Let me open by saying that the Irony of "The Trinity--Part 4" is not lost on me. Why exactally did I choose to have a part four when talking about the three persons of God? Up to this point we have studied the Three parts of the deity as mostly seperate persons. For instance we saw how the Holy Spirit was the great communicator and guide, we saw how God the Father was Creator and Judge, and we have seen how Jesus Christ was the compassionate sacrifice. Today I want to examine how the three are entertwined and explore more closely the statement, Three in one.
Christian doctrine holds that the God is one being that simultaneously and eternally exists in three persons. What this basically means, as I understand it, is that the essence of God is one spiritual being. However, the essence is poured into three seperate "containers". Although 1/3 of the essence dwells in each part, no part is whole without the other 2/3. Equally, each part is God. However, unlike polytheistic religons(where they believe in more than one god who often control one element of the earth or afterlife) Christians believe that the three persons of God share one deity and one being.
It is important to understand that all three persons of God co-exsist simultaneously. One part does not go away just because the other part is present. Jesus prayed to God the Father and at the time of his baptism the Spirit (Holy Spirit) descended upon Jesus like a dove. So in the lifetime of Jesus we saw all three persons of God active. Just as in biblical times we had the physical form of Jesus, yet we did not have the Holy Spirit (until Pentecost), now we look for the return of Jesus yet have the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and guide us.
I hope that this idea makes sense, but I totally understand if it does not. This is not an easy of biblical ideas to grasp. The more important question may be, "is it important for us to completely understand the Trinity?" The answer, I believe, is no. God never says that we must fully understand everything about him, only that we understand enough to trust him. Job certainly did not understand the ways of God when he was going through his trials.
Job 37:5
God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding
Job was the most righteous man of his day, and I believe that we would be hard pressed in our time to find a man to rival him. In all of the tests and trials Job experienced he was able to come to a great epiphany. Man cannot always understand why God is the way he is or why he does the things he does, but if man trusts in God, believes in his word, and lives in righteousness God will be with him. While we may not fully understand why one God would choose to live in three persons we must accept it as truth and be thankful for what God provides us through all of his persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prayer: Father you are a marvelous and wonderful God. We praise your name and stand in awe of who you are. We thank you Father for being creator and making every good gift in this world and the next. We thank you Holy Spirit for dwelling within us, giving us guidance and, when needed, convicting us to substantiate change. We thank you Lord Jesus for shoosing to place compassion over power, we know you could have said enough, you could have said no more, you caould have said we are not worth it. You instead chose love over pain, thank you. Be with us we pray in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Use us as your modern disciples to go into all the world and preach the good word, being unafraid and believing that you are Soveriegn and holy. In all things your will be done. Amen.
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