THE TRINITY
I/ THE INDWELLING
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
This may seem to be a strange place to begin to talk about the Trinity,
But remember verse headings are added by man.. I have underlined the truth we must start with. That all of the Spirit of God dwelt in Christ.
Now lets look at another verse: Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Here, I have underlined the three persons of the Trinity. All three are
to dwell in us.
But how are we to understand the Trinity?
First we have seen That all of the Spirit of God dwelt in Christ,
above. Next we will see that all of the Spirit of Christ is in the Holy Spirit. In the verse above, Paul makes it clear that the Spirit, he is talking about in the first part of the verse is the Holy Spirit, not our human spirit. When he says ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Next, he says that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
So we see that in some sense, just as all the Spirit of God dwelt in Christ, so all the Spirit of Christ is in the Holy Spirit.
Consider the following verses:
John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."
Here Jesus says, that His Father is the owner of the Vine, That He is
the Vine and we are the branches. Now the branches He says can do nothing by themselves, they cannot create fruit without the Vine. Here
we must liken the Holy Spirit to the vine juice that runs though the Vine to the branches because the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit can bear fruit in us.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Now we can try all we want to have love, joy, peace, etc. but only the Holy Spirit dwelling in us can bring about that fruit. Now to bear fruit we must be attached to the vine (be saved) and to allow the life giving Juice which is the Holy Spirit to completely flow through us or have free course to control us, and He the Holy Spirit will bring the fruit to our branch.
Notice: John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Then look up to verse 21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Now lets step back and look at this:
1. All of the Spirit of God dwelt in Jesus, remember when he said to Philip, John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
2. All of the Spirit of Christ dwells in the Holy Spirit, notice:
John 16:7-14 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
Here we see that the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Truth, will "receive of mine", but not until Jesus went away. It was needful that Jesus go, so the Holy Spirit, in dwelt by the Spirit of Christ could come.
3. If all the Spirit of God dwells in Jesus and all the Spirit of Jesus dwells in the Holy Spirit, then all to the Spirit of God, is also in the Holy Spirit.
II/ THE ANALOGY
Let me give you a poor analogy, poor because this is all humans can offer. So humanly speaking:
1. Some of my natural fathers spirit dwells in me.
2. Some of my natural spirit dwells in my son
3. So some of my natural fathers spirit dwells in my son
Three people yet with some of the same spirit. Unlike the Godhead, where all the Spirit of God dwells in the Son and all the Spirit of the Son dwells in the Holy Spirit, we humans are influenced by many outside spirits. So we only carry a small portion of our fathers human spirit.
Like wise the Trinity is three separate persons, yet because the Spirit of God is fully in dwelt in the other persons of the Trinity, they are one.
Each person of the Trinity has Knowledge, Feelings, and a Will
The Will of the Son is to do the Fathers Will, the Will of the Holy Spirit is to do the Fathers Will by doing the Will of Christ.
The Father has shared His knowledge with His Son, who has shared
His knowledge with the Holy Spirit.
Just as we see the anger of God (feelings) in the Old Testament, and the anger of Christ ( In the temple), we see in Ephesians, that it says:
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Of course the Trinity has other feelings, of tenderness, love, mercy ect. The point is that they are separate persons, yet they are one.
III/ THE PURPOSE
2 Cor 5:19-20 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
God was in Christ for a purpose. He who created us all, paid the
Price for our trespasses. And made us who are reconciled to be
Ambassadors or Witnesses to his saving grace.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
IV/ THE BENIFITS
1. Benefit number one, HOPE
Col 1:26-27 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory:
2. Benefit number two, FRUIT
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
3. Benefit number three, COMFORT
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
4. Benefit number four, TEACHER
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
INVITATION:
All of the Godhead; The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love you. Each has a major part in saving you from sin. The Son Paid the price for your sin, The Holy Spirit warns and helps you avoid sin, and someday the Father will take you away from sin and into heaven.
Will you trust Him today, confess your sin, and receive Jesus as your Savior?
