God Is; And He Is Three in One

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Hebrews 11; Lord's Day 8
Psalters: 284, 342, 4, 394
  1. What it means.
    1. The doctrine of the Trinity is summarized in these statements.
      1. The Nicene, Athanasian, and Chalcedon Creeds state clearly Scripture’s positions.
      2. Three words, not given in Scripture, are used “trinity,” “essence,” & “person.”
    2. The true church maintains three persons in one being.
      1. God is one in essence means that there is only one true God.
      2. In the one God there are three particular individuals, but there are not three Gods.
      3. The three persons are distinct, but inseparable in the Divine Being; equal to each other in deity, dignity, power, and glory.
  2. What is the Biblical proof for the Trinity.
    1. There is one true God (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 44:6; I Tim. 1:17).
      1. God is Father: John 6:27; Titus 1:4.
      2. Jesus is the divine Son: John 1:1,2; 8:58; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3; Titus 2:13.
      3. The Holy Spirit is God as the eternal Spirit (Heb. 9:14) and Scripture uses “God” interchangeably with “Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:3,4; I Cor. 3:16; 6:19).
    2. Additionally, we find Scripture adding to our understanding of the Trinity.
      1. There are texts which speak of a plurality of persons in the Godhead (Gen. 1:26,27; 3:22).
      2. There are texts which speak of the three Persons together (Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 1:21,22; 13:14; I Peter 1:1,2).
  3. Why does this matter?
    1. The Trinity matters for life. God is life. His life is evidenced in the activity of the three Persons in relationship to each other.
    2. The Trinity matters for creation.
    3. The Trinity matters for relationships, and especially for love.
    4. The Trinity matters because the life within the Godhead is experienced in redeemed humanity.
    5. This knowledge of Him leads to praise. Let us praise the trinity when we experience it in redeemed humanity.