Praising The Three-In-One! Series

TERTULLIAN, ONE OF THE THEOLOGIANS OF THE EARLY CHURCH, EXPLAINED THE TRINITY IN A METAPHOR. GOD THE FATHER HE DESCRIBED AS "A DEEP ROOT, THE SON AS THE SHOOT THAT BREAKS FORTH INTO THE WORLD, AND THE SPIRIT AS THAT WHICH SPREADS BEAUTY AND FRAGRANCE."

THE TRINITY; ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO EXPLAIN AND UNDERSTAND IN CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. CHURCHES RECITE THE APOSTLES’ CREED SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY THAT THEY BELIEVE IN THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT YET ONLY TOUCH THE SURFACE AS TO WHAT IT REALLY MEANS.

THE TRINITY IS A REFERENCE TO GOD BECAUSE HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO US IN THREE DISTINCT WAYS: FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT.

THESE ARE ALL DISTINCT BUT INSEPARABLE NATURES OF GOD. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT WE CAN ACCEPT IT AS TRUE AND THEN PRAISE GOD TODAY FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE REVELATIONS OF HIMSELF TO US.

THE REASON WE DO THIS IS BECAUSE, AS AUGUSTINE CONCLUDED, "IS NOT BECAUSE WE CAN SAY SOMETHING ADEQUATELY ABOUT IT, BUT RATHER BECAUSE, IN THE ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE SPEECH, WE MUST SAY SOMETHING!"

THE ONLY THING WE CAN SAY IS A WORD OF PRAISE. THEREFORE, AS THE FATHER WE CAN PRAISE GOD THAT HE IS NOT ONLY OUR LOVING FATHER, BUT THE ONE TRUE, HOLY AND LIVING GOD. ALL OTHER GODS ARE MERE IDOLS.

WE PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS OUR CREATOR, KING, LORD, JUDGE, REDEEMER, SHEPHERD AND THE PRESERVER OF ALL THINGS. WE PRAISE HIM THAT HIS LOVE, POWER, WISDOM, AND JUSTICE IS DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT HIS CREATION. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE WORTHY OF PRAISE!

AS THE SON, JESUS CHRIST, WE CAN PRAISE HIM FOR HIS OBEDIENCE TO LIVE AS A SERVANT AND TO SUFFER AND DIE UPON THE CROSS TO BECOME OUR SAVIOR.

PRAISE HIM FOR CONQUERING THE GRAVE BY RISING FROM THE DEAD. PRAISE HIM THAT HE IS COMING BACK FOR US AS HE PROMISED. PRAISE HIM THAT HE MADE FORGIVENESS, RECONCILIATION, AND ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD POSSIBLE.

AS THE HOLY SPIRIT WE CAN PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HIS PRESENCE WITH US NEVER ENDS. HE IS THE ONE WHO REVEALS THE WORD OF GOD TO US SO THAT WE CAN NOT ONLY BECOME CHRISTIANS, BUT ALSO GROW AND BE FAITHFUL WITNESSES. HE IS OUR GUIDE AND OUR CONSCIENCE.

THIS IS WHY DAVID COULD WRITE SUCH A POWERFUL MESSAGE IN PSALM 8. AS DAVID GAZED OUT INTO VAST UNIVERSE WITH ITS CELESTIAL BODIES HE COULDN’T HELP BUT HAVE A SENSE OF AWE AND WONDER FOR WHO GOD IS.

THIS HYMN OF PRAISE IS TO GOD AS THE GOOD CREATOR, RULER, AND SUSTAINER OF EVERYTHING IN THE HEAVENS, ON EARTH, AND IN THE SEA.

IT IS A SONG OF THANKSGIVING THAT, NO MATTER HOW SMALL WE ARE IN COMPARISON TO ALL THAT GOD CREATED, THE FATHER IS ALWAYS MINDFUL OF US AND CARING FOR US.

DAVID COULD NOT HELP BUT LIFT UP THIS SONG OF PRAISE AFTER PONDERING THE FACT THAT INSTEAD OF GIVING US THE JUDGMENT OUR SINS DESERVES, HE GIVES US HIS LOVE AND CARE.

THAT DESPITE THE FALL OF HUMANITY HE STILL BLESSES US BY APPOINTING US AS THE GOVERNORS OVER ALL OF HIS CREATION TO MAINTAIN ITS ORDER, TO SHINE GOD’S LIGHT UPON IT, AND TO KEEP A HUMANE RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THAT GOD HAS CREATED ON THE EARTH AND IN THE SEA.

THIS IS WHY WE JOIN THE PSALMIST IN CRYING OUT, "O LORD, OUR LORD, HOW MAJESTIC IS THY NAME IN ALL THE EARTH." THAT IS WHY WE PRAISE GOD, THE TRINITY, THE THREE-IN-ONE!

YES, THE CONCEPT OF THE TRINITY IS VERY DEEP, BUT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ITS DEPTH, THINK OF IT IN THE WORDS OF THE ANGLICAN CATECHISM WHICH SAYS, "FIRST, I LEARN TO BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER WHO HAS MADE ME AND ALL THE WORLD. SECONDLY, IN GOD THE SON WHO REDEEMS ME, AND ALL HUMANITY. THIRDLY, IN GOD THE HOLY GHOST, WHO SANCTIFIES ME, AND ALL ELECT PEOPLE OF GOD."

THEREFORE, LET’S HUMBLY ACCEPT THIS BIBLICAL TRUTH AND JOIN WITH ALL CHRISTIANS IN PRAISING OUR GOD, THE TRINITY, THREE-IN-ONE: FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.