Bible Basics: Knowing GodSample

The Trinity

By Ross Marshall

The Bible teaches that God is one, and yet He exists in three Persons. We relate to Him as our Heavenly Father, the Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It’s okay if you find this concept confusing! Let’s unpack it a little more…

Human beings weren’t designed to be alone. Whether we’re introverts or extroverts, we’re sociable, relational creatures who long to be loved by other people. We’re also spiritual beings, and we long for connection with the divine – with something or someone beyond ourselves. We get this longing for community from God Himself. He lives in eternal community: three Persons in One. For millennia, people have tried to wrap their heads around the idea of the Trinity. The global church’s basic statement of belief is twofold: God is one (we don’t serve three different gods; there’s one Creator and originator of our faith), and God is three-in-one (each person of the Trinity is fully God).

God is a divine community of love. Everything He does is done in love. Of course, that doesn’t mean He doesn’t care about sin. He wouldn’t be loving if He wasn’t bothered by people committing heinous crimes against others. God embodies justice and holiness, which means He must judge sin and evil. On the flipside, He’s completely loving and merciful. So, instead of judging us for our sins, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that our guilt is no longer attributed to us, but completely forgiven. God takes the issue of sin so seriously He came to Earth as a human and died a brutal death once and for all to clear our record. Each Person of the Trinity plays a role in God’s judgement of sin and His loving work of redemption and restoration.

When Philip says to Jesus, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us,’ Jesus says that if they’ve seen Him (Jesus), then they’ve seen the Father too. Jesus goes on to explain that, when He’s no longer on Earth, the Father will send the Spirit to be with them and help them forever. This simple, heartfelt conversation between Jesus and His friends reveals the unity, equality, and deity of the three Persons of the Trinity.

Take a moment to marvel at the truth that we get to live in constant fellowship with God: Father, Son, and Spirit! It’s our natural impulse to seek out intimacy, and we find this in God’s community of eternal love. God is faithful to show Himself to those who seek Him, so draw near to God and He will draw near to you. May you experience the perfect peace of the Triune God.