Doctrine Series – Itʼs all about God

Part 1 – Trinity: God is1

Doctrine is the teachings of the Bible that Christians believe. There are
fundamental teachings in the Bible that we need to believe in order to
understand who God is and related to that, to understand then who we are,
how we should relate to God and to each other, and what it is that we are
purposed to do.

Mans deepest need is fully met in knowing God. Paul, having had revelation
from and about Jesus said in Philippians 3:8

I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing

Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things
and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

So in all our seeking and studying of doctrines of the Bible – the highest and
most noble goal in it all, and I believe it is the goal of the Holy Spirit in giving
us Scripture, is for us to know God and for us to know Him as revealed in
Jesus Christ!

Itʼs all about God! Through this series, as a church, we want to grow in our
knowledge, not just intellectually, but personally and in relationship with and to
God. Knowing God and His goodness results in loving God, worshipping God
& enjoying Him forever.

So how has God revealed Himself to us in the books that make up the
Bible?

For a start: Christians who have studied the Bible and put their faith in God
throughout the history of the church have from an early stage highlighted
some mysterious but essential truths about God and His nature in the doctrine
of the Trinity:

Let me give a definition of the Trinity, I will the break it down into smaller
pieces, and then touch on what the hugely practical applications or
implications of this doctrine are for us!

1. Definition, The Trinity

• There is one and only one true and living God

• God eternally exists as three distinct persons:
o God the Father, God the Son & God the Holy Spirit
• Each person is fully and equally God with the same divine nature

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We are using a book by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears called “Doctrine: What Christians Should
Believe”, Crossway Books, 2010 as a guide for our doctrine series. Todays message on the Trinity has
been further sourced from “Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles & Relevance”, by Bruce A.
Ware, Crossway Books, 2005 & of course one of my favorites: Wayne Grudemʼs “Systematic Theology”

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• While each person is fully and completely God, the persons are not
identical – the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Father…

These truths are brought together at once without one of them denied or
diminished in any way. To do that would bring heresy. (As in Mormonism &
Jehovahʼs Witness) This is the wonder of the mystery of our God, the God
who lives and reveals himself to us – He will always be infinitely far above our
limited understanding.

2. Monotheism

This is important. The God of the Bible has always revealed Himself as the
one and only God. Here are important Old Testament scriptures affirming this:

Deuteronomy 6:4 – The Shema – means listen “Hear, O Israel: The

LORD our God, the LORD is one.”

Isaiah 45:5 – 7 & 46:9

I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
…I am the LORD, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things…
9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no
other; I am God, and there is none like me,

Then, the New Testament affirms the deity of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit but does not depart from the OT monotheism:

John 17:3 – And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

1 Corinthians 8:6 – yet for us there is one God, the Father, from
whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus
Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and there is one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

James 2:19 – You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the
demons believe—and shudder!

This means that we should seek God – the one and only God who is unique,
there is none like Him, and He is no created thing, no idol, no ideology or
philosophy! He is the one and only living and true God! Any other God is a
fake; a lie and the work of Satan to try distract us from absolute truth.

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As the only God there is, we are to worship Him in the truth that there is no
other – we cannot serve God and other things, we cannot bow down to God
and other things. The way we worshipped, as a church last week with Wikus
is reserved – we donʼt give this praise and adoration to any other! God is the
object of our affections. Because nothing compares to the wonder and glory
of our one true living God – He deserves that we love Him with our whole
heart, soul, mind and strength!

3. God is Three Persons – the Tri-Unity of God

This is where it gets interesting. The New Testament believers stuck to the
truth that there is one God. We still hold to monotheism today. But truths
revealed about Jesus and about the Holy Spirit have required some
understanding because God never contradicts himself in scripture.

We read of the Father being God. This is not difficult for anyone to
understand, scripture reveals clearly that God is the Father. Even cults get
this one right.

But what does the Bible say about Jesus the Son?

Thomas says to Him after His resurrection: My Lord and my God! (John
20:28)

Jesus himself praying in John 17:3

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom you have sent.”

If knowing God and knowing Jesus results in eternal life – and only God can
give eternal life, then Jesus and God are equivalent – Jesus is God who
gives eternal life. Yet He is separate and distinct from God. The Father is
God, and the Son is God. Yet they are separate persons, the Father is not the
Son, and the Son is not the Father. The Father is the Father and the Son is
the Son, yet, both are God.

Another convincing verse to consider:

1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and
for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all
things and through whom we exist

Here again is an equivalency - God is identified as the Father who is the

source of all things, and God is identified as Jesus through whom all things
have been created. There is one identity as God, there is one nature as God,
yet distinction between Father and Son.

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Jesus is declared many times in the scriptures to be God by many people in
the gospels, demons and himself. To the point where the religious leaders,
the Romans and the crowd, crucify him for committing in their eyes the sin of
blasphemy, for making himself equal with God. The most controversial of
His claims was stating that He was the “I AM” who addressed Moses in the
burning bush!

Not only is the Father: God, Jesus the Son: God, but the Holy Spirit is also
declared to be God:

Acts 5:3-4,
But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the
Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the
land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after
it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have
contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.

Peter rebukes Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit – for lying to God.

1 Corinthians 2:10-11
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit
searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a
person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So
also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

If the Spirit can reveal the very depths of God that He is able to search out
and comprehend the thoughts of God, he has to be omniscient and therefore
God himself.

1 Corinthians 3:16 We temples of God, temples of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 9:14 speaks of the eternal Spirit.

It is clear then that just as the Father is God, the Son is God, so is the Holy
Spirit.

This ONE God exists eternally in three persons. There are not three Godʼs –
One God, Undivided. Yet three persons and each person fully, equally,
eternally and simultaneously owns the divine nature of God.

Not one third of God, each is fully God. They are one in this – The Father is
God. The Son is God, the Holy Spirit is the same God.

But each person is distinct – to stress is again in other words:

The Father is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father.
The Holy Spirit is not the Son, and the Son is not the Holy Spirit.
The Son is not the Father, and the Father is not the Son.

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Now, each person being distinct in person yet fully God has a role and
relationship to each other person within the Trinity. Lets look at each one:

4. The Father

a. Supreme among the persons of the Godhead

Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6:9,10

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done,

It is the Fathers Honour, the Fathers Kingdom, the Fathers Will.

à 1 Corinthians 15:28
When all things are subjected to him [Christ], then the Son himself will
also be subjected to him [Father] who put all things in subjection under
him [Christ], that God [Father] may be all in all.

Ultimately Jesus, who receives authority from the Father, will submit all things,
including himself to the authority of the Father. The Father gets top billing! To
Him belong the glory and the ultimate praise! This was always Jesus
intention!

b. Grand Architect & Wise Designer (C.R.C)

Ephesians 1 & Colossians 1 speak of His Will, His Purpose, His Plan, His
Accomplishment, He transfers us, He redeems us, He delivers us, He forgives
us! He has chosen before the creation of the World!

c. Giver of every good and perfect gift

The Father is the originator of every single good thing! We Owe Him heartfelt
thanksgiving.

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to
change.

d. Provides and works through the Son & the Spirit

Most of the time He has done His work through the Son and the Spirit, He
shares the privileged work or redemption with the Son and the Spirit and
says to us “Look at my Son!” It brings Him glory when the Son is glorified!

We also get to share in His work by getting to play a part in what He is doing!

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Example: Giving birth – through intimacy in marriage a couple get to bring
forth the Image of God on the earth!

i. Wisdom, goodness, care & thoroughness of

exercising authority.

Every person in authority – every married man, this is for you, the Father is
the pattern of what every person in authority should behave like – with
wisdom, goodness, benevolence, care, and thoroughness – for the
wellbeing of those in our charge. Parents, elders, life group leaders,
employers, and officials – any authority on you is there for you to do only what
the Father would do. Authority must be exercised, and it must also be
modeled after the Father.

ii. True Fatherhood really is like

1. Respect & Obedience

We must cultivate a healthy atmosphere of respect for authority in our homes

by insisting on obedience and keeping to what we say we will do. Too much
permissiveness and leniency becomes what makes children angry with God
when they come across his commands in life

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord.

2. Lavish, generous, extravagant – care, love,

provision, protection.

On the other hand your Children need to know how much you love them by
what they see in you of the Heavenly Father who always openly shows love.
Do those you are in authority over know that you appreciate them!

iii. Delegates work to others

The Father has an amazing amount of faith in delegating His work to others
for them to share in the rewards. Then its not a case of “I do it best when I do
it myself” but a case of “We did this” it is “our work”. God is happy to let the
spotlight shine on others! Participation is an the heart of the Father!

iv. Retains supremacy in all this.

I just wasnʼt to say here that we must honour those who have given us the
opportunities. If it were not for them, we would not have the experiences we
have had. None of us have got to where we are today independently!

5. The Son

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What a great Saviour and Lord we have in Jesus – the Son of God! His main
role today is to build the Church! And Everything under His supremacy,
nations, presidents, earth quakes and meteorites all serve His main function!
For the Father, for the Spirit and for us – itʼs all about Jesus!

a. The Son is under the headship or authority of the Father

1 Corinthians 11:3 – But I want you to understand that the head of every
man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is
God.

Jesus is God, yet He obeys God. As the Son is submitted to His Father:

In eternity past:

John 3:16, 17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him.

In His incarnation:

John 8:28-29 – So Jesus said to them, When you have lifted up the Son of
Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own
authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is
with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing
to him.

John 4:34 – Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me
and to accomplish his work.

In eternity future: We have already mentioned 1 Corinthians 15:28

*** Nature of Freedom: Jesus is the only fully free human being who has
ever lived – we learn from Him that the nature of freedom is to be fully and
always submitted to the Will of God, the Words of God & the Works of God.
To do this pleases God. To abide in His teaching is to know the truth and the
truth will set you free.

We must understand from this that submission is as godly as authority is

divine. Submission in no way indicates any inferiority – the world has us think
that this is the case – Submission is a divine, godly attribute.

b. The Son in loving relationship with the Father

John 14:31 - but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world
may know that I love the Father.

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The Love they have for each other is displayed in the authority – submission
structure. God loves the Son by leading, Jesus loves the Father by following!
It is the motivation in their roles and relationship! Not begrudging. Nothing
but joy, happiness and satisfaction in carrying out His Fathers Will!

c. Jesus submission to the Spirit as Anointed Saviour

The Incarnation teaches us something even more amazing about the willing
submission and condescension of God the Son. Even though Jesus is in
authority over the Spirit, as a man he submits himself to the Spirit for
everything He does in the flesh as an example to all of us. His Ministry, His
miracles, His martyrdom were all under the power of the Holy Spirit – even
though He was and is fully God! Even though He, in rank, is over the Holy
Spirit as the Son of the Father!

This again is seen even in the fact that Jesus – the creator of parents,
submits Himself to parents. His kind of submission is godly and an example
for us of true humility!

d. Jesus authority over the Spirit

There are many scriptures that show the authority of the Son over the Spirit,
Jesus and the Father promise to send the Spirit and do so at Pentecost.

John 16:12 – 15 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot
bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into
all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he
hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to
come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it
to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will
take what is mine and declare it to you.

So to recap – we see perfection that we can aspire to:

i. Submission of the Son to the Father

ii. Submission of the Incarnate Son to the Spirit
iii. Trinity working out Authority – Submission structure
iv. Extraordinary, true and perfect love in the Father-Son
relationship.

6. The Holy Spirit

The Work of the Holy Spirit too is so valuable for us to know and see.
He is both submitted and willingly takes up the role to lead Jesus.

Itʼs kind of like what has happened to Mannie and I. I have grown in God
under Mannieʼs ministry. I view Him an a spiritual-father, and myself as a
spiritual-son. Even though I still see it that way, since the handover, I have
been amazed at Mannieʼs willing submission to me of His time and finances.

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And I have set dates for Him to preach and am in authority over Him. Its both,
I still respect and honour Him, yet have to take up my role to lead, and He still
loves and guides me in many things, yet He is so willing to submit things to
me.

So Also, the Holy Spirit is at peace and totally satisfied taking the backstage
position. Spiritʼs deep and abiding willingness to serve, unnoticed, as it were,
without the overt recognition and honor that is reserved for the Son, to the
glory of the Father.

a. The Spirit assists in carrying out the work of the Father

b. The Spirit works now to glorify the Son

c. Revelation, inspiration, Illumination – Focused on Christ!

d. Evangelism proclaiming – The Gospel of Christ!
e. Regeneration – to Behold & Believe the Beauty of Christ!
f. Sanctification – transformed into the Likeness of Christ!

i. Willingness to serve unnoticed

ii. Assume authority over the incarnate Son
iii. Surrendered Authority and sent
iv. Love relationship within the Trinity – No sin!

7. Ten Very Practical Applications

a. God intends that His Triune nature be expressed in Human

relationships

God said: “Let us make man in our image” We have been created to reflect
and represent Trinitarian life. What is God like – this is what we want shown!

b. Trinity calls for Community!

Interconnection and interdependence is what we have been made for!

Small groups are so important – families…

c. Unity without Redundancy – Diversity without Discord

Unity without anyone going unnoticed. As well as celebration of differences

without segregation! We see it in God, so we know life as one yet many! We
can all play different instruments but its the same song!

d. The Divinity of Authority and Submission

As Godly as good leadership is, we should aspire to this, so Godly is

submission and we also need to aspire to this! Who are you leading? Do not
abuse your leadership! Do not abdicate your leadership! Who are you

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following? Are you submitted? Are you wholeheartedly submitted in joy
without groaning?

We need change our perceptions – We think its bad because of our

sinfulness, God says its good in His Holiness. We need to learn to embrace
this!

e. Role distinction is NOT value distinction!

This is so important. This is why in the world submission is challenged over

and over again because the world thinks that by submission we place
different value of people making woman inferior, or laity inferior to clergy
“You full-time guys” treating sports stars and celebrities as if they are more
valuable. We do it ourselves when we want to know credentials and
achievements when God says that the lowliest is closer to His throne!

Male / Female, Husband / Wife, Elder / Deacon / Saint, President / Squatter

Distinction in Role, as we see in God, does not change value at all!

f. Husbands & Fathers

Headship in the home, and in church is Godʼs design reflecting who He is.
One in essence yet each person has distinct roles with in their relationships.

There is no difference in humanity, dignity, worth and value between male

and female. And in this design the man was created first and given the role to
lead, guide, provide and protect mirroring the role of the Father in the
Trinity.

Men – are you portraying the image of God to woman! Are you stealing from
them and their bodies, when Godʼs design is for you to give up a rib!

Men – We are given a privilege responsibility to bring spiritual direction,

training and growth to our woman our children and those we lead. We are to
promote healing, life, restoration, growth, prosperity and joy for those we
lead.

When Children grow distant and run to the affection of peers and premature
relationships – it is because they need love, affection and leadership from
their fathers!

Men – we are to show honour and respect to woman and to love them the
same why Christ has loved the church – not telling her to save herself but
laying down His life to wash and make her whole!

Men – at the same time – submit to Christ!

He is your head!

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 g. Wives & Mothers

Wives and mothers can benefit amazingly from the doctrine of the Trinity.
Submission is your Saviorʼs way. Submission is the Holy Spirits way. Joyful,
glad heartfelt and willing even if your husband is an unbeliever and does not
do his part – God will bring him to account or will work with you to win him
over – this can be difficult, but God has set the direction and we want to aim
for the bulls eye in all we do

h. Pastors & Congregations

This relates to the church – eldership – elders are men who are in position of
authority and given the responsibility to teach in the church. It is right to
recognize and submit to leadership in the church.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are
keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an
account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would
be of no advantage to you.

Leaders in the church are there for your spiritual good – they are not in the
role of leaders to benefit themselves but to care for and oversee the flock – it
is a wonderful submission to God and His work to desire and be called to the
ministry of Jesus and partake in the work of the Father.

Yet, how much easier it would be if people would follow and listen to this
godly design. Imagine how many more elders we could have, if people
followed God and followed leadership! We need to celebrate this again!

i. Ordering our Prayer

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the
Father.

We pray to the Father, in the name and the authority of the Son, empowered,
prompted and lead by the Holy Spirit.

j. Ordering your Worship

Lastly (but not least of this infinitely valuable and worthy doctrine) Worship is
fitting – because God is so amazing! Not just because of the marvel and
seeing and understanding a little of His greatness and majesty, but because
of the work each person of the Godhead – the Trinity plays in your very life –
personally the Father, the Son and the Spirit are worthy of adoration, thanks
and praise for what they do.

We Worship the Son, by the Spirit to the glory of the Father!

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