Grace and Peace Episode 12
Presbyterian Church of Easton
November 17, 2020
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
A. Into three parts: God the Father and our creation; God the Son and our deliverance; and God the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
25Q. Since there is only one divine being, why do you speak of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
A. Because that is how God has revealed himself in his Word: these three distinct persons are one, true, eternal God.
The ancient Hebrews believed in one God. While all the kingdoms around them worshiped many gods, they worship the one God who made heaven and earth. This is what they believed: Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one”. We, Christians, also believe in this God. We believe that God is one.
But we believe that this one God is revealed to us in a trinity. The word “trinity” is not in the Bible, but it expresses what the New Testament says. Jesus said this to his disciples: Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus understood that God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul also understood that our one God exists in three persons when he said: 2 Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
So how do we understand the idea of one God in three persons? In the fifth century, a bishop in North Africa thought about this. Bishop Augustine read this in the Bible: 1 John 4:16 “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” Augustin pointed out that love is relational. For love to exist there must be at least two who love each other. There must be a lover and a beloved.
So if God is love, who is the lover, and who is the beloved? Jesus said this: John 15:10-12 “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love”. When the Bible says that God is love, it means that the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father. And the Holy Spirit binds the Father and the Son together in love. God is love, the mutual love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let’s pray.
Holy God, three in one, we pray to you this day. Bless us with the understanding of who you are. Help us to believe in you, one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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