The Trinity Series

SERMON BRIEF

Date Written: January 2003

Date Preached: January 8, 2003

Church: BBC (PM) Wednesday

FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS

Series: What the Bible Says…

Title: About the Trinity

Text: 1 John 5:7

Introduction:

The doctrine of the Trinity is a difficult doctrine to understand and even more difficult to teach.

It is something that is a distinctive mark within Christianity. Although, many other religions carry with them some semblance of a trinity or a ‘triad’ NONE of them carry with them the similarities to the Christian teaching concerning the Trinity.

For the Christian, the Trinity must be understood, but it also must be understood that the Trinity cannot be ‘proven’ from a standpoint of human reasoning.

The Trinity, or the Triune or Trinitarian nature of God is divinely revealed and cannot be sorted out and reasoned from strictly a human perspective.

We find the Trinity interwoven all throughout the Old and New Testaments. The Bible presents God as a rational Spirit being who is infinite in His attributes of love, holiness, wisdom, power, majesty, justice, truth, and goodness.

We can also find the Bible presenting God as One who exists externally in 3 persons, but yet is still on in substance and in purpose.

First, of all tonight I want us to know and to fully understand that there is ONLY one God. There is not 3 as many say the Trinity leads us to believe. There is only one God and God’s Word is how we can know this.

Let’s look up and read some passages of Scripture tonight. Somebody read Duet 6:4-5.

This is how EVERY Jewish synagogue service is opened. God wanted the Israel nation to know this and He desires us to know it as well.

Someone read Exodus 20:3.

Here again we find God relating His singleness to His people.

Someone read Isaiah 45:5-6

Isaiah is repeating what God has already set forth to the nation. He is the ONLY God and they should worship Him alone.

Let’s look at some passages from the NT that speak of God. Look at James 2:19, have someone read. We can also look at 1 Cor 8:4-6 have someone read.

Here again we find that Scripture clearly notes that there is only one God, not three.

There has always only been one God. But in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned, they gave into ‘gods’ of their own and from that humanity has created god after god to appease its own selfish desires.

Today we find idolatry and god-worship going on in even Christian households b/c they are lifting up to a ‘god’ status material things. We have become a nation of idol worshipers without really noticing it.

The Bible is VERY clear that there is only ONE God, but it is also just as clear that that ONE God can and does demonstrate and illuminate Himself to this world in MANY different ways.

God has appeared in the form of a pillar of cloud and a pillar of smoke. God has appeared as the Commander of the Army of the Lord.

He chooses how and to whom He appears, and regardless of how many forms or personalities He chooses to reveal… He is still ONLY one God.

This ONE God we speak of has chosen to reveal Himself through the existence of 3 persons.

We can find the very first inference to the Trinity found in Gen 1:1. In the beginning GOD (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth…

When we think about our God and His capability to create our universe… to merely speak it into existence, then limit Him to only one mode of expression or vision… this sells our God short and ignores His true majesty and power.

There are MANY passages in the Bible that use MORE than one Hebrew word for God, making a distinction between God the Father and God the Son.

Read Psalm 45:6-7 and give commentary about this Messianic prophecy.

Read Psalm 110:1 and give commentary on this Messianic prophecy.

Read Hosea 1:7 and give commentary

There are other passages that refer to the Angel of Jehovah, such as Gen 16:7-14, 22:11-16; Exodus 3:2-5 and Judges 13:20-22.

The amazing fact of the NT is the way in which it presents the doctrine of the Trinity without any struggle or controversy.

We find that all of the teachings of Jesus carry with them a Trinitarian theme. Jesus speaks of the Father, and Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit.

We find Jesus doing this WITHOUT apology or explanation. Have someone read John 14:16-17 and someone else read John 15:26

In 2 Cor 13:14 the apostle Paul gives an apostolic benediction. This prayer is a prayer directed to Jesus Christ for His grace.

This is a prayer directed to God the Father for His love. And this prayer is directed to the Holy Spirit for His fellowship.