Three-In-One! Series

OTHER THAN JOHN 3:16 AND THE 23RD PSALM, WE HAVE PAUL CONCLUDING HIS SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS WITH SOME OF THE MOST QUOATED WORDS IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE. NOWHERE ELSE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WILL YOU FIND GOD THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT MENTIONED TOGETHER IN SUCH A BLESSING.

THIS BLESSING HAS BECOME OUR “MARCHING ORDERS” AND OUR AUTHORIZATION TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD PROCLAIMING THE LOVE OF GOD IN THREE PERSONS: THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, FROM GOD THE FATHER, SACRIFICIAL LOVE IN GOD THE SON, JESUS CHRIST, THAT IS MADE CAPABLE BY GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE TRINITY! THIS HOLY UNION IS A BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY THAT HAS BEEN THE VERY ROOT OF THE CHURCH’S LIVING FAITH. WE ARE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE TRINITY. WE CONFESS OUR BELIEF IN THE TRINITY IN BOTH SACRAMENTS AND OUR CREEDS.

OUR DENOMINATION, THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH, IN OUR ARTICLES OF RELIGION OF THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, STATES THIS: “THERE IS BUT ONE LIVING AND TRUE GOD, THE MAKER AND PRESERVER OF ALL THINGS. AND IN THE UNITY OF THIS GODHEAD THERE ARE THREE PERSONS: THE FATHER, THE SONAND THE HOLY SPIRIT. THESE THREE ARE ONE IN ETERNITY, DEITY AND PURPOSE; EVERLASTING OF INFINITE POWER, WISDOM AND GOODNESS.”

AS SIMPLISTIC AS WE CAN POSSIBLY SAY IT: GOD REVEALS HIMSELF TO US AS ONE GOD, BUT 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, BY FAITH, ACCEPT IT AS TRUE AND THEN PRAISE GOD FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE WAYS THAT GOD REVELS HIMSELF TO US.

THE REASON WE CHOOSE TO PRAISE GOD FOR HIS REVELATION IS BECAUSE, AS AUGUSTINE STATED, "IS NOT BECAUSE WE CAN SAY SOMETHING ADEQUATELY ABOUT IT, BUT RATHER BECAUSE, IN THE ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE SPEECH, WE MUST SAY SOMETHING!"

THAT MEANS, GOD, AS THE FATHER, WE PRAISE HIM THAT HE IS NOT ONLY OUR LOVING FATHER, BUT THE ONE TRUE, HOLY AND LIVING GOD ABOVE ALL OTHER GODS. PSALM 96:4-5 “GREAT IS THE LORD! HE IS MOST WORTHY OF PRAISE! HE IS TO BE FEARED ABOVE ALL GODS. THE GODS OF OTHER NATIONS ARE MERE IDOLS….”

WE PRAISE HIM FOR RECONCILING US THROUGH HIS LOVE AND GRACE BY THE BLOOD OF HIS SON JESUS. HE DID THIS SO THAT WE COULD LIVE AT PEACE WITH HIM. ROMANS 5:8, “BUT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE FOR US IN THIS: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.” ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND SO MUCH MORE, ARE WORTHY OF PRAISE AS GOD THE FATHER!

AS THE SON, JESUS CHRIST, WE CAN PRAISE GOD FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO BE “GOD IN THE FLESH” BY JOINING TOGETHER THE DEITY OF GOD WITH THE HUMANITY OF HUMANKIND. HE WAS BORN OF THE VIRGIN, MARY AND WAS TRULY GOD AND TRULY HUMAN.

HE CAME TO SAVE US. THROUGH OBEDIENCE, HE LIVED AS A SERVANT TO SUFFER AND DIE UPON THE CROSS TO BECOME OUR SAVIOR. HE TRULY POURED OUT HIS LIFE AS A BLAMELESS SACRIFICE FOR OUR SIN AND TRANGRESSIONS.

PRAISE HIM THAT HE MADE FORGIVENESS, RECONCILIATION, AND ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD POSSIBLE BY LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE IN OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER. WE CAN PRAISE HIM FOR CONQUERING THE GRAVE BY RISING FROM THE DEAD. PRAISE HIM THAT ONE DAY HE WILL COME BACK FOR US AS HE PROMISED.

HE SAID, IN JOHN 14:2-3 “THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM IN MY FATHER’S HOME. IF THIS WERE NOT SO, WOULD I HAVE TOLD YOU THAT I AM GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU? WHEN EVERYTHING IS READY, I WILL COME AND GET YOU, SO THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME WHERE I AM.”WE PRAISE GOD THE SON, JESUS CHRIST!

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. HIS CONVICTION AND GUIDANCE LEADS US TO HOLINESS IN ORDER TO GROW IN FAITH AND FRUITFULNESS.

HE IS OUR ADVOCATE, PRAYER WARRIOR, CONVICTOR, AND OUR GUIDING CONSCIENCE. THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR BOOK OF DISCIPLINE: “THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE THRID PERSON OF THE TRINITY. PROCEEDING FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON, HE IS ONE WITH THEM, THE ETERNAL GODHEAD, EQUAL IN DEITY, MAJESTY AND POWER. HE IS GOD EFFECTIVE IN CREATION, IN LIFE AND IN THE CHURCH. THE INCARNATION AND MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIT WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. HE CONTINUES TO REVEAL, INTERPRET AND GLORIFY THE SON.”

WE PRAISE GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AS HE IS OUR “KOINONIA” AS HE LAVISHES HIS POWER, AUTHORITY AND FELLOWSHIP UPON THE CHURCH BODY. KOINONIA MEANS “PARTICIPATION” WHICH TELLS US WHEN WE JOIN TOGETHER, THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE CAN ACHIEVE THE COMMON GOOD, BUILD THE CHURCH, SPREAD THE GOSPEL AND TO GLORIFY GOD, THE FATHER..