What is the Big Deal about the Trinity
What is the Big Deal about the Trinity?
Just because I don’t understand the “Cloud Technology” does not mean it does not exist and does not work. It will take a lot for the techies among us to explain the “Cloud” to me at a level I can understand. Likewise, it will take the best theologians to explain the trinity and in the process may also confuse us about the Trinity. The word Trinity does not exist in the Bible but it is all over the Old and New Testaments.
In our present text, it is written in BOLD (literally) that though the word trinity is not there, the persons of the Trinity are all named. Let’s read Paul’s writing to the Ephesians 4:1-6:
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you[a] all.
The three persons of the God-head are united and they form an example of unity for us in the body of Christ. We must “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. We do not have any option than to be united in Christ since the God-head is united. Jesus prayed for this before going to the Cross to secure the unity: 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me”. John 17:20-23
Our essence and being as believers and children of God are inseparable from God, the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. Watch the order Paul uses; the Spirit who is present with us in the body, the Lord Jesus Christ who was here dwelling among us and the Father who said from beginning “Let us make man in our image”.
What is the big deal? Well if God is not a being of three persons (not three gods), then He cannot save us. Note that I said “a being” the essence of the God head. Each of the persons of the trinity is the fullness of God.
If Jesus is not God, then I don’t want that Jesus. He is not an angel as some claim that he is “Michael the arch angel”. Some angels like Lucifer sinned; so if Jesus was an angel, then he would have the capacity to sin as a created being. He is not a created being. He is God the Creator (John 1:1-2). There is no evil in God so Jesus could not be our savior and atone for our sins if he was not the perfect, Holy God. That is the big deal. If the Holy Spirit is not God, then I don’t want that spirit because it would be a demonic spirit. There are demonic spirits and they are looking for bodies to dwell in.
The Holy Spirit is not a “Force” (according to the Jehovah Witnesses and other cults) that gets to do things and He is not an “it”. The Holy Spirit is a person and Scripture refers to Him as such.
It is imperative we know whose we are and who we are and who is in us. We belong to the Trinity and the three are at work in us at all times. We pray to all and it is not like one’s prayer to a particular name (Father God, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit) will be answered more than the other. They are one and God has made us one with Him. If you believe and have trusted in Christ, you are united with God. Paul already told us in Ephesians:
13 In Him (Christ) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” Ephesians 1: 13-14.
“Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”. Ephesians 2:20.
Paul ended Ephesians 4 by saying, “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31”
The fullness of God dwells in us in the persons of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are One and in Christ we are one in the Spirit. The same body of Christ was broken for us; we share the same Faith in Jesus Christ and we have the same hope of the upward call of God; and we are identified with Him in baptism in His death and resurrection. It is important to note that we are not being asked to be uniform but united in the Spirit. There are differences and gifts in the unity and Paul would explain that in our next study (Ephesians 4: 7-16) for the building up of the body of Christ.
We are empowered to be one and united with God so that the “world will know” Jesus. There is no greater bond than the “bond of the Spirit of God” in us. May we then “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called”. Loving other Christians is a type of evangelism to bring people to Christ.
Lord we thank you. Lord, help us the Church to continue to love one another and display your Oneness in us. May the world know that we are Christians and followers of Jesus by the love we have for each other. Lord, please remove any seed of discord in the body of Christ and have us to focus on the unity and not on uniformity. Amen.
We also use this opportunity to pray for all grieving the death of actor Robin Williams. He made us laugh. Lord, may we all know that true happiness is found only in union with you. We pray that people would seek and search for laughter and happiness in you. We pray for Robin’s family for comfort and for divine relationship with you. We also pray for those who are sick with all sorts of mental illness; that you will bring healing. May you Lord cast out all contrary spirits and voices that speak to the mentally ill. In place of demonic and tormenting spirits, may you fill them with your Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Just because I don’t understand the “Cloud Technology” does not mean it does not exist and does not work. It will take a lot for the techies among us to explain the “Cloud” to me at a level I can understand. Likewise, it will take the best theologians to explain the trinity and in the process may also confuse us about the Trinity. The word Trinity does not exist in the Bible but it is all over the Old and New Testaments.
In our present text, it is written in BOLD (literally) that though the word trinity is not there, the persons of the Trinity are all named. Let’s read Paul’s writing to the Ephesians 4:1-6:
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you[a] all.
The three persons of the God-head are united and they form an example of unity for us in the body of Christ. We must “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. We do not have any option than to be united in Christ since the God-head is united. Jesus prayed for this before going to the Cross to secure the unity: 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me”. John 17:20-23
Our essence and being as believers and children of God are inseparable from God, the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. Watch the order Paul uses; the Spirit who is present with us in the body, the Lord Jesus Christ who was here dwelling among us and the Father who said from beginning “Let us make man in our image”.
What is the big deal? Well if God is not a being of three persons (not three gods), then He cannot save us. Note that I said “a being” the essence of the God head. Each of the persons of the trinity is the fullness of God.
If Jesus is not God, then I don’t want that Jesus. He is not an angel as some claim that he is “Michael the arch angel”. Some angels like Lucifer sinned; so if Jesus was an angel, then he would have the capacity to sin as a created being. He is not a created being. He is God the Creator (John 1:1-2). There is no evil in God so Jesus could not be our savior and atone for our sins if he was not the perfect, Holy God. That is the big deal. If the Holy Spirit is not God, then I don’t want that spirit because it would be a demonic spirit. There are demonic spirits and they are looking for bodies to dwell in.
The Holy Spirit is not a “Force” (according to the Jehovah Witnesses and other cults) that gets to do things and He is not an “it”. The Holy Spirit is a person and Scripture refers to Him as such.
It is imperative we know whose we are and who we are and who is in us. We belong to the Trinity and the three are at work in us at all times. We pray to all and it is not like one’s prayer to a particular name (Father God, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit) will be answered more than the other. They are one and God has made us one with Him. If you believe and have trusted in Christ, you are united with God. Paul already told us in Ephesians:
13 In Him (Christ) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” Ephesians 1: 13-14.
“Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit”. Ephesians 2:20.
Paul ended Ephesians 4 by saying, “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31”
The fullness of God dwells in us in the persons of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are One and in Christ we are one in the Spirit. The same body of Christ was broken for us; we share the same Faith in Jesus Christ and we have the same hope of the upward call of God; and we are identified with Him in baptism in His death and resurrection. It is important to note that we are not being asked to be uniform but united in the Spirit. There are differences and gifts in the unity and Paul would explain that in our next study (Ephesians 4: 7-16) for the building up of the body of Christ.
We are empowered to be one and united with God so that the “world will know” Jesus. There is no greater bond than the “bond of the Spirit of God” in us. May we then “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called”. Loving other Christians is a type of evangelism to bring people to Christ.
Lord we thank you. Lord, help us the Church to continue to love one another and display your Oneness in us. May the world know that we are Christians and followers of Jesus by the love we have for each other. Lord, please remove any seed of discord in the body of Christ and have us to focus on the unity and not on uniformity. Amen.
We also use this opportunity to pray for all grieving the death of actor Robin Williams. He made us laugh. Lord, may we all know that true happiness is found only in union with you. We pray that people would seek and search for laughter and happiness in you. We pray for Robin’s family for comfort and for divine relationship with you. We also pray for those who are sick with all sorts of mental illness; that you will bring healing. May you Lord cast out all contrary spirits and voices that speak to the mentally ill. In place of demonic and tormenting spirits, may you fill them with your Holy Spirit we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
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