Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Statement Of Faith

The Trinity Part 3

Intro: In  many churches today there is not a display of Trinitarian worship. Sure references are made to the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit but, there doesn't seem to be a conscious effort to declare that worship is in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

 That is why for the last three weeks I have tried to be very intentional  in our worship service, paying careful attention to recognize all three persons of the Trinity as we worship.

 After all, the NT is full of examples of Trinitarian worship: benedictions, doxologies and the baptismal formulae. Even a cursory look at the early Christian worship will reveal that their experience was always and everywhere an experience of worshipping the Triune God.

 I believe that if we as the Church of God do not restore a focus on the worship of the Triune God, our worship will be misdirected and inadequate and  will eventually lead, as it already has historically done, to a shift from the belief in the doctrine of the Trinity.

Trans: So, to be one who worships the tri-unity of the Godhead, we must be assured of the doctrine of the Trinity. And we have no better place to go to find evidence for the Trinity than to the Word of God itself .
Turn to Deut. 6:4

II. Evidence for the Trinity
    A. Hebrew Monotheism: The Oneness of God
ILL: Our Statement of Faith says 'There is one God'

God declares: Deuteronomy 6:4

    The Jews have been reciting the Shema for over 3400 years. Thre are very few Jews who could not recite from memory this text. They have had it etched in their minds from the time they were young enough to listen to their parents tell them the great story of their great God.   There is one true and living God.

New Testament declares:  John 17:3

 The New Testament Christians, like their Judiastic counterparts also believe that there is one true and living God. Make no mistake, Christians and Jews both believe that there is only one God. Then how can Christianity say they also believe in the Trinity, the  triunity? How can Christians say there is  a Godhead of three persons? And since God is one, then are the Jesus Only or United Pentecostals right when they say that there is only Jesus and the Father and Spirit are just different titles for Jesus?

 No, they are not right.  A crushing blow to the oneness theology or to that which is formally called modalism is the abundant Biblical evidence of the threeness of the Trinity.

  B. The Tri-unity or Plurality of the Godhead.
ILL: Our Statement of Faith continues and says 'the divine tri-uinty of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; eternally co-existing and equal in essence and attributes, yet distinct in office and activity'

        1. Biblical references to the plurality of the Godhead
 Elohim: Hebrew word for God. It is the plural form of the word El, singular god. Elohim is used in the OT over 5000 times and w/o exception Elohim is used with a singular verb.  Within the grammar we see that there is plurality and oneness in God.

 Echad: Hebrew word for one in a collective sense. It is used in this way in Gen. 2:24 where it says that Adam and Eve were two persons in one flesh. It is also used in Num. 13:23 when the spies brought back one cluster of grapes.

 Deut. 6:4 says that the Lord He is one. The Hebrew word for one here is echad. While the ancient Hebrews were strict monotheists, in the construction of the grammar we find God opening the door to display His plurality within His oneness.

God shows His plurality in other, more direct ways in Scripture.
             Gen. 1:26; Gen 3:22; Gen. 11:7; Isa. 6:8;
                                     1 Jn 5:7

KJV/NKJV: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

NIV: For there are three that testify: The Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

NAS: And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
 Here we have what seems to be an open and shut proof text for the doctrine of the Trinity. But, scholars have determined that this text is a gloss.

 A gloss is something added to the original text by a scribe or copyist, usually being  clarifying notes written in the margins of the manuscript.

 This text is not considered by most translations or Biblical scholars as original, so we must look elsewhere for evidence. In fact, this text is not found in any Greek manuscript, except the Textus Receptus which the KJV/NKJV is based.

 We can not base our defense of the Trinity or any other doctrine on a questionable text. However, we do have sufficient Scripture to show that each person of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are in fact, wholly God and fully divine.

        2. Each Person of the Godhead is Deity
 1 Thess. 1:10; Jn 2:19-21; Rom. 8:11
  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead.

 Acts 2:24
  God raised Jesus from the dead therefore all   three are God.

 a. The Father is God
     1 Cor. 1:3

 b. The Son is God
     John 8:56-59 (Ex. 3:14)

 c. The Spirit is God
     Acts 5:3-4

 Not only is each person of the Trinity divine, that they are of the same nature..remember, they all share that which makes God, God, but each person of the Trinity is distinct in action and attributes.

        3. Each Person of the Godhead is distinct

Matthew 1:20-23
     All three persons  of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the incarnation of Christ.

Matt. 3:15-17
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways  with the baptism of Jesus.

Matt. 28:19-20
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the Great Commission.
 Also note that in the Greek, tow (the) is used for each title and each is separated by kai (and). This helps support the view that in this text three distinct individual persons are being spoken of.

John 14:16
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the Lord's promise to his people.

Gal. 4:4-6
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the plan to send the Son.

Eph. 1:4-14
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the plan of salvation.

Eph. 2:14-18
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the uniting of the body of Christ and reconciliation with God.

Eph. 2:19-22
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the building of the Church.

Eph. 3:14-17
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with Paul's prayer for Believers.

Eph. 4:3-7
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with unity in the body of Christ.

Eph. 5:18-20
 All three persons of the Trinity are connected in different ways with the Believers worship.

 a. God the Father
     Matt. 24:36
 b. God the Son
     Jn. 6:40
 c  God the Spirit
     Isa. 48:16

        4. Each Person of the Godhead is eternal
 a. God the Father
     Gen. 1:1; Ps. 90:2
 b. God the Son
     Isa. 9:6
  Isaiah writing about the coming Messiah    says that He is eternal God
     1 Tim. 1:17
 c. God the Holy Spirit
     Gen. 1:2; Heb. 9:14

 The Trinity, our Tri-une God has never changed. From eternity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit have always been an un-begun and never ending fellowship.

 The doctrine of the Trinity can be successfully defended in Scripture because it is a Biblical concept, not one made up by man.

 Apart from proving the existence of the Trinity by Scripture, there is much we can learn from the Trinity to apply to our own everyday lives.

 No doctrine of Scripture is w/o personal application.
 No doctrine of Scripture is intended to only fill us with knowledge about God or ourselves.

Trans: All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. What is more practical than that?

 Let's get specific. How is a belief in and understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity truly practical?

III. Implication/Application
    A. It sharpens our understanding of God
 I think it is a true statement to say that most of us think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Sure we know that we are sinful, that we are not holy as God is holy, but we think we are pretty well on the way. So why wouldn't God create us and the world so that He can have fellowship with us? That is the reason some believe God created the heavens and the earth and all living creatures...because He was lonely and needed our company, after all, we like being with us?

 But this is pure heresy. God does not need us. God needs nothing. He was not lonely, He has always had perfect fellowship within the Trinity. No, God created us not because He needed our love but because He wanted to show us His love.

 The doctrine of the Trinity reminds us of God's greatness, His total otherness.  It reminds us that His ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts.  It reminds us of our smallness before Him and our total dependence on Him. God doesn't need us, we need Him! The doctrine of the Trinity helps us keep things in place, those which are eternal and those which are temporal. It helps us get a better understanding of who God is and as we learn more about Him there is more to love about Him.

    B. It gives us a standard to test doctrinal purity
 I mentioned a couple of times that if you do not believe in the doctrine of the Trinity (the three yet oneness of the Godhead) then you are not Christian.

 Remember I said that the Unitarian, Jehovah Witnesses, and Mormons do not believe in the Trinity or Tri-unity of the Godhead. So no matter what else they say, they are not to be welcomed into our churches or into our fellowship.

 The same goes for the Jesus Only or United Pentecostals. They hold to modalism and not three in oneness and we are to have nothing to do with them.

 The doctrine of the Trinity is a measuring stick we can use to determine false teachers and churches.

    C. It is the basis for all true fellowship
 Since we are created in the image of God and since within the Godhead there is perfect fellowship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we ought to seek, cherish and protect our fellowship within the body of Christ, the Church.

 Jesus in his high priestly prayer in John 17 asked the Father that we, the people of God, you and I, would be one as he is one with the Father.

 That means that within the fellowship of Believers, and within the church, there is no room for pride, jealousy, envy, strife, bitterness, anger, division and divisiveness.  NO ROOM, NO BUTS.  It is not to exist and we ought to be ashamed when it does for it is diametrically opposed to what Jesus prayed for us.

    D. It gives variety to the universe
 There is variety in the nature of the Godhead. There is not just oneness and sameness, but variety and diversity.  Since this is true then we should expect variety within His creation...and not only accept it but celebrate it.

 This ought to banish forever any prejudice thoughts and actions.

ILL: Someone once said that 11 Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the week.

 We have African-American worship services, Korean worship services, Chinese, we even have waspy worship services.  We have traditional, contemporary, alternative as well as charismatic and high liturgical worship services.

 There is both good and bad here. It is good in that the freedom we have in our  diversity of worship is a result, I believe, of the diversity in the Trinity. The bad is that we think our worship is the right way to do it and reject others as being unbiblical. That is elitism. And it is wrong.

 There is also variety in the way God created us. We are not all wired the same.

 Some, I don't know why, are early risers, others love the night time.
 Some are homebodies while others are social butterflies.
 Some are loud and others are quiet.
 Some are good with  teaching children while others are best teaching adults.
 Some are natural leaders in the church while others are born to follow.
 Some like highly expressive worship while others prefer a more reserved time before God.

 Some this and some that, but God created them all. And the variety and diversity which He gives us is good because it is likened to the variety of the Trinity.

    E. It promotes humility by it's unity and diversity
 But what we forget is that surrounding our diversity is equality. Each person of the Trinity, while distinct, is still equal, is still one. This means we have no right to criticize or look down on others for their difference. We have no right to think less of  others because they are not like us.

    We may have a visible, up front ministry in the church: a teacher, a ministry coordinator, Deacon, Trustee, Elder, even Pastor. But they are only helpers , a janitor, a no one of importance in the church.
                                                 Yet we are to be one and we must be humble.

 We may have money, an education and are well read. While they may be struggling just to get by and haven't ready anything but the TV Guide since HS, that is if they even graduated.
                                                    Yet, we are to be one, and we are to be humble.

 There may be some who come to church dressed to the 9's, with their big black bible in their hands and a big fat wallet in their back pocket. While another may come not dressed well, with nothing in his hands or in his pocket. Jesus spoke about this!
                                                           We are to be one, we are to be humble.

 To choose our way, our preferences, our lifestyle and to look down on others who differ from you as spiritually immature or even sinful is elitism, supported by pride and does not reflect the oneness of the Trinity because it shows a lack of humility.

 In Phil. 2:6 we read ' who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the form of a bondservant, ....He humbled himself'

Humility is a natural prerequisite for oneness. And Phil. 2:5 commands us 'Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus'.
                                                             We are to be one and we are to be humble.

    F. It stimulates our worship and godly living
 When this happens we are directed where all doctrine must lead us, to stimulate our worship of God and to holy living.

 When we see God for who He is, in the Trinity, even in our limited abilities, we ought to fall to our knees and worship Him for who He is and what He, through the Trinity has done.

 Both in private and public worship, we honor the Triune God. We worship the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit, together as one and individually for the unique parts they all play in the wonderful plan of the sovereign will of God.

 And as we begin to truly worship the Trinity, the Triunity of the Godhead, we will changed and we will desire to live godly lives from the overflow of our lives of worship.

Conclusion:
    Make the conscious decision to intentionally seek to know, to understand and to worship the Trinity. And a good place to begin is by singing, from our hearts,  hymn # 267,
'Come Thou Almighty King.'