The Triune God: The Divine Community We Believe In
At the heart of the Christian faith lies a profound and mysterious truth: the one true God exists eternally in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Far from being a human invention, the doctrine of the Godhead, or Trinity, is the progressive revelation of God Himself throughout all of Scripture. Understanding this truth is not only crucial for our faith, but it also invites us into a more intimate communion with the God who is, in His very nature, a perfect community of love.
-- Ads --
1. One Being, Three Persons: Sharing the Same Divine Attributes
The Bible begins with a clear declaration of God's oneness in Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." However, as we read the Scriptures, we discover that this one God reveals Himself as three distinct persons, each possessing the fullness of divinity. This isn't a puzzle to be solved, but a truth to be worshiped.
Consider the divine attributes, those characteristics only God can have:
• Omnipotence (All-powerful): The Father (Matthew 19:26), the Son (Revelation 1:8), and the Spirit (Romans 15:13) are infinitely powerful. The power that created the universe is the same power that saves and sanctifies us.
• Omnipresence (Present everywhere): The Father fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:23-24), the Son promised to be where two or three gather in His name (Matthew 18:20), and the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer and is present everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10). There is no place where we can hide from God's presence.
• Omniscience (All-knowing): The Father knows all things (Daniel 2:20-22), the Son did not need to be told what was in the hearts of men (John 2:24-25), and the Holy Spirit searches the depths of God and knows everything (Isaiah 40:13-14).
• Eternity (No beginning or end): The Father is the "everlasting God" (Isaiah 40:28), the Son is "I Am" (John 8:58), and the Spirit is eternal (Hebrews 9:14). Our God has no beginning and no end.
2. A Progressive Revelation: The Testimony of Scripture
The doctrine of the Godhead doesn't appear suddenly in the New Testament. It is woven subtly throughout the Old Testament and is revealed with clarity in the New.
In the Old Testament:
• The Hebrew word for God, Elohim, in Genesis 1:1, is a plural form, suggesting a plurality within the divine unity.
• The phrases, "Let Us make man in Our image" (Genesis 1:26), "One of us" (Genesis 3:22), and "Let Us go down and confuse" (Genesis 11:7) are not addressed to angels, but are a conversation within the Godhead itself. The creation and governance of humanity were a joint act of all three persons.
In the New Testament:
• Jesus Himself taught about the three persons, promising to send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, from the Father (John 14:16, 26).
• The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 is the clearest proof. We are commanded to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The use of the singular "name" reveals the unity, while the mention of three persons reveals the plurality.
• The baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17) is the most dramatic testimony. Jesus is in the water, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and the voice of the Father is heard from heaven. The three persons of the Godhead are revealed at the same time.
3. The Godhead in Action: Their Work in the Believer's Life
The Godhead isn't an abstract concept or a distant theological debate. The three persons act in our daily lives in an intimate and personal way.
• The Father: He is our Creator and Sustainer (1 Timothy 2:4-5), our Heavenly Father who listens to our prayers (Luke 11:2). His love is the source of everything.
• The Son: Jesus is our Savior (Matthew 1:21), our Mediator who brings us to the Father, and our Advocate who intercedes for us (1 John 2:1). Without the redemptive work of Jesus, we would have no access to God.
• The Holy Spirit: He is our Comforter in times of sorrow, our Teacher who reveals truth to us, our Intercessor who prays for us when we don't know what to say, and our Guide who leads us into all truth (John 14:16; Romans 8:26; John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force. He has a will, love, and can be resisted, grieved, or blasphemed. He lives in us, empowering us, convicting us, and guiding us.
See Also:
- Bible Study: Salvation – What Jesus Taught About It
- Bible Study: The Canaanites - Inhabitants of the Promised Land
- Bible Study: The Magnificat Luke 1:46-55
Conclusion
The doctrine of the Godhead is the foundation of our faith. It's the truth of a God who, in His very essence, is a community of perfect love. To deny this truth is to deny the Gospel itself. The Father planned salvation, the Son carried it out, and the Spirit applies it to our lives.
Therefore, we must not only believe but also worship this Triune God. We must teach this truth to our children and defend it with courage. In the fellowship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we find a model for our own lives and relationships, a reminder that we were created for communion with the God who is a community.
Do you worship the Triune God in all His fullness and live it out in your daily life?
