“But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is,” (Hebrews 11:6). To please God we must have faith in who He is. To have faith in who He is we must know what the Scripture reveals about God’s Person.
Warning
- Deuteronomy 29:29 – Two categories of “things”: (1) God’s secret things, (2) Revealed things, so that we can obey God.
- God will give us enough light for us to be able to follow Him, but will keep some things secret from us. A fixation on things that God is not willing to reveal will only lead to darkness and frustration. Rather, let us be thankful for any light He is willing to give, and walk in what He has revealed.
There is Only One God
- Deuteronomy 4:35,39; 6:4-5; 1 Kings 8:60; Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6-8; 45:5-6,21-22; 46:8-11; Mark 12:28-34; Romans 3:30; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19
- See these verses cited here.
God Exists in Three Persons – Trinity – “Tri-Unity” – “Three-In-Oneness”
- Examples: Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 20-21
- God the Father is fully God – Genesis 1:1; John 17:1; Romans 1:18-21; 1 Corinthians 8:6
- Jesus, the Son of God, is fully God – Isaiah 9:6 (a prophecy of Christ, calling Him “Mighty God”); John 1:1-4; 8:48-59; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8-10; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1
- Holy Spirit is fully God – Psalm 139:7-8; cf. John 3:5-7 with 1 John 3:9; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16
Relationship of Trinity
- Distinct Personalities:
- Though all Persons of the Trinity are fully God, they are also clearly distinct:
- God the Father is distinct from God the Son – John 1:1-2; 3:16-17; 17:3-5; Hebrews 1:1-2
- God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct from each other – Mark 1:9-11; John 14:26; 15:26
- Roles:
- Spirit’s role is subordinate to the Son – John 16:13-15; 1 Corinthians 12:3
- Holy Spirit’s Job: Glorify the Son.
- Son’s role is subordinate to the Father – Mark 13:32; John 14:28; 17:1; 1 Corinthians 15:28
- Son’s Job: Glorify the Father.
- “There are no differences in deity, attributes, or essential nature between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God and has all the attributes of God. The only distinctions between the members of the Trinity are in the ways they relate to each other and to the rest of creation…[the Trinity is] equal in being but subordinate in role,” (Grudem 250-251)
fmi360 