This is one of the best diagrams and illustrations of
the trinity that I have run across.
We know that there are three persons in the trinity.
We know that there is the Father.
We know that there is the Son.
We know that there is the Holy Spirit.
We know that these do not operate in succession.
We know that these operate simultaneously.
We know that these are all a unity within God.
We know that there are subordinations among the three.
What we don’t know is that they are all God. At
times we tend to begin to think of them as individuals. They are all God, and as such they all deserve worship, adoration
and all those things that we tend to think of as, for God the Father.
They are distinct in person and purpose yet the three
are recognized in the
Scriptures: The Father: Romans 1:7, “To all that be in Rome,
beloved of God, called to be saints Grace to you and peace from God our Father....” The Son: Hebrews 1:8, “Unto the Son he saith,
Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever....” The Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3-4, “Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart
to lie to the Holy Ghost......thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” There are some reasons why there are distinctions:
1. Identification: There is the obvious, in that there needs
to be a way of distinguishing the three members of the Trinity from one another.
2. Ministry: There is a specific area of ministry for
all three persons of the Trinity. The Father is the Prime mover and planner. The Son is the prime activator. The Holy Spirit
is the prime messenger between God and man.
3. Subordination: The three have definite ministries and places
in the overall scheme of the decrees. The Father seems to be the one that set the plan into motion, while the Son is the one
that provided the possibility of the plan’s completion, through His shed blood. The Spirit is the person that moves
in the universe and in man to do the work of the Father. (It is to be remembered that the Son also was about the work of the
Father.)
4. Man’s Limited Understanding: Some might suggest that this
is to help us grasp the concept of God. Man cannot comprehend God and so God put his Being into the terms that we could understand
with our mentality. This would be similar to anthropomorphisms. To me the terminology used and the frequency of use would
indicate that the three are very real and not to be viewed as anthropomorphisms.
GOD THE FATHER
There are five areas in which He is the Father.
a. He is the Father of all creation. He planned
and instigated the creation of the heavens and the earth. Malachi 2:10, Acts 17:29, Hebrews 12:9, James 1:17.
b. He is the Father of Israel. Exodus 4:22
c. He is the Father of Christ.
d. He is the Father of all believers. John 1:12
e. He is the Father of all mankind.
This is accepted and taught by many religions, both
past and present. Acts 17:22-31 Verse 29 mentions, “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God....” What is
the Father to you? a. He should be your comfort. b. He should be your strength. c. He should be your hope. d. He should be
your concentration in prayer. e. He should be your guide in holy living. If He is not these things to you, then you are not
enjoying the God that saved you for His joy, His purpose, and His glory.
GOD THE SON
1. He is the Son of man. This is a title that
the Lord used of Himself. Luke 6:22
2. He is the Son of God. He is completely and
totally God. Mark 1:1
3. He is the Son of Mary. He is completely and
totally man. Matthew 1:20-21
4. He is the Son of David. He is descended from
the royal line of David, so that He can sit upon David’s throne in the Millennial kingdom. Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:30-33
What is the Son to you?
a. He should be your savior.
b. He should be your brother.
c. He should be your example.
d. He should be your message.
e. He should be your reason for serving.
Again, if God the Son is not these things to you, you
are then missing out on the true joy and power of Almighty God.
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. He is the Spirit of God. He is in close relation
to the Father. Matthew 12:28
2. He is Spirit of the Lord. He is in close relation
to the Son. Luke 4:18
3. He is the Holy Spirit. He is Himself. Luke
11:13
4. He is the Spirit of truth. John 14:17, John
15:26
What is the Spirit to you?
a. He should be your guide.
b. He should be your teacher.
c. He should be your comfort.
d. He should be your illuminator.
If God the Holy Spirit is not these things
to you then you will not be in close communication with the God that extended His mercy to you through salvation. Guthrie,
Shirley C. Jr.; “Christian
Doctrines”;
Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1968, has some good quotes from history if you have the book available to you. Do we not see God
the Father as the one over us with power to judge, God the Son as the one in front of us with power to cleanse, and God the
Holy Spirit as the one in us with power to minister?
CONCLUSION
The thought that was mentioned earlier is
worth reconsidering. This is the God that we serve. He is not just the Father, He is not just the Son, and He is not just
the Holy Spirit. This demands that we never concentrate on one or two to the exclusion of the other. We tend to separate,
divide and isolate the members of the trinity for our purpose of study, and I fear we leave them that way at times. He is
all three As
Well As One.
