Trinity #5 (Big finish!)

June 7, 2021 (Monday)

 

The word “trinity” is an invented (technical word) to describe a theological idea we understand from reading the Bible. It does not mean we have three gods. It means we have one God, understood as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

What does all that mean today? I am so glad you asked! Last time I left you with Paul’s blessing to the church in Corinth. Talk about a problem church. After correcting all those problems Paul ends his two letters with, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” [2 Corinthians 12:14 ESV] You can see the concept of a “Trinity” casts a long shadow on theology.

 

Through Jesus (“God the Son”) we have “grace.” There are a lot of various definitions of grace that help us understand the theology of the word. For instance, “grace” can be “God’s Riches, At Christ’s Expense.” Grace is also God giving us what we do not deserve. If you know me, I have also said that grace is “God’s want to…” God wants to save us and provide righteousness. Or as Paul put it, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” [Ephesians 2:8 ESV]

 

Through God (“the Father”) we have love. Jesus insisted, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3:16 ESV] Sometimes we see God being distance, possibly noticing us when we get out of line. Jesus is telling us otherwise. The Father loves us in a very personal and intense way. The Father loves us so much, the He “gave” us Jesus. I take that to ultimately mean Jesus’ saving work on the cross.

 

Through the Holy Spirit (God), we have fellowship. This is fellowship with God (the trinity) but also with one another. John testified, “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” [1 John 1:3 NLT] Fellowship means “companionship.” Image that, God calls us “friend.”

 

Jesus put it this way, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” [John 15:15 ESV] In other word, the “Father” also considers us “friends.”

 

When I take the whole of my understanding of the Bible (and theology), other ideas also come to mind. A short list is as follows. The Father has absolute sovereignty. It means God is in absolute control. Our difficulty with this doctrine tends to be we judge things from our perspective… generally from comfort and prosperity.

 

The Son’s sympathetic mediation means, Jesus is on our side. Not only does the Father love us and considers us as friends (and family) but Jesus stands between us and God’s justice. Finally we have the Holy Spirit’s instructions. He (the Holy Spirit) teaches us, leads us, and gives us the ability to do God’s will.

 

I pray this makes sense. If you have questions, pm me on Facebook.