I Believe: The Triune Godhead

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“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’”—Genesis 1:26 (NIV)  Today, we see the first instance in Scripture that depicts the Trinity. Upon creating the universe, God uses the pronoun “us” before making man. The Trinity is a doctrine displayed and proclaimed throughout the Bible. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands His disciples to baptize people “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 NIV, emphasis added).  But let’s be honest for a second, the Trinity is a concept that confuses most of us. In its most basic definition, the Trinity is the way God exists—as three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), who are also still one essence (God). How can God be three persons and one essence? It’s not something I can fully wrap my mind around, and it never will be. Every analogy possible falls short. Nonetheless, we often forget that not everything has to be fully understood in order to be believed in.  We usually don’t know all the details of how the Internet works, how the GPS works, or how our phones work, right? But we know enough to believe they’re real and to trust they’ll work for us. This is because we’ve seen evidence of these things working in our lives. It’s the same with the wind. We don’t usually see it, but we can feel it and see its effects around us as our hair blows and the trees sway. When it comes to the triune Godhead, we need to focus less on comprehending how it all works and focus more on what it means about God and what it means for us! So, what does the Trinity show us about God? Through the Trinity, we see God is . . .  Our Father. He created us, names us, provides for us, protects us, and desires for us to be in relationship with Him.  The Son. He’s Jesus Christ who took on flesh, being fully God and fully man, in order to become the final sacrifice for our sins and restore us to Himself.  The Holy Spirit. All throughout Scripture, He brought the plan and purposes of God to pass and dwell in those who put their faith in God—and He continues to do the exact same thing today for all believers.  Knowing these three aspects of the triune Godhead can help us recognize the following important concepts about God:
  • God exists in a complex way. This is because He’s sovereign and wonderful! He’s incomprehensible. He’s our mighty God who is worthy of our trust and praise.
  • God exists in a relational way. He’s personal and intimate! He’s in relationship with Himself, which helps Him to be in relationship with us in a deep way.
You see, God is still a mystery. There’s an element of the mystery that must always be retained because God wouldn’t be God without it. The beauty of accepting we’ll never fully understand the Trinity is that it frees us to actually have faith. Faith is all about believing in something we have evidence for yet still holds some mystery to it. That’s why we believe in the triune Godhead, because Scripture displays and proclaims it, there’s evidence in our everyday lives for it, and, best of all, it’s what makes God, God! Pause: Have you let the mystery of the Trinity prevent you from fully embracing it? God exists in this way. So today, consider what each aspect of the Trinity means to you. Practice: Write down or speak out loud a prayer that addresses each person in the Trinity. Practice talking to, acknowledging, and thanking the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Pray: God, thank You for being three in one. Thank You that the mystery of it is part of what makes You so glorious and holy. Thank You that despite the mystery, You still make Yourself clearly known to us. Father, thank You for always being a source of comfort and steadfast love. Thank You for providing for me! Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice that saved us and for being our friend! Holy Spirit, thank You for dwelling within me and guiding me in the way I should go. I love you, Lord. Amen. 
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