Walk Through Christian Theology: A Six-Day Devotional Exploring God’s Grand StorySample

TRINITY: THE NATURE OF GOD DEMONSTRATED IN CREATION

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.

Atoms form the basic building blocks of matter. Atoms define elements, such as hydrogen, carbon, lead, and everything else found on the Periodic Table. Atoms contain sub-atomic particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons, once understood as the smallest particles in existence. But our knowledge grew in the 1960s, when quantum physicists discovered sub-sub-atomic particles called quarks. Each proton or neutron contains many quarks, but the quarks all cancel each other out except for a net three quarks in each particle, which combine in such a way as to give protons their net positive charge and neutrons their net neutral charge. Quarks determine the identity of each atom/element.

Why do quarks matter? They exemplify God’s triadic signature—anything in nature that comes in patterns of three. You see them every day—three-leaf clovers (excepting the shamrock), the three phases of water, or the three parts of an egg. Rather than making these illustrations serve as problematic analogies, we observe triadic signatures as simple patterns of three. Colossians 1:17 tells us, “He [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” God created and holds everything together, so of course he has left his triadic signatures all over creation to show his power, even down to the smallest building blocks of matter.

God leaves triadic signatures to reflect his triune nature—one God in three persons. Unique among the gods of all other religions, the triune God is personal within himself—the three persons eternally relating to and loving one another in one essence for all eternity. The Father has always given life to the Son, and the Son has always reflected the Father. The Holy Spirit has always kept fellowship between the Father and Son. The infinite love within the Triune godhead spilled over into his creative activity. God loves his creation, most of all humans, and he desires to have affectionate relationships with each of us. The nature of our three-in-one God provides indescribable riches of love and beauty.

APPLICATION: Meditate on today’s Scripture verse, noting the diversity of blessings given to us by the One God. Ponder the implications of God as three-in-one. What does it mean that God defines himself by his loving relations within his essence? How does this infinite love impact your own understanding of God’s affectionate love for you? How can you pass this love on to others today?

PRAYER: Triune God, we praise your relational character, with love as not merely a quality but the central attribute of your essence. We respond with worship, loving all of you with all of ourselves.

Photo by Sharon Santema on Unsplash