GOD IN THREE PERSONS

In the baptism of Christ, we see the Triune God—The Father speaking, the Son being baptized, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”(Matthew‬ ‭3:16‬,17).

At the end of His Christ’s earthly ministry we hear Him allude to the Trinity in the Great Commission mandate for baptism, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew‬ ‭28:19‬).

We could note many other New Testament references, but here is one more:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (II Corinthians‬ ‭13:14‬).

How can there be only One God and yet that God be three persons?  Now, I can illustrate this: my being is one, and yet I am a father, and a son, and a husband all at once.  Water is still water whether it is a solid—below 32 degrees, or a liquid from 32-211, and at 212 a gas.  One egg—you have a shell, the white and the yolk.  Still, these cannot convey the meaning adequately.  The Trinity isn’t about the One God in three different roles like me; or One God in three different forms like water; or the One God in three different parts like an egg.

The fact is that the Trinity cannot be fully explained—and that is wonderful!  God is “other than” anything or anyone else—and as we have noted in previous studies, cannot be compared to anything or anyone.  He is far above all our thoughts and imagination.  If you can conceive all that God is then God can be a concept of a human mind.  The reality is that no one would come up with the doctrine of the Trinity.  It had to be revealed by God. John Wesley said, “Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the triune God.”

But we can have a relationship with the Father through the Son and by the Spirit!