Day 15 - The Trinity
For some, the doctrine of the trinitarian nature of God is a complex headscratcher that is a deterrent to faith. For me, this doctrine is a glorious mystery that invites me to believe in and love God even more.
The doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one and only one God. But this one God exists in three separate and distinct persons - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are not each an occasional manifestation of the one God, but rather each of three has forever existed in perfect and harmonious equality as one. All are holy, gracious, true, and loving. And all work together to accomplish the singular mission of God.
It is my belief that the doctrine of the Trinity is the single most important doctrinal tenet of Christian faith. Without it, everything else falls down. Let me give you some examples:
The Bible - We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is the word of the Father, breathed by the Spirit, testifying to the Son, Jesus.
Creation - We believe that God created all things. It was the Father who did this by the Word (the Son, Jesus Christ) through the animated power of the Spirit.
Salvation - We believe that God saves us by his grace. It is the Father who has elected us to salvation. The Son died on the cross for us. And the Spirit brings us to life through regeneration.
Sanctification - We believe that God makes us the people he wants us to be by his grace. The Father calls us to holiness. The Son, Jesus, gives us the pattern of a holy lifestyle to follow. The Spirit is within us, enabling us to live that life.
Church - We believe that believers in Jesus are unified together as a body. It is the Father who calls us out as a separate people. It is the Son who unites us and whose body we compose. It is the Spirit who dwells within us, enabling us to serve God.
I could go on, but the divine community of the Trinity makes the human community of fellowship possible. It is the fact that perfect, holy, and loving relationships within the Godhead exist that makes the dream of fellowship so appealing. It is what we were created for.
What do you think?
May 2nd, 2007 at 1:17 pm
I have to admit, I was amused by Rick’s assertion that God could have kept himself company through the ages because there are three of Him. Something about that cracked me up. Like, God says, “What did you do today, Jesus?” and Jesus says, “Um, you’re omniscient… you KNOW what I did!” Then the HS is like, “Guys, can you keep it down? I’m trying to meditate…”
I tend to think of the Trinity as less individual beings and more aspects of the same being. I guess volumes have been written about this issue by more informed people than I, but it seems like if they were entirely seperate, we would not be able to call our selves monotheistic. I guess that’s why the call it the ‘mystery’ of the Trinity, huh?
May 8th, 2007 at 9:10 am
It is definitely a mystery!