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John 5:18
We just sung one of the greatest hymns of the Christian faith which teaches perhaps the greatest doctrine of the faith.
Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty
Early in the morning
Our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy!
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity!
Anytime we sing this hymn, look at what we are affirming and acknowledging: (i) The Holiness of God, (ii) The Power of God (iii) The Mercies of God and the (iv) The Trinity.
God in three persons
Blessed Trinity!
This morning I want us to consider for a title The Trinity. During last weekâs sermon, I made mention of the Trinity and briefly made some comments. But in preparation for todayâs sermon, I thought that a subject as important as the Trinity, needs not just a mention in a sermon. Rather, it needs a sermon on itâs own. So I have decided we consider the doctrine of the Trinity today and maybe in the subsequent weeks. Let me give a roadmap by which we will consider this. I will firstly begin with a definition of the doctrine. Then out of the definition, we will work through these three things: The Oneness of God, The Distinction In Oneness, The Equality of Distinction in Oneness. Let me begin with a series of questions. Do you understand the Trinity? Can you explain and defend the doctrine? I admit there is a mystery around the doctrine of the Trinity and therefore we cannot fully comprehend it because indeed we cannot fully know God. I doubt if I will even be able to sufficiently address it without perhaps falling into an error. So talk to me after the service, if I make blunders in this sermon about the Holy Trinity. Despite these difficulties, however, in Godâs revelation of himself, he has clearly shown us he exists as a Triune God; that is Three in oneâ âTri Unityâ and based on this self-revelation of God, we must indeed believe the doctrine. And so I am hoping this sermon will bring clarity to some of us and to some of us also, it will crystalise what we already know. But overall, there will be a renewal and stirring up of our affections to what God has done for us in the Trinity. The hymn to God be the glory has a beautiful stanza.
Great things He has taught us, great things He has done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see
Letâs begin with a definition of the Trinity. And this is not original with me. Again, we quote the Westminster Shorter Catechism:
There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory
This definition summarises my points. Number 1
The Oneness of God
â…and these three are one Godâ This statement points us to the fact that there is only one God. Not three. We know the context of the verse we read. Jesus heals a lame man and he got into trouble with the Jews. They questioned the authority with which he did what he did. And you will notice in the interaction, that the Jews expressly affirmed and acknowledged the existence of God. Look together with me at verse 18: “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” âhe was even calling GodâŚmaking himself equal with Godâ To the Jews, the existence of God was not the problem, but rather another man making himself equal with God by his actions and statements. Again, it is God, who instituted the sabbath and it is only he who has the right to override the sabbath. And here comes this man claiming to have authority over the sabbath. God is working. Thatâs why I am working.
In other places in the gospel, Jesus refers to himself as Lord over the sabbath: âThe Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbathâ (Mark 2:28). So clearly, the Jews have gotten what Jesus is saying. And in the interaction we can see that God exists. At least he has been mentioned. The first book of the Bible opens with a statement about God. “In the beginning, GodâŚâ (Genesis 1:1a). God has not hidden himself from humanity. But has clearly revealed himself to us in his creation and in his word. And this God was known to the Jews. He revealed himself to their ancestors. And his self-revelation is recorded in their Scriptures, thatâs the old Testament. And undoubtedly, they have a cause to question this man, who claims to be God.
Because the God they know has revealed himself as One. Deuteronomy 6:3-6 âHear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.â
God has revealed himself in his word. He has clearly stated in his words his commandments: what pleases him and what displeases him. And to these commandments, He has, in the language of John Calvin annexed promises or simply he has made promises attached to his commands. And humanityâs response to these commandments is to be obedient and loving God. But rather, humanity has rebelled and continue to rebel and reject this God. All of us here, belong to that fallen human race that rebels against God. We chose our own ways. We walk away from the commandments and promises of God. And even for those of us who have come to faith in Christ, we do not always obey, do we? Now if God has revealed himself to the Israelites as One, as seen in the Scriptures, isnât it then justified that they will defend this One God. Where then from this idea of the Trinity? Some people have charged that Christians worship three Gods. Others have charged that this is a human doctrine. And if you have ever been confused about the Trinity, at least know today, accept it today, that Christians worship One God: we are Monotheists.
The Distinction In Oneness
But this one God has revealed himself to us as three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is, to our second point âDistinction In Onenessâ Remember last week, I noted that the repetition of the phrase âThe Father⌠The Sonâ in the chapter points us to the doctrine of the Trinity. And there is indeed a clear relationship between a Father and a Son: âFor the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.â (v.20).
You see, all the promises of God to the Israelites and in the Old Testament, pointed forward to the Lord Jesus Christ who will live a perfect life and fulfil all of Godâs commandments perfectly. None of us is capable of doing that. But Jesus Christ came as the promise of God fulfilled to live and obey God on our behalf. To make substitutionary atonement on our behalf, that is, to pay the penalty of sin that we deserve as sinners. This is why Christ came, to redeem a people for God. To reconcile sinners to God. And this is one of the implications of the Trinity, that God has fulfilled his promise of sending a Saviour and Messiah, who will save Godâs people from their sin.
I believe we all know something about waiting for a promise. For those who are parents with young children, you promise your children to buy them something when returning from town and they will never forget about it. You return and they are inspecting your luggage. They donât care about you at that moment. They are interested in their promise. And some of the requests are ridiculous. I believe as adults also, we look forward to the fulfilment of promises others have made to us. Donât we? Imagine you are looking for a job, and someone takes your CV and promises to help you, you look forward to it, donât you? And the young ladies here, is any of you by any means wearing a promise ring? Someone has promised to marry you and I can guess you are looking forward to that. And the youngmen, have you given any lady a promise ring? Please keep your promise if you have.
The Jews knew and looked forward to the promise of a coming Messiah and Saviour who will be called the Son of God/Son of Man. The Old Testament Scriptures clearly taught that. And though the doctrine of the Trinity was partially revealed in the Old Testament, it was there. For example, sixteen of the 150 Psalms are considered as Messianic Psalms, that is, they pointed to the coming of Christ. You can further study about the Messianic Psalms. But letâs just examine one of these. Psalm 110:1: âThe Lord says to my Lord: âSit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.â Notice there are two Lordâs. âThe Lord and My Lordâ Meaning, there are two separate persons here who are all Lord to David. Jesus brings more clarity to this text. Letâs turn to Matthew 22:41-46
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, âWhat do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?â They said to him, âThe son of David.â 43 He said to them, âHow is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ââThe Lord said to my Lord, âSit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feetââ? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?â And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Clearly, Jesus referred that Psalm to himself. The Hebrew writer also in Hebrews 1:8 referred that Psalm to Jesus. Back to the narrative of creation, there is an implied doctrine of the Trinity. The word God in Genesis 1, in the original is elohim, and scholars have hinted at this having a plural form alluding to the Trinity. In fact, when we look at the creation account in Genesis 1, we see glimpses of the Trinity. Genesis 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, âLet there be light,â and there was light. God created through his Word and his Spirit: âAnd the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the watersâ âAnd God saidâŚâ. John in his gospels, opens with words linking us back to Genesis: âIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1).
Do you see that? This is a retelling of the creation account. And John tells us, Jesus was there. We saw also that the Holy Spirit was there. Jesus was no mere man. He is God manifested in the flesh. He is the man for the season of Christmas. The world may have made Christmas merchandise of Christmas. The world may view it as a mere holiday. The world may mark it as a period of festivities. But for you and I who have come to faith in Christ, this was the turning point in the history of the world. God came into the world he has created, to redeem his people. This is what Christians believe. That God came in human form in the person of Jesus to die to save sinners from their sin. This is the claim of the Bible and a claim worth considering if you have never considered the state of your soul. We are all sinners heading towards hell, but God in his mercies has provided a way of escape from hell. Come to Christ if you have been running from him.
Now, we may consider also the creation of human beings in the Genesis account. Genesis 1:26 tells us âThen God said, âLet us make man in our image, after our likenessâŚâ â There are two plurals in there: âusâ and âourâ. Who is God speaking with? Whoever God is speaking with must be God. Because they are going to create something in their image, after their likeness. Hear Wayne Grudem in his systematic theology on this text.
What do the plural verb (let us) and the plural pronoun (our) mean? Some have suggested they are plurals of majesty, a form of speech a king would use in saying for example, âwe are pleased to grant your request.â However, in Old Testament Hebrew there are no other examples of a monarch using plural verbs or plural pronouns of himself in such plural of majesty, so this suggestion has no evidence to support it. Another suggestion is that God is here speaking to angels. But angels didnât participate in the creation of man, nor was man created in the image and likeness of angels, so this suggestion is not convincing. The best explanation is that already in the first Chapter of Genesis we have an indication of plurality of persons in God himself. We are not told how many persons, and we have nothing approaching a complete doctrine of the Trinity, but it is implied that more than one person is involved.
See, in the Old Testament, we can only imply the doctrine. We see just glimpses of it. But as we come into the New Testament, the doctrine is fully developed. Itâs all over the New Testament. If you donât see it, then itâs either yourâre ignoring it, or rejecting it or I give you the benefit of the doubt, that you donât understand it. And If you donât understand it, itâs okay to struggle with it and I pray the Lord brings you to understanding. This is a foundational doctrine. You must believe it or you re not a Christian. Because you have rejected the self-revelation of God.
Indeed in the NT, God is plainly revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The work of salvation of sinners is Trinitarian, that is, we are saved by the work of God The Father, The Son and Holy Spirit. We donât see this in our part of the world. But in other jurisdiction, the care for animals is phenomenal. A bird gets stuck in a roof, and a whole fire service department in their full regalia with all their instruments, move to the rescue of that bird. A bird, just a bird receives such attention. This is a picture of what God has done for sinners: God moved in his fulness as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to save us. Jesus gives a more better illustration about the care of God for us than I am trying to give: âLook at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?â (Matthew 6:26).
Dear friends, you are created in the image of God and he has undertaken a great rescue mission to rescue you from sin. Youur Regeneration, your Redemption from Sin, your Reconciliation to God and our hope of a future Resurrection to eternal life is all a work of the Blessed Trinity. The Father purposed our redemption. The Son came to die to save those the Father purposed to save. And the Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to our hearts unto salvation.â But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, âAbba! Father!â (Galatians 4:4-7). And anytime someone has come to faith in Christ and has been baptised, they are baptised in the name of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit: âGo therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spiritâ (Matthew 28:19). Also, whenever we have shared the benediction, we are sent forth in the name of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit: âThe grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.â (2Corinthians 13:14). It is all over the New Testament, we canât miss it: We are saved by a Truine God. Peter explains what happens in salvation in Trinitarian language. He says we are saved âaccording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his bloodâ (1Peter 1:2)
There Is Equality In The Godhead
All three persons of the Godhead are equally God. The Father is no more God than the Son or the Holy Spirit. In the definition, the members of the Trinity are same in âsubstance, equal in power and gloryâ. This point can be seen in v.18: âthe Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.â Jesus wasnât speaking of his inability to act. But he was speaking of his cooperation and unity with the Father in the work of redemption. In the Baptism text we read, note carefully what the text says.âbaptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spiritâ It says in the name of(singular), it doesnât say in the names of(plural). This tells us, though distinct. In these words we see equality in the Godhead. The Father is God, The Son is God and The Holy Spirit is God. And the three are One. Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spiritâjust as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your callâ 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all
The Trinity is not an abstract doctrine. It is not a doctrine we should just know for knowing sake. It is a doctrine that has implications for our lives as believers. The Trinity is a model for unity among believers âthat they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.â (John 17:21). The union. The oneness reflected in the Trinity must be seen amongst us. We donât meet to have just fellowship. We meet to reflect Godâs triunity and to show the world the testimony of our God.
Didnât Paul say we are many, but one body in Christ. That could be a picture right? Three personsâmany. But 1 God. We meet to reflect the love of God by loving one another. The same love expressed in the Trinity is the same love with which the Father loves us: âI in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.â
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