The Trinity: God The Father, Son, And Holy Spirit

The Trinity: What Does It Mean?

A Brief Explanation

The Christian understanding of God as a triune Being is a foundational belief of the faith. At the heart of this doctrine is the belief that God is one Being who exists eternally as three distinct persons: the Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

This concept can be difficult to grasp and has been the subject of much theological debate and discussion throughout history. However, it is a central belief of Christian theology, and understanding God as a triune Being is essential to understanding the Christian faith as a whole.

Members Of The Godhead

The first person of the Trinity is God the Father. Throughout the Bible, the Father is portrayed as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is also the source of all love and goodness.

In the New Testament, Jesus often refers to God as “My Father” and teaches His disciples to pray to “our Father in heaven.” This relationship between Jesus and the Father is a central aspect of the Christian understanding of God and is seen as a model for our own relationship with God.

In addition to the Father, the second person of the Godhead is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man. We believe that He came to earth to reconcile humanity to the Father through His life, death, and resurrection.

Jesus is the Word of God and the embodiment of God’s love and grace. This title is made popular from the first few verses of the Gospel of John. Through His teachings and example, Jesus reveals the nature of God to humanity and offers a way for us to be reconciled to God and to one another.

Finally, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God. He guides and empowers us to live in accordance with God’s will.

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is described as the Comforter, Teacher, and Guide. The Spirit is also the source of spiritual gifts such as wisdom, knowledge, and prophecy.

Dealing With Controversy

Understanding the nature of God as a Trinity is essential to understanding the Christian belief in salvation, worship, and the nature of humanity.

Charles Dickens’ book A Tale of Two Cities, begins with an odd statement: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Which statement is true? Which is false? Is this statement contradictory?

Biblical Truth: Is There An Absolute Truth?

Both are true but in different senses.

On the one hand, it was the best of times! The country is growing rapidly. It was a wonderful time to be alive!

On the other hand, it was the worst! There was a terrible war and people were stricken with poverty.

Do you see how a seemingly contradictory statement can actually be true on both accounts?

We see a similar thing emerge when we begin a study of the Tri-Unity of God.

Scripture is clear that there is only one God. Deuteronomy 4:6 clearly says, “Hear, O, Israel, The Lord our God is one.” There is only one God. It is wrong and dangerous to ever stray from this foundational belief.

However, scripture also teaches that 3 different Beings are fully God: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all referred to in the Bible as God.

Which is true? Is God 1? Or is God 3?

The answer is: Yes! Both are true!

How Can 3=1?

The idea of many being one is not a new concept. We see that idea in the institution of marriage. When a man and woman are joined together in marriage, the two have become one (Gen 2:24). Obviously they are still two separate people, but they are now joined together in unity.

Another example from scripture is found at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:6). God is speaking and says that because the people are one, nothing will be able to stop them.

In a third example, Jeremiah writes that “the people will have one heart (Jeremiah 32:39). It would be an insult to your intelligence to think that a large group of people have one heart that must be shared between them.

The Hebrew word translated as ‘one’ is the same in all these instances above. The following verse uses the same word:

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
1 John 5:7

We understand this to mean the same thing as in all the other references. It means that they are together in unity. They have one mind, one heart, and one purpose. There is no division. Instead, there is nothing but total singular agreement.

One God

All 3, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are fully and equally God. They are not ‘part’ of God or pieces that make up a whole. One is not lesser than another.

They have one singular mind and will. Their actions are in sync because they share the same purposes. As difficult as it may be to fathom, they do not even ‘discuss’ what to do. For one, they share the same goals and attributes. Second, God knows all things and doesn’t ‘think’ about things as we do.

One interesting quote says, “Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?”

Three Persons

Additionally, it’s interesting to consider that when our singular God manifests Himself as 3 distinct persons, each person refers to Himself in the first person. Each person of the Godhead refers to Himself as ‘I’ and the others as ‘You’ or ‘He.’

This truth lays the foundation for another important characteristic of God. Namely, He is not one person who has taken on 3 different roles. It is not the same as saying that a man is simultaneously a father, husband, and son.

God the Father did not become God the Son. A father cannot be his own son. That is a logical fallacy. Nor did Jesus pray to Himself. Likewise, Jesus did not become the Holy Spirit. He did not ascend into heaven only to return weeks later as the Spirit.

Scripture teaches that Jesus is currently seated at the right hand of the Father and the Spirit is active here on earth. We believe this is literal and not metaphorical. God is a triune Being. He always has been and always will be. Therefore, it is not difficult to arrive at the conclusion that the members of the Godhead can serve in different capacities.

The Roles Of The Father, Son, And Holy Spirit

The Father, Son, and Spirit always have and always will work together to complete their purposes. The greatest and most important work God has ever accomplished is the redemption of mankind.

The Father is the planner of salvation. The Son is the accomplisher. Lastly, the Spirit is the applier of the same salvation. Let’s look a little deeper at the role of each member of the Trinity and how they work perfectly together as one.

The Father: The Planner Of Salvation

The sin in the garden was not unplanned. God did not have to make a plan B. He knew all along what would happen and had a plan from the beginning.

The Father knew that humanity would fall into sin. What’s more, He knew that He would pay the price for that sin.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev. 13:8

The Romans didn’t kill Jesus. Nor did the Pharisees. It was the Father who gave His Son. “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him and make His soul an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10).”

Not because the Father was happy to see Jesus suffer, but because He was happy to see His plan completed as it had been determined in ages past. This had been the plan all along.

God loves the people of the world so much that He chose to give His only Son as payment for their sins (John3:16). More specifically, God loves you so much that He willingly gave the ultimate price in order to be with you.

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The Son: The Accomplisher Of Salvation

Jesus is clear through His entire ministry that His purpose is to do the will of the Father.

I seek not My own will, but the Father’s…
John 5:30

The words I speak are not Mine, but the Father’s…
John 14:24

Christ always pointed everything back to the Father. As such, His main objective here on earth was to complete the plan that was laid by the Father. The Father created the plan, and Jesus Christ accomplished it by giving His own life as payment for the sin of the world.

Jesus came to earth and endured temptation, grief, shame, rejection, and pain for one singular purpose: TO BUY YOU BACK.

The Holy Ghost: The Applier Of Salvation

Every person who has ever accepted the free gift of salvation has experienced the conviction that comes first. Without that conviction, we would never realize our great need for a Savior! We would never see ourselves as lost and in need of forgiveness.

According to John 16:8, it is the Holy Spirit that brings conviction. When you feel that uneasy feeling, that is the Holy Ghost leading you to repentance and salvation!

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Once He reveals the need for repentance and salvation, we must believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Savior. After that, the Holy Spirit gives new life!

In Rom 8:11, we read that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will give you new life through the work that Jesus accomplished. He is the one who applies the salvation that the Father planned and the Son accomplished. He is the one who convicts the heart and provides new life.

What’s more, it’s the Holy Spirit who acts as proof that you belong to God. Ephesians 1:13 states that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. It’s that ‘sealing’ of the Spirit that marks you as the property of God. The blood of Jesus Christ has purchased you from the grips of sin, death, and hell.

And, one day, when the Lord returns for His church, it will be the Spirit of God living inside you that is your ticket out of here (Ephesians 4:30). In other words, if you don’t have your ticket, you can’t ride!

CONCLUSION

In summary, it’s absolutely dumbfounding to consider the lengths that God has gone to in order to be with you and me. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work seamlessly together for one singular purpose. God knows that our sin is what separates us from Him. And He knows that we have no way of removing that sin in our own ability.

For that reason, the Father created a master plan long before the world was created. He formulated a beautiful work of redemption that would rescue mankind from the grips of sin and restore our connection to God.

Jesus knew from the ages of time that He would one day give His life as the ransom for many. He was fully aware and fully willing to die a substitutionary death on the cross because He loves us that much.

Now, the Holy Spirit moves across the earth introducing people to Jesus. He brings conviction and takes up residence in the hearts of believers as a permanent seal that the enemy can never remove.

The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the unity and diversity of God and highlights the relational nature of God’s being. Through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Christians have access to the divine presence and the opportunity to live in accordance with God’s will.

While the concept of the Trinity can be difficult to grasp and has been the subject of much debate and controversy throughout history, it remains a fundamental aspect of Christian theology.

Ultimately, the doctrine of the Trinity invites us to contemplate the mystery and complexity of God and to seek a deeper understanding of the nature of the divine.