Our Triune God – Part 2
Sinclair Ferguson, whose quote appears below, wrote in an e-mail to Robert Letham about how the doctrine of the Trinity is the most practical of Christian doctrines for Jesus carefully taught His disciples about the mystery of the Trinity before He went to the cross. It is vital that we give as much attention to this doctrine as we can.
1. Introduction: Three basic points of the doctrine of the Trinity:
- There is one living and true God who is eternally and unchangeably indivisible.
- The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each fully and equally God.
- The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each distinct persons. The Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit, etc.
2. Proposition: The most fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith is that there is One God in Three Persons.
3. Organizational Sentence: We will consider briefly two false understandings of this doctrine, and then some practical applications of this most important doctrine.
4. Outline:
I. False Doctrines:
A. Modalism or Sabellianism
Modalism or Sabellianism teaches that there is only one God which is true, but that He reveals himself in different modes or forms. First God revealed himself in the mode of the Father. At the incarnation, God revealed himself as the Son. Last, God has revealed himself as the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not exist at the same time.
B. Tri-Theism
Tri-Theism is the false idea that there are three separate Gods. Some cults falsely accuse Christians of belieiving in 3 Gods. The cult of Mormonism is guilty of this belief.
II. Practical Application
Sinclair Ferguson has written: “I’ve often reflected on the rather obvious thought that when his disciples were about to have the world collapse in on them, our Lord spent so much time in the Upper Room speaking to them about the mystery of the Trinity. If anything could underline the necessity of Trinitarianism for practical Christianity, that must surely be it! (Letham, The Holy Trinity, 375)
There are many applications that could be made. We will look at just three.
A. Love – Since God is Triune, love perfectly characterizes the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and how together the perfect will of God is worked out in creation and redemption.
B. Worship – In worship we worship one true God but in a Trinitarian way. We don’t always have to say Father, Son, and Holy Spirit when we speak of God, but our worship should reflect this great truth. In prayer we especially are to cry out to God the Father, praying in the name of Jesus Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit.
C. Equality and Calling – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are fully and equally God and yet the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work toward one goal in different ways. It was God the Son who took on human flesh. The Holy Spirit was sent by Father and Son. And this perfect equality but different callings becomes the proper basis for understanding marriage and the family. Husband and wife are equal and yet are called by God to play different roles. The Apostle Paul in speaking of marriage was not simply going along with the culture of his day but applying eternal truth.
Conclusion: I want to encourage you to study this important doctrine on your own. When you read Scripture, read it in light of this great truth that there is one God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.