HOW IMPORTANT IS THE BELIEF IN THE TRINITY?
• WELL THE FIFTH CENTURY NORTH AFRICAN CHURCH FATHER AUGUSTINE SAID THAT “WHOEVER DENIES THE TRINITY IS IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS SALVATION : YET ON THE OTHER THE SIDE OF THE COIN HE SAID, “WHOEVER TRIES TO UNDERSTAND THE TRINITY IS IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS MIND.” P145 THE MOSIAC OF CHRISTIAN BELIEF ROGER E OLSON.
THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATION OF THE TRIUNE GODHEAD IS IMMENSE, OUR SALVATION OUR JUSTIFICATION OUR SANCTIFICATION AND GLORIFICATION ALL DEPENDS UPON THE PERSONS AND THE WORKS OF OUR TRINITARIAN GOD, SO ITS VERY IMPORTANT. WITHOUT OUR TRIUNE GOD WE HAVE NO SALVATION!
TODAY WE ARE GOING GRAPPLE WITH THE TRINITY, NOT BECAUSE WE DENY IT, BUT BECAUSE AS CHRISTIANS WE BELIEVE IT, OUR GOD IS A TRIUNE GOD. NOTICE I SAID GRAPPLE, BECAUSE I’M NOT CLAIMING TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE TRINITY THIS SIDE OF ETERNITY, ITS INEFFABLE! (MERE HUMAN LOGIC, WORDS, CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT OR FULLY EXPLAIN IT!)
ONE DAY THE GREAT THINKER AND THEOLOGIAN AUGUSTINE WAS PUZZLING OVER THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY , HE WAS WAS WALKING ALONG THE BEACH ONE DAY WHEN HE OBSERVED A YOUNG BOY WITH A BUCKET, RUNNING BACK AND FORTH TO POUR WATER INTO A LITTLE HOLE. AUGUSTINE ASKED, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" THE BOY REPLIED, "I’M TRYING TO PUT THE OCEAN INTO THIS HOLE." THEN AUGUSTINE REALIZED THAT HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO PUT AN INFINITE GOD INTO HIS FINITE MIND.
LAST WEEK WHEN WE ENDEAVOURED TO PUT OUR INFINITE GOD INTO OUR FINITE MINDS AND I BELIEVE IT LEFT US STANDING IN AWE AND HUMILITY AS WE TRIED TO PUT SUCH A HUGE OCEAN INTO OUR LITTLE HOLES AS WE CONSIDERED HIS SELF EXISTENCE, HIS SELF SUFFICIENCY AND ETERNAL NATURE AND LIKEWISE THIS MORNING AS WE ENDEAVOUR TO UNPACK OUR TRIUNE GOD WE ARE SIMPLY DOING THE SAME THING.
THE BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH STATES IN REGARD TO THE TRINITY ARTICLE 2: 3. IN THIS DIVINE AND INFINITE BEING THERE ARE THREE SUBSISTENCE(BEING OR PERSONS) THE FATHER, THE WORD OR SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT . ALL ARE ONE IN SUBSTANCE, POWER AND ETERNITY (TIMELESSNESS) EACH HAVING THE WHOLE DIVINE ESSENCE BEING UNDIVIDED (ALL ARE COMPLETELY GOD YET NOT DIVIDED)
PUT ANOTHER WAY WITHIN HIS OWN MYSTERIOUS BEING GOD IS FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. THE DESIGNATIONS ARE JUST WAYS IN WHICH GOD IS GOD. WITHIN THE GODHEAD THERE ARE THREE “PERSONS” WHO ARE NEITHER THREE GODS NOR THREE PARTS OF GOD, BUT COEQUALLY AND COETERNALLY GOD.
THE ARGUMENT: TO MANY IT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE, (MUSLIMS AND THE TRINITY) HOW CAN GOD BE BOTH THREE AND BE ONE AT THE SAME TIME - FOR SOME THIS IS WHY MANY REJECT THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY – MANY CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT, SO THEY DENY IT, ITS NOT LOGICAL. THEY THINK THEOLOGY SHOULD BE SIMPLE BECAUSE SIMPLICITY IS BEAUTIFUL AND GOD IS BEAUTIFUL AND THEREFORE GOD MUST BE SIMPLE AND SO ON.
BUT THIS IS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF REALITY AS WELL AS THE NATURE OF GOD.
BECAUSE REALITY IS NOT SIMPLE C.S LEWIS WROTE IN MERE CHRISTIANITY, IT IS NOT THE NEAT , NOT OBVIOUS, NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT....REALITY, IN FACT, IT IS USUALLY SOMETHING YOU WOULD HAVE GUESSED.”
CONSIDER THIS LECTERN SEEMS TO BE SIMPLE PIECE OF FURNITURE BUT IF WE ARE TO CONSIDER ITS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION AND ITS MATERIAL, TO THE ATOMS AND THE FORCES THAT HOLD THE WHOLE TOGETHER, IT THEN BECOME MORE COMPLEX, AND SO EVEN THESE SUPPOSEDLY SIMPLY THINGS BECOME MORE COMPLICATED. THEN CONSIDER THE DESIGNER WHO DESIGNED IT AGAIN IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN THE PODIUM AND THEN WHEN WE CONSIDER GOD WHO MADE THE DESIGNER WOULDN’T GOD BE THE MOST COMPLICATED AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE OF ALL.
NOTE: THE WORD TRINITY DOES NOT EXIST IN THE BIBLE, IT ACTUALLY COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD TRINITAS WHICH MEANS “THREENESS.” ALTHOUGH THE WORD IS NOT IN THE BIBLE THE TRINITARIAN IDEA IS ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION. SO LIKE A DETECTIVE ON A CRIME SCENE, WHO GATHERS INFORMATION, TO BUILD A SUBSTANTIAL CASE. WE TOO CAN GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE BIBLE AND BUILD A SUBSTANTIAL CASE POINTING TO OUR TRIUNE GOD LETS DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
1. GOD IS ONE. DEUT 6:4- 9.
CHRISTIANS OFTEN GET ACCUSED OF POLYTHEISM A BELIEF IN A PLURALITY OF DIETIES, BUT IN REALITY LIKE JEWS WE BELIEVE THAT GOD IS ONE. YES WE BELIEVE IN A PLURALITY WITHIN THE GOD HEAD BUT THAT PLURALITY IS GOD AND NOT SEPARATE DIETIES IN AND OF THEMSELVES.
THESE THREE PERSONS ARE JUST WAYS IN WHICH GOD IS GOD, GOD IS NEITHER THREE GODS, NOR THREE PARTS OF GOD, BUT CO EQUAL AND CO – ETERNAL.
CHRISTIANS ARE MONOTHEISTS – WE HAVE NO PROBLEM CONFESSING WITH THE JEW.
DEUT 6: 4 HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD
SAME TRUTH IS FOUND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
1COR 8:4 WE KNOW THAT AN IDOL IS NOTHING AT ALL IN THE WORLD AND THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT ONE.
EPH 4: 6ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL, WHO IS OVER ALL AND THROUGH ALL AND IN ALL.
YOU MIGHT BE THINKING WHAT ARE YOU DOING AUBREY FOR THIS ISN’T SUPPORTING YOUR CASE BUT DESTROYING IT BUT WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE HEBREW WORD ‘ONE’ HERE IN DEUTRONEMY IS ‘ECHAD’ WHICH MEANS NOT ONE IN ISOLATION BUT ONE IN UNITY.
IN FACT IN THE HEBREW BIBLE THIS WORD ‘ECHAD’ IS NEVER USED OF A STARK SINGULAR ENTITY. IT’S A WORD USED TO SPEAK OF ONE BUNCH OF GRAPES OR SAYING THE PEOPLE OF ISREAL RESPONDED AS ONE PEOPLE.
MYSTICAL UNION IN MARRIAGE : IN THE UNITING OF ADAM AND EVE WE HAVE THE SAME THOUGHT. GEN 2:23 -24. THEY BECOME ONE ‘ECHAD’ FLESH . NOT THAT THEY BECOME ONE PERSON BUT THAT IN A DIVINE WAY THEY BECOME ONE. IN A SIMILAR WAY OUR GOD IS ONE GOD BUT ALSO EXISTENT IN THREE PERSONS.
2. ONE GOD IN THREE CO-ETERNAL CO-EXISTENT PERSONS. MATT 3:13 -17, 28:18 - JHN15:26
HERE WE SEE THE THREE PERSONS OF THE TRINITY – PRESSENT AND ACTIVE – GOD THE FATHER SPEAKS- GOD THE SON IS BAPTISED- GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDS . HERE WE SEE GOD IS ONE AND YET THREE PERSONS AT THE SAME TIME.. THIS IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE, BUT THERE IT IS…
THE GREAT DIFFICULTY WE FACE IS IN EXPLAINING OUR ONE GOD IN THREE ETERNAL COEXISTENT PERSON TO COMMUNICATE THIS THOUGHT AND TO PUT IT IN HUMAN LANGUAGE IS DIFFICULT. THE BEST WORD IS PERSONS BUT EVEN THIS FALLS SHORT PERSON COMES FROM THE LATIN FOR PERSONA – MEANING THE MASK WHICH ACTORS WORE TO PLAY CERTAIN CHARACTERS.
WE MUST BE CAREFUL BECAUSE WE CAN THINK GOD AS A SINGLE PERSON WHO BEGINS PLAYING THESE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS AT DIFFERENT TIMES. SO DURING THE OT HE IS GOD THE FATHER THEN AT HIS INCARNATION HE BECOME JESUS AND AFTER THE ASCENSION THE MODE BECAME THE HOLY SPIRIT, THIS IS A SERIOUS ERROR.
THE WAY WE MUST UNDERSTAND PERSONS - NORMALLY IT DENOTES A HUMAN BEING THERE ONE WHO IS A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL - WE HAVE THIS IDEAS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A PERSON BEING COMPLETELY DEPERSONALIZED LIKE AT THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS OF NAZI GERMANY.
BUT AGAIN IN THEOLOGY THIS IS NOT ITS MEANING OF PERSON FOR IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE A PERSON ENTIRELY APART FOR OUR BODILY EXISTENCE. YOU MAY LOSE AN ARM A LEG OR WHATEVER BUT YOUR STILL A PERSON, WITH ALL THE MARKS OF PERSONALITY, EVEN WHEN WE DIE OUR BODIES DECAY WE ARE STILL PERSONS, BY PERSON IN THEOLOGY WE ARE CONVEYING A SENSE OF EXISTENCE EXPRESSING ITSELF IN KNOWLEDGE FEELING AND WILL. THAT THE WORD PERSON IS TO BE THOUGHT OF SO WITHIN THE GODHEAD THERE ARE THREE PERSONS EACH EXPRESSING ITSELF IN KNOWLEDGE FEELING AND WILL AND THESE ARE IDENTICAL WITHIN THE GOD HEAD.
• THREE IN ONE ANALOGIES: THE HUMAN MIND – MEMORY –UNDERSTANDING –FREE WILL
THE ANALOGY TO THE (ON THE TRINITY) BY THE NORTH AFRICAN CHURCH FATHER AUGUSTINE HE POINTS TO THE COMPATIBILITY OF UNITY AND DIVERSITY IN HUMAN PERSONALITY OR MIND. ACCORDING TO AUGUSTINE, THE FACT THAT HUMANS ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD INDICATES THAT THERE SHOULD BE TRACES OF THE TRINITY IN HUMAN NATURE ITSELF. HE FINDS THE LIKENESS IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN MIND WHICH, THOUGH ONE, IS AT THE SAME TIME THREE: MEMORY, UNDERSTANDING AND WILL. TOGETHER THESE THREE ASPECTS OR POWERS ARE ONE MIND AND YET ARE THREE DISTINCT POWERS OF MIND. AUGUSTINE ON THE TRINITY 10 NPNF, 1ST SER. 3:134-43
• THEOLGIAN JAMES MOTGOMERY BOICES ANOLOGY IS TAKEN FROM LIGHT HEAT AND AIR.
HE WRITES, “ IF YOU HOLD YOUR HAND OUT AND LOOK AT IT, EACH OF THESE THREE THINGS IS PRESENT. THERE IS LIGHT, BECAUSE ITS ONLY BY THE LIGHT THAT YOU CAN SEE YOU HAND. IN FACT EVEN IN DARKNESS OF NIGHT SHOULD DESCEND THERE WOULD BE LIGHT THERE WOULD STILL BE LIGHT. THERE WOULD BE INFRARED LIGHT. ALTHOUGH YOU COULD NOT SEE IT , IT COULD BE PICKED UP BY SPECIAL EQUIPMENT.
THERE IS ALSO HEAT BETWEEN YOUR HEAD AND YOUR HAND YOU MAY PROVE IT BY HOLDING A THERMOMETER. IT WOULD VARY AS YOU GO FROM A COLD ROOM TO A WARM ROOM OR FROM OUTSIDE TO INDOORS.
FINALLY, THERE IS AIR. YOU CAN BLOW ON YOUR HAND AND FEEL IT. YOU CAN WAVE YOU HAND AND THUS FAN YOUR FACE.”
HE STATES, “HERE WE SEE THE THREE LIGHT HEAT AND AIR ARE DISTINCT BUT EACH OBEYS ITS OWN LAWS AND MAY BE STUDIED SEPARATELY. AND YET, AT THE SAME TIME (IN NORMAL SETTING) IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER. THEY MAKE UP THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE HAVE OUR BEING LIVE.” FOUNDATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH P112 LIGHT HEAT AND AIR.
HE ALSO POINTS OUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF THESE ELEMENTS TO THE GODHEAD. PLEASE NOTE: THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THESE ELEMENTS IN REFERENCE TO GOD . HEB 12:29 GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE - 1JHN 1:5 GOD IS REFERRED TO AS LIGHT - JHN 3:8 GOD IS REFERRED TO AS AIR ( WIND) BY HIS SPIRIT IN THE PROCESS OF THE NEW BIRTH.
3. THE WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD. 1COR 12:12-20 - WORKING TOGETHER EPH 1:3-14. SALVATION
CONSIDER THE TRINITY.... EACH PART OF THE TRINITY HAS DISTINCT WORK, BUT IS ALSO IT WORKS TOGETHER IN UNITY, NOTICE FATHER SON AND SPIRIT ARE INVOLVED........ WORKING TOGETHER AS ONE
A. IN CREATION (GENESIS 1: 2 THE SPIRIT OF GOD , 26 LET US MAKE HUMAN BEINGS IN OUR IMAGE, JHN1:3 THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS WERE MADE C0L 1:16 FOR IN HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED.)
B. THE INCARNATION (LUKE 1:35 TRIUNE GOD WAS AT WORK TOGETHER)
C. HIS BAPTISIM, AGAIN THE GODHEAD AT WORK (MATT 3)
D. THE ATONEMENT (HEB 9:14. JESUS OFFERED HIMSELF THROUGH THE SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF UNBLEMISHED TO GOD)
E. THE RESURRECTION (ACTS:2:32 THE FATHER, JHN10:17-18 THE SON AUTHORITY TO RAISE HIMSELF, AND HOLY SPIRIT ROM 1:4)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
THE TRINITY TEACHES US ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER: I BELIEVE CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO REFLECT SOMETHING OF OUR TRIUNE GOD IN WORKING TOGETHER PAUL DESCRIBES US AS BODY PARTS 1COR 12:12 -20 AND EACH PART HAS A ROLE, DISTINCT YET FUNCTIONING TOGETHER FOR THE WHOLE.
CONSIDER THE BODY WHEN PARTS START TO STOP FUNCTION OVER TIME DEATH IS IMMINENT, EVENTUALLY IT WILL EFFECT THE WHOLE BODY. WE ARE DIVERSE AND DIFFERNT, AND IN CHRIST WE ARE ALSO ONE, LETS REFLECT OUR TRIUNE GOD AND WORK TOGETHER FOR HIS GLORY AND PRAISE .
B) THE TRINITY IN THE WORK OF OUR SALVATION: EPH 1:3-14
ITS NOT IMPORTANT TODAY WHETHER WE UNDERSTAND THE TRINITY – ITS NOT IMPORTANT IF WE CANNOT FULLY GRASP IT EVEN AFTER HELPFUL ILLUSTRATIONS OUR FINITE MINDS ARE SIMPLY INADEQUATE TO FULLY GRASP THE INFINITE TRIUNE GOD ITS INEFFABLE.
BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO GRASP IS THE WORK OF THE TRINITY IN OUR SALVATION AND BELIEVE IT AND THAT WORK APPLIED TO OUR LIVES. AS AUGUSTINE SAID WITHOUT IT, YOU WILL HAVE NO SALVATION.
SALVATION IS A TRINITARIAN WORK. WITHOUT THE WORK OF THE TRINITY WE ARE STILL DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES AND SINS. AFTER ALL IT WAS THE FATHER WHO CHOSE US BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD IN CHRIST V4 -5 IN LOVE HE PREDESTINED US, AND SENT THE SON TO BE OUR SAVIOUR, THROUGH CHRIST WE HAVE REDEMPTION V7 AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. AND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO SANCTIFIES AND SEALS THE BELIEVER GUARANTEEING YOUR INHERITANCE .
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: UNBELIEVERS .
THE GOSPEL APPEAL ......HAVE WE COME TO BELIEVE IN THIS TRIUNE GOD.... YOU MIGHT SAY AUBREY I BELIEVE IN GOD. BELIEF IN GOD IS NOT ENOUGH JAM2:19YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ONE GOD. GOOD! EVEN THE DEMONS BELIEVE THAT—AND SHUDDER.
WE MUST BELIEVE IN THIS TRINITARIAN GOD THE FATHER WHO SENT THE SON TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD AND BY HIS SPIRIT WE ARE CONVICTED ,CONVERTED SANCTIFIED AND SEALED AND ENTER INTO AN INHERITANCE THAT CAN NEVER SPOIL OR FADE.
YES OUR TRIUNE GOD IS INEFFABLE - BUT THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS SO SIMPLE A LITTLE CHILD CAN COME AND BELIEVE , EVEN YOU TODAY, MAYBE YOU’VE SAT ON THESE PEWS FOR YEARS, YET YOU’VE NEVER TRUSTED IN CHRIST, NEVER REPENTED OVER SIN, WHOEVER CALLS UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED!
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: BELIEVERS.
AS CHRISTIANS WHAT SHOULD OUR RESPONSE BE TO THE SAVING POWER OF THE TRINITARIAN GOD IN OUR LIVES?
TURN WITH ME TO MATT 28:19 -20 ALL AUTHORITY AS BEEN GIVEN TO ME, THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES BAPTISING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
HERE THE WORDS OF JESUS REAFFIRM THE REALITY OF THE TRINITY AND OUR MISSION PREROGATIVE. NOTICE HE DID NOT SAY BAPTISE THEM IN THE NAMES OF THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT BUT IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
BECAUSE OUR GOD IS ONE YET WITHIN THAT ONENESS THERE IS PLURALITY WITH THREE DISTINCT PERSONS CO EXISTENT AND CO ETERNAL. AND WE CAN GO OUT IN HIS NAME, DOING HIS WORK, IN HIS AUTHORITY MAKING DISCIPLES BAPTISING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER SON AND HOLY SPIRIT AND OUR TRIUNE GOD WILL BE WITH US TO THE VERY END OF AN AGE......AMEN
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