God In Three Persons Blessed Trinity

For Those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are four Scriptures b=read before the Message. This day they were Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5 and John 16:12-15.

There is a story .... about a little girl in Sunday school .... who was drawing a picture ... using all of the crayons ... in her box.

Her teacher asked her ... what she was drawing.

"I'm drawing a picture of God," the little girl responded.

"But nobody knows what God looks like," her teacher said.

To which the little girl replied, ... "They will when I'm finished." (Pause)

To draw a picture of God, ....to know what God looks like, ....to know what God is all about ....is what one hopes ... and that one expects ... is behind this place .... we call Church.

This is Trinity Sunday, .... the Sunday after Pentecost, .... a day that the Christian Church historically has celebrated ...... as one of its central beliefs.........that of ......a triune God.

As the glorious Hymn states: "God in three persons, .... blessed Trinity,".

The very first Anglican Article of Religion states: "There is but one living and true God.... The maker and preserver of all things ... both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead .... there are three persons...... of one substance, power and eternity; ......Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Trinity: ... God in three persons.... Each person is divine .... Yet there is only one God.

Normally.... when we use the word person, .... we understand it to mean.... physical individuals .... who exist ... as a separate being ... That is ... as separate entities.

But in God ......there are not three entities.

God is a...... (Slow) trinity of persons .... consisting of one substance .... of one essence.

Yet God is numerically ......one.

And, within the single divine essence .... There are three individual subsistence's (sub-sis-ten-ce's) .... that we call persons.

And ... each of the three persons ....... are distinct ... from the others.

Each of the three persons ....is completely divine in nature ...yet each person...... is not alone the totality ......of the Godhead. (Long Pause)

Now.... The specific word "trinity" ... is not found in the Scriptures.

But this does not mean .... that the concept.... is not taught there.

In fact, .... the word "Bible" is not found in the Scriptures either.... yet we use it.

Likewise, ... the words "om-nis-cience," which means "all knowing," ...."om-nip-o-tence," which means "all powerful," ...... and "omni-presence," .... which means "present everywhere," .... Also ... are not found ... in the Scriptures.

Yet we use these words to describe ......the attributes of God.

So, to say .... as some cults do.... that the Trinity is not true .... because the word "Trinity" is not in the Scriptures ...... is an absolute ......invalid argument. (Long Pause)

And others ... dismiss the divinity of the Son ....and the Holy Spirit ......because there is.... a subordinate order .... in the Scriptures.

Is there subordination ... of the persons ... in the Trinity?

The Scriptures are clear, ...... there is a subordination within the Trinity ... in regard to order .... but not in regard to...... substance.

The Father is not begotten, ... but the Son is (John 3:16).

The Holy Spirit ......proceeds from the Father (John 15:26).

The Father ......sent the Son (1 John 4:10).

The Son and the Father.... send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; John 15:26).

The Father creates (Isaiah 44:24), the Son redeems (Galatians 3:13), .... the Holy Spirit sanctifies (Romans 15:16).

This subordination of order.... does not mean .... that each member of the Godhead .... is not equal ......or divine.

For example, .... we see ......that the Father .... sent the Son.

But this action ......does not mean...... that the Son is not equal to the Father in essence ... and in divine nature.

Jesus said, BIBLE "... I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, .... but the will of Him ... who sent Me" END (John 6:38).

By further analogy, .......... a king and his servant both share.... a human nature.

Yet, .... a king .... sends the servant ....to do his will.

Just because someone is sent, .... does not mean ......they are different than the one .... who sent them.

Critics of the Trinity .... reason that if Jesus were truly God, .... then He would not be subordinate to the Father ......in any aspect.

But this objection .... is not logical.

If we look at the analogy of the king and the servant.... we certainly would not say ......that the servant was not human .... because he was sent.

Being sent ... does not negate ......sameness ... or essence.

A servant is surely still human...... even though they are sent.