GOD IS TRIUNE
Today's message has an apologetic tone to it, a case for the Trinity. The reason would be that Christians are accused by monotheistic religions like Islam of worshipping many or three gods, known as polytheism or tritheism. But that's not what the Bible reveals or what Christians advocate.
The word trinity means “triunity” or “three-in-oneness.” The word trinity is not in the Bible but the identity of three persons working in perfect unity as one God is in the Bible. This term has been used to explain the evidence found in the Bible of one God in three persons. The trinity is progressively revealed throughout the Bible and is explicitly mentioned fully in the New Testament.
Defining the Trinity
God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. -Wayne Grudem
Matthew 3:14-17 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” 15 But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. 16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Jesus in the water. The Spirit of God as a dove settling on Jesus. God speaks from heaven with the approval of His Son.
There are three statements that help summarize the Biblical teaching of the Trinity
God is three persons.
Each person is fully God.
There is one God.
GOD IS THREE PERSONS
The Trinity existed before creation and was involved in the creation of the world.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
In “our” image or “our” likeness
Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
John 1:1-4 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
Colossians 1:15-17 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Jesus affirmed the three persons of the Trinity
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The distinct personhood of each one is mentioned. The Holy Spirit is viewed as a person and of equal standing with the Father and the Son.
The word “Name” in Greek here is not plural, but singular, further driving the point that there is one God but in three distinct persons on equal standing.
The Apostles affirmed the three persons of the Trinity
1 Peter 1:2God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
Jude 1:20-21 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
EACH PERSON IS FULLY GOD
John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 1:3 NIV The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
John 14:8-11 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
But what about the Holy Spirit?
Acts 5:1-4 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
To lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God
1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
God and the Holy Spirit are synonymous here. God is with us, because God’s Spirit is co-equal to God.
Psalm 139:7-8 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
Only God is omnipresent but here the psalmist equates the Holy Spirit with being omnipresent, implying the Holy Spirit is God’s presence in our midst.
1 John 3:9 teaches us that becoming a child of God is only possible by God, being born of God. But John 3:5-7 shows us that in order to be born again we must be born of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Once again, equating the Holy Spirit with God.
GOD IS ONE
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Isaiah 45:5-6 I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, 6 so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.
The Bible reveals there is One God, yet in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were in fellowship before creation, working together in creation, working redemption throughout human history, and working on our behalf today.
Application
The Trinity Makes God Knowable
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
Romans 5:5 …For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
No one can see God and live (Exodus 33:20). How can we know God if we can’t see or handle His glorious presence? Jesus and the Holy Spirit
Because of the Trinity, God is not just someone we can believe in; He’s someone we can experience.
The Trinity Makes a Christian
God sent His Son to save your life (John 3:16). The Son obeyed His Father and gave His life (John 17:1; 1 Tim. 2:6). The Holy Spirit comes in to cleanse and gives us new life (John 3:3-6; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:9-17).
It was the whole Trinity, which at the beginning of creation said, "Let us make man". It was the whole Trinity again, which at the beginning of the Gospel seemed to say, "Let us save man". -J. C. Ryle
“When thou sayest, ‘Saviour,’ remember there is a Trinity in that word — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, this Saviour being three persons under one name. Thou canst not be saved by the Son without the Father, nor by the Father without the Son, nor by Father and Son without the Spirit. But as they are one in creation, so are they one in salvation, working together in one God for our salvation.” -Charles Spurgeon
The Trinity Empowers the Christian
Ephesians 3:14-17 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
The Trinity shows that God is actively working in you. The Christian life is less about trying harder and more about depending deeper, especially in times of temptation, anxiety, or spiritual growth. Depend less on your own power and more on the Trinity’s power!
According to tradition, St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer was written in 433 A.D. for divine protection while doing mission work in the dangerous country of Ireland. The prayer begins as such: I arise today, through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity. Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
The Father is for you. The Son is with you. The Spirit is in you.
The Trinity Encourages Community
God is love, and the Trinity is a perfect fellowship of love. You were created by a relational God, for relationship. The Trinity forms the church, the family of God that every believer belongs to the church.
Ephesians 2:18-22 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Prioritize church community. Don’t isolate yourself. Invest in relationships. Keep peace and unity with love. Reach and invite the lost through the power and love of the Trinity
Discussion
How would you explain the Trinity in your own words to someone who has never heard of it?
What evidence from Pastor Ryan’s message shows that Jesus is fully God?
What does it look like in your daily life to “experience” God?
In what areas of your life do you need to rely on God’s strength instead of your own?
What do you value about each person’s work and role in the Trinity?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
How can we pray together for you today?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life, we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and, when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways, and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!