(This article also includes a 2-part podcast discussion. Click the play buttons below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Google podcast app.)
After all this time, you’d think we’d have a pretty good idea of who God is. He’s revealed Himself throughout history and left us an entire book revealing His character. Yet when asked, people give enough different opinions to make us wonder if we’re talking about the same being. Consider just a handful descriptions people have for God:
- Tyrant
- Fairy tale
- Distant and uncaring
- Doting grandfather
- A force of good
- Abusive father
- A higher power that exists in all of us
- Cosmic vending machine
Many views of God aren’t based on evidence, but opinion. Whether someone was hurt in the name of God or just gets their opinion from the media, the idea of “God” often has no basis in truth.
As Christians we spend our lives growing closer to Him, yet we may never fully appreciate who God is. We see Him primarily through the Bible which helps us better understand how we see Him in our lives. Even then, we will never feel like we fully grasp who He is. However, in our pursuits we can gain a richer understanding of Him and learn to discern between what’s real and what’s fabrication.
Three in One
God forever exists as one essence and three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). These three are equal in every way, deserving the same honor and obedience (John 1:1-4).
Though they exist as three, it’s critical that we remember these aren’t three separate gods (Mark 12:29). The early church was often accused of polytheism, insisting we worshipped many gods instead of one true God. Even today, there is an accusation by many groups (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and Muslims to name a few) who say that we don’t believe in a monotheistic God. However, that’s simply not the case.
The greater defense of “One God in three persons” is beyond the scope of this post. However, if we’re honest we have to admit that it simply can’t be explained or understood by our finite minds. There have been popular attempts (God is like water; a man who is a son/father/grandfather; our body/soul/spirit), but those examples ultimately detract from the majesty of God and accidentally teach old heresies that the church has already fought against.
The reality is that God is so unique that we simply have nothing remotely analogous to His timeless existence. We know He exists as three separate beings at once because we’ve seen it clearly throughout the Bible (Luke 3:22, 2 Corinthians 13:14, John 14:26). Yet God repeatedly reminds us that He is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Romans 3:30, Galatians 3:20). It doesn’t make sense to us, and that’s okay.
Their basic roles
To discuss the wonder that is the Trinity would take multiple posts for each person. Although each person of the Godhead is equal in nature, attributes, and perfection, each serves a different role as God relates to mankind.
A great description I’ve heard goes something like this: the Father creates the plan, the Son puts the plan into action, and the Holy Spirit maintains the plan. That’s obviously simplified, but keeping it in mind gives us a wonderful glimpse at the cooperation and unity between the three. But what does this look like?
The Father
God set in motion a plan of redemption at the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). This plan was solidified as He sent the Son to pay the penalty for our sins (John 3:16). Though equal in majesty, Christ and the Holy Spirit submit to Him (Matthew 26:39, John 14:26). The Father is the primary creator of all things (Revelation 4:11)
The Son
Christ is as eternal as the Father and Holy Spirit (John 1:1, 17:5), and is the sustainer of the universe (Hebrews 1:3). Christ is the mediator between God and man, interacting with us in the Father’s name. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life among us, then died to accomplish the Father’s plan of redemption for the world. Faith in Christ’s death and resurrection is our salvation, and we eagerly await His return.
The Holy Spirit
Our means of living a life that is pleasing to God rests in the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (John 14:26, Romans 8:11). He is the one who convicts us of sin (John 16:8), regenerates our sin-cursed state (Titus 3:5), and forever seals our salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Yet even with Him making us a new creature, we can still ignore Him and pursue our own sinful desires (Ephesians 4:30).
Beyond our understanding
We can find great joy in learning more about our God and how the three persons affect our lives. However, we must also remember God is so far beyond what we can understand (Isaiah 55:8-9). The more we see of God’s majesty and immensity, the more we stand awestruck.
Yet the greatness of God should never cause us to recoil in fear or frustration. God is not a mystery to be solved nor an enigma that can never be known. He is our creator, sustainer, and promise of eternal life. Even if we spend our lives growing closer to him and only understand 1% of His wonder, that will still be a life well spent.
