The Gospel of the Trinity

When we think of the Trinity, what comes to mind? How we attempt to explain the Tri-unity of the Godhead might be a gauge for how little we know or how incorrectly we make sense of the Trinity when someone asks for an explanation. Many illustrations have been offered over the years. I dare say many, if not all of these, fall woefully short of properly illustrating God the Three-in-One. In fact, what ends up being an honest attempt to explain the Trinity, say to a young child, ends up being a declaration of heresy known as “modalism” or “partialism” (conflating the persons or separating the essence). The egg, the clover, and H2o are some popular illustrations used to attempt to explain the distinction between the persons in the Godhead. As clever and innocent as they appear, they unfortunately fail to Biblically explain the Trinity. God is One in essence, Three in person. He does not reveal himself in three different ways. Nor is God made up of three parts (each person making up a third of the Godhead). What the Bible teaches about the Trinity is beautifully summarized in the Athanasian Creed: “We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.” What ends up being the best illustration of the Trinity is the gospel. Paul makes this explicitly clear in the opening introduction to his letter to the Romans (1:1-7). Paul believes in the Trinity, not because he sees God’s similarity to eggs or clovers, but because of the gospel. What we see in Romans is the importance of knowing that God our Father sends His Son that we might have peace with Him. He sends the Spirit of Sonship that we might be sons of God, crying “Abba, Father.” The majesty and mystery of the Trinity should not leave us anxious or frustrated at its seemingly incongruent, incomprehensible reality. Rather, as finite mortals, we should simply stand in awe at the God who is vast beyond time and space, the God who owes His existence to no one, the God who is neither contained nor restrained by anything outside of Himself. And yet, this is the God who loves and the God who helps. As you ponder the Trinity this week, allow this centralized truth to lead you to new heights of joy and love as you marvel at your relationship with the Spirit who indwells you, the Son who provides reconciliation and advocacy, and the Father who loves you as His own. Without the Trinity, we have no gospel. And without the gospel, we have no hope. –Pastor Nate

Sunday at Liberty

9AM: Calibration of Conscience–Romans 14:22-23

10AM: Pastor Nate–The Gospel of the Trinity–Romans 1:1-7 (sermon notes)

6PM: The Trinity in the Old Testament