Our Triune God | Part III

Ephesians 5:32-33 “32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Understanding of the church

In the same way the trinity is three separate entities with no part that is “less-God” yet maintains a functional subordination to one another, the church should be directed by a council of elders that are equals and hold one another accountable.

Exposition

Ephesians 2:17–18 ESV

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Author: Paul

Audience: All the Saints

Content: Jesus evangelized peace with God to us, the Spirit is given, and we can now approach the throne of the Father.

Context: The whole passage is dealing with the unity of the Jew and Gentile in Christ

Comparison: Acts 10:34-43, Peter preaches the Gospel to the Gentiles,

Explanation of the text

Ephesians 2:17 ESV

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

He - Jesus

Preached peace - lit. evangelized peace

far off (Gentile), near (Jew)

Ephesians 2:18 ESV

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

The Trinity is on display

Through Jesus

In the Spirit

Before the Father

The Trinity teaches us about the character of God

The character of God teaches us how we are obedient to God

The Trinity gives us a model to understand other parts of the Christian life.

Application

We are trinitarian in our salvation

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Under the judgement of the Father

Viewed through the blood of the Son

Sealed by the Spirit

Ephesians 2:18 ESV

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

It is not by one aspect of God we are saved, but by the whole.

This is seen clearly in Paul’s letter to the Romans:

Romans 1:1–7 ESV

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Author & Audience: Paul (v1), and “all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints,” (v7)

Content: We see the trinity even in the presentation of the Word.

Then Paul says something interesting that should make us pause:

Romans 1:13–15 ESV

13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Who wrote it and to whom was it written? If this was written by Paul, to those in Rome who are already in the church, then why is Paul eager to preach the Gospel and “reap a harvest?”

This is not like Paul’s missionary journeys where he was the first to come in preaching Jesus Christ crucified (1 Cor 2:1-5 “1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” )

Paul was undeniably preaching to the church in the book of Romans, both in the addressing of the book as well as by the content, and yet He says he is eager to come and preach the Gospel. (NTG: εὐαγγελίζω / euangelizō: proclaim good news). So why preach the Gospel to those who already believe?

Because the Gospel is more than the story of Jesus. The good news we share is so much more than a sales pitch on why you should admit, believe, and confess. The Gospel is the whole Word of God. The Gospel is from creation to judgement and where we fit into place.

Acts 20:18-23 “18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”

Acts 20:26–27 ESV

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

We are trinitarian in our missions

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

Within the great commission, I see a great condemnation.

A condemnation of our teaching. (v20)

We teach John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

And we forget John 3:18

John 3:18 ESV

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

We teach John 14:6 “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” and consider John 14:15 legalism!

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

We teach Romans 1:16 “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,…” and then we look at the people we say we love and make excuses. We tolerate and condone all sorts of sinfulness and immorality and say, “Well I know they got saved,” instead of remembering Romans 1:18

Romans 1:18 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

A condemnation of our method. (v19)

Isaiah 6:8–9 ESV

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

Preface: When I have sought out mission work, I have seen doors closed and God had clearly shown me my own community and said, “This is your mission field.”

How do we think of mission trips? Week-long trips to preach the Gospel/participate in a service project.

What do missions look like in the scriptures? Going into the hostile places of the world to preach Jesus Christ, the Messiah, crucified for our sins. To point out the sins of the people and say, “You deserve God’s wrath, but He still loves you!”

2 Corinthians 11:22-27

2 Corinthians 11:22–27 ESV

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

A condemnation of our pride. (v18)

Ezekiel 36:24–27 ESV

24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Who has the authority but Christ alone?

Our Mission is from God

Father - creation

Son - commissioning

Spirit - capability

What should our missions look like? Look no further than 2 Thess 3:1-3.

2 Thessalonians 3:1–3 ESV

1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

The Word - Son

The Lord - Father

The Honoring - Spirit

Does the Trinity of God matter?

Oneness Pentecostalism changes the character of God. (No longer the tri-fold work of God in the believer’s life, but the commandments of One that must be followed. Ga 2:21 “21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” ) Proper understanding of the Trinity helps us see that God is not at odds with Himself, but accomplishes His perfect plan through the wholly distinct works of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Modern Charismatics disregard the foundation of the Father and Son and become inwardly focused on the gifts of the Spirit. To the point where the Spirit serves the believer. The view of the Trinity says the Spirit is sent to us by the Son that we might serve the Father.

The Church of Christ places all obedience upon the believer and reduces the Holy Spirit to little more than a moral conscience. Proper understanding of the Trinity shows we do not receive suggestion from the Spirit, instead we are FILLED like wind fills the sails of a ship.

Baptists and Presbyterians that disavow and grieve the work of the Spirit become entrenched in legalism and shun the empowerment of the Spirit.

I believe salvation is by God’s grace alone, in faith alone, through Christ alone. But I ask this: If we put our faith in a wrong understanding of God, are we saved?

When we rob God of the power present in the Trinity and limit him to but one aspect, we rob Him of His providence, ability, and motivation to save.

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