity

Augustine

The Lover, the Beloved, and the Love

detaching from materials is the only way to begin to understand this, and refusing to do so is the Christians downfall

Outline

Main Truth: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit are all equally and unified as one God while three distinct persons.

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Current Predicament— we can’t understand fully

Sovereignty

1 and 3, 3 and 1.

We can’t understand fully

Past Failures

History: 1 God in 3 ways, 3 Gods

We try to explain: Egg, Pretzel, Water, toothpaste

Egg, Pretzel, Water, toothpaste

Future Glory

Historically many people misunderstand: 1 God in 3 ways or 3 Gods

One day we will see and know this truth, but until then we can meditate on who God is and that will cause us to worship and grow

Law of non-contradiction states “A cannot be A and non-A at the same time and in the same relationship”. However, the trinity is that God is one in A and three in B.

3 Who’s, 1 What

Tri- unity— 3, but rooted in monotheism

Progressively revealed as the Bible is written and more of God is known

OT dimly lit room, NT flips the lights on

Genesis hints, Psalms hints, prophets bigger hints, Jesus: here, letters explained some.

Better Attempts

Marriage: A man, a woman, the love

The sun: Star burning (Father), the light coming to you (Son), heat on your skin (Holy Spirit)

Trinity

God the Father exists absolutely perfect and powerful and awesome

God the Son is the Image, Word, Idea, Logic, Understanding of God that God the Father has of Himself

“He is the image of the invisible God”

The Son is then existent with the Father as the Father understands Himself

And the Father has never been created and therefore the Son has never been created

God the Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son

God the Father always existed and there was never a time when He didn’t fully understand who He is. That understanding is not less, but different than the Father and is the Son. The Son is the exact image of God because God’s understanding of Himself is perfect.

- In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

-  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped

- He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power...

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

“God’s idea of himself is absolutely perfect and therefore is an express and perfect image of him, exactly like him in every respect; there is nothing in the pattern but what is in the representation—substance, life, power nor anything else…But that which is the express, perfect image of God in and in every respect like him is God to all intents and purposes…” (Jonathan Edwards, An Essay on the Trinity, p. 101).

**2014 movie starring Johnny Depp called Transcendence. He put his thoughts, personality, everything about his conscience into this computer. When the real Johnny Depp dies there is a person in this computer. Not the same, but not different. But the same and different. It was Johnny Depps exact image of his invisible self.**

So in eternity past God was there with himself, and just as we were based off of His image his mind has two parts. God could Know Himself and God could Love Himself

Knowing begat Jesus

The eternal image of His Father’s perfections and glory

Loving begat the Holy Spirit

The eternal love between the Father and His Son as they glorify and delight in one another

The Father and the Son love each other and glorify each other. But, God is love. How? Because God the Father and God the Son give their entirety of themselves into loving the other that a river of perfect joy and love has always existed. This is the Holy Spirit that we can experience and have within us.

- 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

- 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

The Love of God abides in us, God abides in us, the Holy Spirit dwells within us

The Holy Spirit isn’t just a tool though. He isn’t just the thing God uses to do something else. He IS God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

??**Cheap illustration is a gift: I give you this gift because I love you, the gift is not the thing that matters, it is the love that matters. And if the love wasn’t real then this thing would be pretty worthless. Our relationship would be nothing.**

(Discussion on God’s actions being completely consistent with who God is. Therefore, it is the total identity of God that is existent in each action. God’s love for Himself is God. God’s love is God. God is 3 in one.)

Future Glory

One day we will see and know this truth fully, but until then we can meditate on who God is and that will cause us to worship and grow

The essence of God is so far beyond what we can comprehend, which is ok. But it is so far from what we think about, which is not ok

Detaching from materials is the only way to begin to understand this, and refusing to do so is the Christians downfall

If we are so bogged down with things and stuff and people and ourselves that we never lift our eyes to see the stars of glory

the little glimmers that amaze us even from far away and with little knowledge of what they are.

Studying, struggling with the trinity is a wonderful exercise because we are striving to understand the very person of God: “I want to know you more, God.” In doing so we are aided in our spiritual progress by the constant push to be awed and confess and repent