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Why We Believe In The Trinity
Contributed by David Beirne on May 17, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: A basic introduction to the reasons we hold the Triune nature of God to be a basic tenet of faith.
Why We Believe In The Trinity
2 Corinthians 13:14
A little boy digs a hole on the beach. He runs to the water, fills a bucket, runs back and pours it into the hole. His mother asks, “ Son, what are you trying to do?” He proudly replied, “I’m going to pour the whole ocean into this hole.” That’s you and me trying to understand the nature of the Almighty God.
A “Trinity” is a word not found in Scripture
B It is a word used to express the unity of God subsisting in three
distinct persons
C It is a word describing the unity of the Godhead as three coeternal, coequal Persons, each having the same nature and essence, but
distinct subsistence
1. We See The Trinity As Pre-Understood
Matthew 28:19--"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ”
1 Peter 1:2– “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.”
Isaiah 48:16– "Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit have sent Me."
2. We See The Trinity In Action
Each Person of the Trinity doing actions that we attribute to God.
Creation :
Genesis 1:1-2-- “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
John 1:1-3-- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
New Creation:
John 14:26– "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things...”
John 15:26– “ But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me .”
Galatians 4:6– “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
See also 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
Salvation
Ephesians 1:4-6 work of the Father
Ephesians 1:7-12 work of the Son
Ephesians 1:13-14 work of the Holy Spirit
Encouragement
Matthew 3 at the baptism of Jesus
Matthew 17 at the transfiguration of Jesus
So Why Is The Trinity So Important?
John 4:23-24– “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
1. We must have a correct view of Him to worship Him.
(Our Lord is “not a riddle to solve but a mystery to adore”)
2. A wrong view of the Trinity is a clear mark of a cult. Do you want to know if they are a cult? Study how they view the divinity of Jesus.
3. Even God enjoys communion.
4. Rejoice in the extent to which He will go to establish a relationship with me.