The Triune God at Work – Sermon – 11 June, 2017

The Triune God at Work

Matthew 3:13-17, 28:16-20 and 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Trinity – three persons in one God.

If we call it a mystery, then we mean that there’s always something new for us to learn about what it means for God to be three in one. Not that we can’t begin and learn to understand it – but that we can never have finished understanding it. The more we learn about the Trinity, the more we learn that there is yet to learn. We can never finish understanding the Trinity – but we can begin to understand the concept.

Muslims claim we worship three different gods, and they, only one. Most people who know even a little about Christianity know of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We hear it at baptisms, funerals even in songs on the radio. But what does it mean?

At Jesus’ baptism we see Him coming out of the river (water), the Spirit descending like a dove and the voice (the Father) from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased”.

At Disciples’ commissioning Jesus tells them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

And Paul at the closing of his second letter to the church in Corinth, as he similarly did in all his letters to the other churches, wrote: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you”.

These three references briefly, but also clearly testify that the Triune God is always in action or at work as One. Even though each show or represent a different aspect of God, but at the same time are inseparable and only can function in unity.

This idea or thought is difficult to grasp with our limited minds. How can this be; three different and yet one? How on earth we are supposed to understand this concept of God. We as Christians are happy to accept:

– God of the universe created everything and sits up there ruling and controlling everything. Listens to our prayers and answers to them according to His will. From time to time looks down upon us with His great mercy and love.

– Jesus with His incarnation was born in Bethlehem, yes from the Virgin Mary, did what He was supposed to do, which was to proclaim the Kingdom of God (the Father’s Kingdom), even He took all our sins upon Him and was crucified for those horrible sins, died on the cross, was buried, rose from the tomb and ascended to heaven and sat on the right side of the Father to continue to do His part as the loved Son, with whom the Father was pleased.

– Holy Spirit, as Jesus Christ had promised earlier to the disciples, was poured down upon them on the birthday of the Church to empower them to do what they were supposed to do and act their role to lead the church and teach the truth. The Spirit will be with the church until Jesus comes back to finalise His work and establish His kingdom.

That’s how we understand the concept of the three: each having their own role to play separately at certain times or simultaneously.

Mathematically they are three; one plus one plus one. Even if at certain points when they are in action, still each one is doing its own part and playing its own role. For example at the creation God (probably understood as the Father) created the universe, when the Spirit was hovering over the waters. And probably the Son was just sitting and relaxing in the beauty of the creation waiting for His turn.

In the time leading up to the birth of Jesus, in the Old Testament, there are many references to the Spirit and the Son, especially in the prophecies about the birth of Jesus.

In the New Testament there are many references for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. For example Jesus taught the disciples to pray for the Father, He himself prayed to the Father in the garden and promised His disciples to send the Spirit after He leaves them. We can give many more examples.

All these examples somehow present to us the “God” as the three the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Clearly making God to be three different beings, not One.

Mathematically there is another operation different from the one plus one plus one equal one. There is the one multiplied by one multiplied by one equal one. And I prefer this one in the case of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

But as we look to the three readings today, there we see the Triune God, the Trinity all at the same time. They appear to be three different beings or as One entity in its three parts, but also they show a kind of inseparable unity, one entity and one God always in action together.

At the baptism of Jesus each does their part and act: the Son comes out of the water, the Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove and the Father speaks loudly and clearly.

At the commissioning of the disciples, Jesus instructs them to go out and beside preaching and teaching, to baptise in the name of the Trinity. And that what the church does today. Regardless of the different forms of baptisms in different denominational churches, the common thing is that the baptism is done in the name of the Trinity, putting the Triune God in action.

And with the blessing and the benediction given by the apostle Paul at the end of every letter the One God is again in action: the grace, the love and the fellowship are the components of the God putting into action. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you”. In other words God be with you; the Triune and inseparable God, the One entity, One in three forms God, One God as the sides or the angles of an equilateral triangle, or the flower with its three prattles.

There are many symbols which could easily present to us the concept of the Trinity; three but yet One entity.

Heresy and the Trinity.

In the early days of Christianity there was quite a bit of speculation about what the Trinity means. The Nicaean Creed was finally written and agreed upon the Trinity as being one substance, but three persons, all equal, divine.

While Arius said that God the Father (“unbegotten”), always existing, was separate from the lesser Jesus Christ (“only-begotten”), The Father, working through the Son, created the Holy Spirit, which was subservient to the Son as the Son was to the Father. Arius made the mistake of ranking the Trinity and making equals, unequal.

Sabellianism, is the second-century belief that the three persons of the Trinity are merely different modes or aspects of God, rather than three distinct persons. One God, who is seen in three different ways. Sabellius taught that God was indivisible, with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being three modes or manifestations of one divine Person. A Sabellian modalist would say that the One God successively revealed Himself to man throughout time as the Father in Creation; the Son in Redemption; and the Spirit in Sanctification and Regeneration.

Today we see a modern form happening: the Oneness doctrine. It says that this one member of the Godhead is Jesus. The Oneness doctrine claims that when Scripture describes the Father or the Holy Spirit, it is actually Jesus, who is only revealing Himself as one of the other modes of God. Some Oneness followers call this the “Jesus Only doctrine”.

In reality we should see the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as fully equal, as one and as different persons, distinct from each other, but still One entity. Jesus Himself said few times that He and the Father are One.

As we do that, we should also look at the activity of the Trinity. We should examine how the Trinity acts and how it is at work in the church and in us and through us.

If we look at the activity of the Trinity we can see how each applies in our life.

Revelations 5:1-7 gives us a glimpse into the activity of the Trinity. It describes the Trinity, their relationship, and their work.

To the Father is attributed the beginning of activity.

To the Son the wisdom council and ordered disposition of all things.

To the Spirit the power and efficiency of that activity.

The Trinity works together to accomplish its purpose.

Father: Initiator of all things.

Rev 5:1-5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See the Lion of the …”.

The Father – is who sits on the throne is a symbol divine seat of power and authority. He holds the Scroll. He issues the divine decree the symbol of Gods intention. Notice: The Father holds the scroll but does not open it. Is He able? – Yes. But the Greek here means qualified. Who is qualified? Jesus.

The father initiates and His will is accomplished through the Lamb. The Son accomplishes the Father’s will.

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne.

This is clearly Jesus Christ. God the father chooses to create all things, but it is through the Son that this is accomplished. John 1:3 “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”. God willed the redemption of all humanity. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The Father’s will is accomplished by – Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Spirit, (notice what the Spirit does), sent out into all the earth. The Holy Spirit brings to fruition that which God accomplished in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit makes God’s power effective in our lives.

Trinity in action.

Father initiates, Son accomplishes and the Holy Spirit brings to fruition.

So where is God? If we can grasp this – our lives will be changed.

God is all around us:

The Father is there at the throne of heaven. He is there watching over us, listening to our prayers and petitions and in control of our salvation. And He does this with His great and everlasting love

The Son – Jesus, sits beside Him in authority and plays the role of an advocate for us. He is not retired or in a relaxing mood, on the contrary He is still at work for us. Through His grace we are brought before the Father.

The Holy Spirit is sent to work God’s will on earth. And through Him the Inaccessible God is Accessible.

When we have a real spiritual experience, it is through the Spirit of God, our spirit communicates with God through the Holy Spirit. If we want to be accessible to God, then we should depend upon the Holy Spirit. He is our seal of assurance.

The Holy Spirit is our connecting point; He is the means of our fellowship with the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Spirit. If we miss Him and we will not get it.

Who is God for You?

How do you see Him?

Do you think He is at work?

Is He just the judge or the Loving Father?

Is He a stranger or a gracious friend walking with you?

Is He unreachable and uncontactable or a God who loves to have fellowship with you?

Who is God for you?