What is God like? If you were to describe God, what would you describe him like? Someone once said:
God is little like General Electric. He brings good things to life.
God is a little like a Visa Card. He’s everywhere you want to be.
God is like Scotch Tape. You can’t see Him, but you know He’s there.
God is like Alka Seltzer. Oh, what a relief He is.
God is like Tide. He gets the stains out that others leave behind.
God is like Bounty. He’s the Quicker Picker Upper.
How would you describe God? Today we are starting a new series called “Foundations.” Over the next five weeks we are going to build and check and strengthen the foundation which our faith is built. It is my hope that this series causes you to question what you believe and search for the right conclusions.
Here are the foundational blocks that we are going to set:
Tri-God
Why Jesus Had to Die
The Holy Spirit
Grace
Forgiveness
The Church
I would love you to dig around a little bit with me. Surf the web, hit the library, call your cousins nephew who knows this guy who has a neighbor who is a pastor and ask them about the subjects we are going to cover. We are searching for a solid foundation. We want to know the truth about God and grace and forgiveness and the concept of the trinity and the church. We might not completely understand them but they are the foundational components of our faith and they are unchanging. So using the words of Discovery Channel, Let’s all discover our faith.
Back in school I remember my teacher trying to explain the concept of multiplication. He used simple examples to explain the concept to me and it took me a while but I got it. Two times two equals four. Four times four equals sixteen. I understood that if you take a number and multiply it by another number you would come up with a higher number.
Life was good until the teacher told me that ½ times ½ equaled 1/4th. I didn’t get it. I argued with the teacher and remember taking one half of something like an apple and taking another half an apple and putting them together to show that ½ times ½ equaled one whole.
He was adamant in his decision that ½ times ½ equaled ¼. I thought he was nuts and everyone else who came to that conclusion was nuts and the whole numbers system was junk because ½ times ½ did not equal ¼. After arguing with my teacher for a while I finally gave in agreed to make ½ times ½ equal ¼ even if I didn’t think it was right.
It turns out that I was wrong. ½ times ½ does equal ¼ and that’s just a fact. There isn’t anything I can do to change it because it’s a reality. Even if I didn’t get it, even if I didn’t understand it, the fact is that it’s true. It was true when I was in grade school and it’s true today. Mathematical principles are timeless. What was true 100 years ago is true today. What was true 500 years ago is true today. What was true 5000 years ago is true today. Just because I didn’t get it didn’t mean that it wasn’t true.
The first foundational block we are going to set in place deals with the concept of one God who resides in three parts: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
If you were to write this concept of one God in three persons into a mathematical formula here is what you would get.
1=3
Another way to write it would look like this
3=1
Let me ask you a question: What illustrations have you heard to describe the concept of one God who resides in three parts? Some people have said that God is like an egg. You have the yolk, the white stuff, and the shell. All three parts make up the sum total of the egg. Others have said that the three in one concept is like fire. Fire gives off heat, light, and gas. Still others have said that the concept of three in one is like water. Water can be ice, liquid or gas. All three are water but are distinctly different from one another. Whichever illustration you use is up to you. I’m not sure of any of them are a perfect fit but at least they try to explain the concept.
We have come up with a word that describes the three in one concept. It’s the word “trinity” and we get this word from combining two other words: “tri” meaning three and “unity” meaning one, thus the word trinity or three in one. The trinity consists of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three coeternal and coexistent parts alone and together equal one God.
The concept of the trinity has been the subject of debate for thousands of years. Theologians have written volumes about it, professors have taught multiple classes on it, and people of faith have tried to understand it. In my opinion there are some elements of our faith that we will never fully understand. That’s why they call it faith. My finite mind cannot fully understand an infinite God.
Millard Erickson, a prominent Theological scholar writes: “Among the religions of the world, the Christian faith is unique in making the claim that God is one and yet there are three who are God. In doing so, it presents what seems on the surface to be a self-contradictory doctrine. Furthermore, this doctrine is not overtly or explicitly stated in Scripture. Nevertheless, devout minds have been led to it as they sought to do justice to the witness of Scripture.” (Introducing Christian Doctrine, Millard Erickson, page 96, Baker, 1992)
I think it’s helpful to look at the trinity from three different perspectives. Each perspective adds to my understanding of the concept and helps me lay a solid foundation on which to set my beliefs.
THREE PERSPECTIVES TO PONDER
1. The evidence that suggests one God with three parts.
Does the evidence validate the theory? Where do we find the evidence of the trinity? We can find the evidence recorded in the Bible. The Bible was written over hundreds of years by dozens of authors and all of them either carry or take for granted the concept of One God who exists in three distinct parts.
2. Logical conclusions.
The second perspective is gathered from logic. What sort of logical conclusions can we come to by using what we know about the world and about people and about material things and feelings and emotions? We are not studying an object that can be set in front of us and dissected with scientific methods; rather we are trying to unwrap a philosophical concept that touches us and simultaneously exists beyond us.
3. The faith factor.
The third perspective involves faith. Since we are studying an idea that cannot be fully comprehended with the limitations of our physical brain it’s going to take a little faith to accept the conclusions as fact. It’s kind of like flying on a plane. You don’t know how every part of the jet works or what it’s made up of or what holds all the molecules together, you just want to arrive safely at your destination. If you faith is build the evidence and logic that supports the theory of the trinity, than it will ultimately take you to the favorable destination.
We need to look at the evidence of the trinity, use the evidence to draw logical conclusions then add a touch of faith in order set our foundation in place. SO what does the evidence say? That’s a good place to start. The Bible tells us that God there is only one God.
“And God spoke all these words: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 NIV
This commandment issues the decree that there is one God. This is just one passage out of many proclaiming that there is only one God. Jesus even validates this fact while having a conversation with a man that’s recorded in the Gospel of Mark.
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ’Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.” Mark 12:28-34 NIV
Jesus validated the man’s belief that there is only one God when he said: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Paul writes:
“...since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.” Romans 3:30 NIV
The Biblical evidence suggests that there is one God. That is clear from the text we just read. But the Biblical evidence also suggests that a triune relationship exists between God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit. We can draw that conclusion from the evidence that we have.
In Mark Jesus agreed that there is only one God then in John 10:30 he says:
“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30 NIV
In many other passages he says “My Father” which was unheard of in Jesus day. By calling God “My Father” he was suggesting a special relationship. Other NT writes also call Jesus God as we shall see.
The Holy Spiiti is also called God. In Acts chapter 5 Ananias and Saphira lied to the Holy Spirit who is also mentioned as God.
“Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." Acts 5:3-5 NIV
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ writes:
“To God’s elect…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:” 1 Peter 1-2 NIV
This passage mentions all three parts and still refers to God as one by saying “God’s elect.”
John does the same thing when he writes:
“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” 1 John 5:7-8 KJV
One of my favorite Biblical examples of the trinity is recorded in story form. In the book of Genesis there is a story written about Abraham and a surprise visit by three guests.
“The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.” Genesis 18:1-3 NIV
Although there were three people present Abraham seemed to talk to all three as if they were one. And they seemed to answer him as if they were one. Listen to a little more of the story:
“Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say." So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.” Genesis 18:4-10 NIV
Notice how they responded. They responded as one. Verse ten says “Then the LORD said” Whenever the NIV translation uses capitol letters to spell LORD they are translating the Hebrew word Jehovah or “Yaweh” which means “he who is.”
You can find the same sort of language in Genesis 1:26.
“Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26 NIV
The Holy Spirit works in us to reveal the Son who points us to the Father. All three parts of the trinity work together to reveal the glory of God. The concept of One God that coexists in three parts is a mystery that will not be fully revealed until we stand before God in heaven and ask Him. All I know is that this triune God loves me and cares for me. He provides for my physical and emotional needs. He picks me up when I am down and straightens me out when I get bent out of shape. He made the beautiful sky and the deep blue sea. This concept of God can be intellectually accepted by my brain, felt by my heart, and applied by my faith. In conclusion, what do you believe? Do you really know? I want to encourage you to dig in and start setting your spiritual foundation in place. Today we have only set the first block.
