15 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know By Heart HERE, Christianity.com: Why should we try to understand the Trinity? In too many cases, well-intended church ministries have usurped the fathers role in the discipleship of his children. Salvation comes by knowing the Father through the Son. Read more scriptures about the Trinity here. God will honor you as you seek to honor him and his Word. So it's a hard one for a child, but that is, I think, the importance of catechetical teaching, in that we explain to our children, that God is three-in-one and one-in-three. History's greatest minds have stood in amazement before a God so great that he cannot be contained by our puny explanations. How much better to train men so that they can lead their families to grow in love for God and in knowledge of Gods Word! Let's start with the negative and work toward the positive. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit is not the Father, but each is God individually and yet they are together the one true God of the Bible. The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Though it is hard to understand and articulate, the Bible indicates there is a difference between the way the Son comes from the Father, eternally begotten, and the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, eternal procession. I'm not suggesting that Isaiah fully understood the Trinity or that the Jewish readers would have understood what it meant, but I do think that in the light of the New Testament, we can say that this seems to be a clear statement of the Trinity in the Old Testament. In this section of the message I want to examine some of the common questions about the Trinity. To receive the Holy Spirit into your heart, you must believe that God is able to give His Spirit to you. He is the Source of life and the One for whom human life exists. Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, I am Gods Son? He revealed the mystery of Christ to the apostles and prophets. I find it astonishing that it is in this text, of all New Testament passages that teach on husband and wife relations, that the strongest language is used to describe a wifes submission! They eventually reduced their belief in the Trinity to two short statements. But at that moment, when he bore the full weight of the sins of the world, when all that is evil and wretched was poured out upon him, in some way we cannot begin to fathom, Godwho cannot look upon sinturned his back on his own Son. At the level of the divine essence, each is quite literally indistinguishable as each possesses eternally and fully the identically same divine nature. These realms are each given rulers (the sun and moon, birds and fish, land creatures and humanity). (1) This article has been excerpted from the forthcomingbook Trained in the Fear of God: Family Ministry in Theological, Historical, and Practical Perspective, ed. "This is a question little children like to stump their parents with. The Spirits role in redemption doesnt stop with Christs death and resurrection. If you were to describe the Spirits relationship with the Father and Son in a single word it would be procession. While the Father is uncreated and the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. What are the Distinct Roles and Relationships of the Persons within the Trinity? I have no doubt that God is much more than "one in essence, three in Person," but since I can't even understand those simple phrases, I don't worry at all about what else might be true about God. In a very real sense, as the husbands and fathers go, so goes the family and, as households in a congregation go, so goes the congregation. Luke 11:13 For instance, in Genesis 1:2, God the Spirit brings the life of the universe into being, and also, in Genesis 1:26 when God decides to create human beings, He says, Let us make Who was he talking to? While it is true that the Son bore our sin on the cross, it is also true that the Father is the One who put our sin upon his own Son, in order to save us through the death that he would bring about through his Son (Isa 53:10; 2 Cor 5:21). Copyright 2023, Southern Equip. In short, the Trinity provides us with a model in which we understand the members of a family as fully equal in their value and dignity as human beings made in Gods image. While this specific issue is beyond the scope of this article, the editors recommend reference to Ware, Father, Son, and Spirit, 146-148; David Powli- son, et al., Pastoral Responses to Domestic Violence, in Pastoral Leadership for Manhood and Womanhood, eds. It was the superabundant love among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that sent the Son to save us. 2 Corinthians 13:14 The Son expresses the Father to the rest of creation, is the immediate agent of I know thou art mine.'" Perhaps the reason for the difference is what Augustine suggested: There is no end to begetting, the son could beget another son, and so forth. Just as God calls all of us to submit to authority with whole heart and willing spirit, so this special calling and privilege is given to wives as a reflection of the triune relations within the Godhead. All Christians heartily affirm this truth. To distinguish the roles and relationships that exist in and among the triune Persons, we might say this: The Father is supreme in authority among the Persons of the Godhead, and he is responsible for devising the grand purposes and plans that take place through all of creation and redemption (see, for example, Eph 1:3, 9-11). And actually, it helps us to get to know God authentically when we understand that he is Trinity. Wives nonetheless are commanded to submit to these imperfect husbands. He has the personhood and mind of God, and performs a special duty to help us connect with God the Father. The purpose for which God creates every person is entry . D. The Trinity exalts the Son and the Spirit.We all know that God the Father is to be worshiped. In their minds, Christians worship three Gods, not one. That's the heresy called Modalism. If it be asked, how could one man pay for the sins of the entire race, we find the answer in the doctrine of the Trinity. What Are the Names of God Found in the Bible? They relate eternally and perfectly - they are always relating, and are never separate. KillerCrate - CAM DOCTOR CATCHES Crate!. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder ( James 2:19). If by Second, we don't believe that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are three "forms" of Godlike, steam, water and ice. ", And we have to be honest enough to say, "No, it doesn't, that this is a profound mystery." WebAccording to the Trinity doctrine, therefore, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, yet there is only one God. They all are useful as long as you remember; they are only illustrations. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. When the Son came, he made it clear over and again that he came down from heaven to do his Fathers will ( John 6:38), even declaring in Gethsemane that hisupcoming death on the cross was specifically the will of his Father (Matt 26:39). All rights reserved. WebThe Holy Spirit bears the title of Lord with God the Father and Christ the Son. This truly is a marvel to consider. You have, if you like, a formulation of that. Unity of Purpose and Harmony of Mission within the Trinity The reality of his Gethsemane experience is explained so much, the distinction between who he is as the son, and, then, the father looking down upon his son. Our culture despises submission as much as it despises authority, but God calls us to a different mind and heart on this matter. One might expect that, in the next verse, Paul would have continued to urge both parents-but he doesnt! Furthermore, He transforms the lives and hearts of those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ. This person is one. 30 I and the Father are one. 31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, Yet I believe it is true. . This term is referred to as Trinity, a Christian doctrine. Webpatrick fuller son of robert fuller. They each fully possess one undivided divine nature. The Holy Spirit does not have a physical body but rather describes qualities, characteristics, and actions. A little later Jesus again said, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. Take away any one of those three and the universe would cease to exist. What do those strange, tortured words mean? How does this doctrine of the Trinity constitute the foundation for family ministry in the church? Yet these are the works of the triune God, with the Father, Son, and Spirit each contributing to the whole of the work and together accomplishing all that God brings to pass. Now, notice this carefully: Since by nature or essence the Father, Son, and Spirit are identically the same, what distinguishes the Father from the Son and each of them from the Spirit cannot be their one and undivided divine essence. The more we understand about him, the more we'll understand about ourselves and the world in which we live. Why? He is the Spirit of God and Spirit of Christ. Does it Matter That I Didn't Keep My Goals for Lent? But still, we can pray to the Spirit because we are also called into fellowship with the Spirit. We don't believe in the Trinity because of the word, but because of what the Bible teaches. God is one essence, not a jumble of parts or pieces put together. The Spirit does this by inspiring the authors of the Bible so that people like you and me would know who Jesus is and what he has done for our salvation (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21). His hobbies include biking, surfing the Internet, and anything related to the Civil War. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each possesses not merely the same kind of naturethat is to say, divine nature. They are each equally God. But let us not quibble or imagine that the Father is slighted if we direct our prayers to the Son or the Spirit, according to the moment's need. B. Sola Media Group is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Federal ID # 27-0565982. Who Is the Creator, God the Son or God the Father? Notice that parentsthat is fathers and mothersare in view in these first two verses. The distinctions in their work, then, must be recognized if we are to understand rightly the outworking of Gods purposes and plans. Which is it? After Christ ascended he sent the Holy Spirit to gather his sheep into his fold. Instead of "Father," Jesus cries out, "My God, my God!" Second, we will consider some broad areas of trinitarian relationships in order to see how the doctrine of Trinity provides helpful example and instruction for how we should live in relationship with others. All rights reserved. However, that simply isn't true. you must believe that Jesus died for your sins, rose again, and is seated at the right hand of the father. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. One sinful response is for men to abuse their headship by being heavy-handed, mean-spirited, harsh, or demanding in unloving ways. Finally, all three Persons are associated together on an equal basis in numerous passages: This list of passages might be extended. WebThe difference is that the Son receives the Divine Essence from the Father alone, whereas the Holy Spirit receives the Divine Essence from the Father through the Son. It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some To many persons, the Trinity seems to be nearly impossible to understand and quite removed from real life issues. James in the New Testament agrees. The Trinity and Family Ministry In this way we see that God is not a static singularity (only Father), nor is he a never-ending emanation of being (just Father and Son). This trinitarian perspective helps us to understand the family. The Father gave the Son, the Son offered himself on the Cross, and the Holy Spirit brought us to Jesus. Scripture shows how each member of the Trinity fulfills His specific role and how those three roles interrelate. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Add children and then you have the family as a miniature (and very imperfect) version of the Trinity. God has assigned husbands and fathers a sacred stewardship that involves responsibility for the spiritual growth and well-being of wives and children. Like His fellow Jews, Jesus affirmed the truth of Deuteronomy 6:4: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.. 2. The wife is under the authority of her husband, but is over the children in the household, partnering with their father to ensure that they learn godliness and obedience. 14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. We are not free to create God in our own image. Each Person is equal in essence to the other divine Persons. I will gird you, though you have not known me; that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides me. God has shown us that he is one God in three persons, God has given us that insight for us to know and to understand. Did n't Keep my Goals for Lent word, but God calls us a... That I Did n't Keep my Goals for Lent three Roles interrelate constitute the foundation family. And is seated at the level of the divine essence, not a jumble of or... Mind and heart on this matter divine Persons short statements three Persons are together... 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