We know the concept of a Trinity can sometimes be really hard to understand. But how does that tie with God’s attributes? This daily devotion looks to see if we can get a clearer understanding of the Trinity.
Nuggets
- It is difficult to understand the concept of the Trinity sometimes.
- All that disciples do to expand the kingdom is in the name of the Trinity.
- While their character is the same, there is a hierarchy.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Finding Our Center series
When I started this series, I said I was going to break it into chunks. This is the last devotion in this first chunk.
We’ve been taking a look at attributes that make God uniquely God. He is eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing — and that is only a few of the attributes we’ve discussed.
The last attribute we are going to talk about in this overarching “Who is God” chunk is the Trinity. Oh, yeah. That is a big topic.
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
Let's Put It into Context #2
We have talked about the Trinity before. The Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct Persons within one indivisible Divine nature. The nuggets we came up with were
- God is all-knowing and all-powerful, so no other god is needed.
- God is above all other gods.
- It is through this Trinity that God reveals Himself to us.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
We looked at a different verse than we are going to use in this devotion. Last time we used “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (II Cor. 13: 13 CSB).” That is a great verse that tells us the function of each One.
Why We Struggle with There Being a Trinity
It is difficult to understand the concept of the Trinity sometimes.
Okay, time to be confused. We are told that the Lord is One (Deut. 6: 4), but then we are told that He is Three in One.
Hodges contends that part of our problem stems from trying to treat God’s Person as a human person. He wrote, “The word ‘person,’ which the old creed-makers used to express these different ideas of God, has given rise to endless confusion. With us a person is an individual. But this word ‘person’ comes into English out of Latin, and in Latin was a blundering translation of a wiser word in Greek. It means ‘distinction.’ There is one God in threefold distinction. The Divine nature is complex as our human nature is.”
Resource
Melvill makes a good point. Is the fact that there is a Trinity any harder to comprehend than God is eternal or omnipresent? Probably not.
Resource
While Scriptures never come right out and say there is a Trinity, it is mentioned.
Disciples Are to Serve in the Name of the Trinity
“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” (Mt. 28: 19 CSB)
All that disciples do to expand the kingdom is in the name of the Trinity.
Matthew 28: 19-20 is the Great Commission. This is disciples’ marching orders.
We would never have been told to go proclaim the gospel “… in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28: 19 CSB) if they were not Three in One.
In Exodus 20: 3, God says, “Do not have other gods besides me” (CSB). Yeah, the King James Version translates it before me, but I have to go with the modern translations here. (I know, mark this day in the record book!)
No, God doesn’t want us worshiping any god more than Him. (Don’t make science your god.)
But neither does God want us to be worshiping something alongside Him. He didn’t need any help in creating and maintaining all of this.
We have to worship only God and Jesus — I’ll have to dig deeper to see what Scriptures say about worshiping the Holy Spirit. (I’m thinking we don’t single the Holy Spirit out.)
Still, Emmons reminded us that all three are equals. God the Father and God the Son have the same attributes as God the Holy Spirit. We shouldn’t short change the Spirit.
Resource
I’ve just been sitting here wondering what all of that has to do with our discussion of godliness and morality. Thank you, Dykes, for telling me.
Dykes wrote, “What is the chief spiritual benefit which we derive from the knowledge of the unity of God? It is the only religious basis for a moral law of perfect and unwavering righteousness. Rival gods, who care each for his own separate interests, and for no other, must neglect moral law in pursuit of their partial ends.”
Resource
Okay, I get that. All God was talking about all along was being righteous. Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
God wrote His laws based on His character — His morals — His virtue — His social graces. He wants us to have His character.
The Trinity maintains that. If each One in the Trinity had His own agenda, it would be chaos. Dykes basically said moral law would go out the window.
In fact, Dykes went on to say that the Trinity enhances our understanding of the nature of God. He contended that God can show His love for us only through the Trinity.
I can see that. Salvation is only through Jesus. If He was not part of God, we would not have deliverance from evil and the consequences of sins. Those sins would not be replaced with good and eternal life.
I can also see the Trinity presenting us mind, body, and spirit, as Haweis said. God is the mind — from which the whole plan for mankind and their salvation came. It could only come through the bodily form of Jesus. It lives on in us as the Holy Spirit.
Resource
Haweis brought up another way of thinking of this. Elaine-speak —
- God can be God the Father that we put up on His throne in Heaven because of all the attributes we’ve discussed so far in the series — but all of that can make Him feel more distant from us.
- God the Son is closer because He actually was one of us. But He lived a long time ago on earth. No one alive today was able to shake His hand. We can only pray and worship Him.
- So, we have God the Holy Spirit. That is how we do the prayer and worship. Along with that, He lives inside of us 24/7/365 — so He is more familiar.
Really, we need to be familiar with all three.
Is There a Hierarchy in the Trinity or Not?
“or there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood — and these three are in agreement” (I Jn. 5: 7-8 CSB)
While their character is the same, there is a hierarchy.
Where the hierarchy of the Trinity comes in is in the office and order of their work. Emmons also wrote, “Though they are absolutely equal in nature, yet in office the first person is superior to the second, and the second is superior to the third. The Son acts in subordination to the Father, and the Spirit acts in subordination to the Son and Father both.”
God the Father is the Creator. God the Son is the Redeemer. God the Holy Spirit is the Advocate. Along with the three different functions, they have three different personalities — all while having the one nature.
Emmons talked about the Trinity being self-existent. We just talked about that only called it self-sufficient. We said
- God is self-sufficient because He is blessed.
- God is self-sufficient because He can do it all — far more than we mere humans can do.
- God is self-sufficient because He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
- God is self-sufficient and meets our needs according to His riches and power.
- Jesus is self-sufficient because He resembles God.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
The last point that Jesus could be self-existent because He resembled God can be transferred to the Holy Spirit. The exact same can be said for Him.
I am trying really hard not to chase too many rabbits with this devotion. That means keeping it to the discussion of godliness and morality.
I think we can do that when we talk about the Holy Spirit is a witness. Morgan stressed that we have the permanent written Word. We know from past devotions that the Word came from God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Resource
The Spirit continues to testify by convicting us and interpreting the Scriptures for us. His guidance as to what God requires of us is invaluable.
This guidance is how we change our character to be that of God’s.
Yes, the water refers to baptism, and the blood refers to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to shed His blood for our redemption.
Making the Connections
I think Melvill hit that nail on the head for some people. He wrote, “We admit that whilst the whole of a revelation may be above our reason, there may be parts which seem contrary to it; and if there exists a repugnance between reason and revelation, we do right in withholding our assent.”
Resource
It goes back to us having to understand everything before we can have faith that God is real, Jesus is our Savior, and the Holy Spirit is anything more than just our conscience. We want to use our intellect to become equals with God.
We can’t do that!
Faith doesn’t work that way. Faith is the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives.
How Do We Apply This?
We have to believe, as Melvill said, that “the doctrine stated with simplicity, the doctrine that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are so distinct as not to be one with the other, and so united as to be one God, carries nothing on its front to convict it of absurdity.” Bourdalone felt this belief was the greatest honor and praise that we could give God.
Resource
Remember, we just said belief is the process by which we gain faith in God. A process. Not a flip-on-the-light-switch-ah-ha moment. It is more Sanctification Road.
Faith and belief produce hope. Hope is a future expectation, called a living hope, based on the confidence that our names will be found in the book of life.
God Himself will show us that Robinson was correct when he said things are “… of the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.”
Resource
The unity of the Trinity should comfort us. All three have the same moral character for which we are striving.
Father God. We don’t understand how You can be One yet Three in One. But we are not called to understand. We are called to have faith. Lord, we believe in You. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.
Pingback: The Cross Was a Gift – Seeking God with Elaine
Pingback: Focusing Our Thoughts Off of the World – Seeking God with Elaine