𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• If you were in a movie or band, would you take the lead or the supporting role? Why?

• For you, what makes a team great or effective?

• Who are the people closest to you? What similarities do you have with one another?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

“𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘖 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.” 𝗗𝗘𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗬 𝟲:𝟰-𝟱

To the world, the concept of God is not something difficult to describe. He is known to be the one who created the world and continually takes care of His creation. However, the Bible does not define God as just that. We worship a triune God. He is one who eternally exists in three distinct persons, and each person is fully God.

This seems to be a complicated idea but as Christians, we need to know the God that we worship. Knowing the Trinity empowers us to have a vibrant relationship with God, which goes beyond knowledge or a mere theological concept.

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗱.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 . . . 𝟭 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗬 𝟮:𝟱

God is a triune God, but there is one God. The word “triune” means three being in one. There is one God, who exists in three persons. This seems to be mathematically impossible to reconcile, unless we know what is being referred to by one and by three. The apostle Paul states it in 1 Timothy 2:5, 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 . . . This is in reference to His being, essence, or substance. On the other hand, though there is only one God, there are three distinct persons. The Bible is clear that the Father is God (Genesis 1:1), Jesus is God (2 Peter 1:1), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:1–4), but there is one God. All three share the same essence and are one Being.

In the Old Testament, this truth is emphasized to the people of Israel: the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). The all-capitalized mention of the Lord means Yahweh; Yahweh is One. In Deuteronomy 6, God calls His people to love and be loyal to Yahweh. The Lord was calling them to hear and obey Him because He is the only God. In their time, there was a tendency for people to worship other gods, so we can see this call as an indicator of God’s desire for His people to walk in a covenant relationship with Him. Today, while we may not be in the same paganistic culture, the reminder applies to us as well. We ought to love God with our all, heart, soul, and might. Share how you realized that God deserves our all.

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘯; 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥.” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭:𝟭𝟬-𝟭𝟭

While God is one being, He exists in three distinct persons. Each person of the Trinity is distinct from each other. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have their own identities and each possess a mind, will, and emotions. Every person is capable of a real relationship with one another. This means that the Father is not Jesus, the Holy Spirit is not Jesus, and the Father is not the Holy Spirit. They relate with each other in unity but are distinct from each other.

We can see this in John 1:1: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥. This is a distinction between Jesus being with God and Jesus as God. In Genesis 1, we can also see that in the beginning, God was already present and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Lastly, in Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit and God the Father were there together (Mark 1:10–11).

The Trinity exists in perfect harmony with one another. Being created in the image and likeness of God, what does this say then about how we are to approach our own human relationships?

𝟯. 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗼𝗱.

“𝘎𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 . . .” 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗪 𝟮𝟴:𝟭𝟵

God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are of equal power and greatness. They have the same attributes of being God. Each person in the Trinity is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. Each person is uncaused and uncreated but rather eternally existed and are creators of all things. This means that God the Father is God (Genesis 1:1), Jesus is God (2 Peter 1:1), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:1–4). We can see this equality when Jesus commissioned the disciples to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. He had sent and baptized them in the name of three distinct persons of the Trinity.

Each person of the Trinity likewise possesses the attributes of God. Each person is a God of holiness, love, and truth; capable of relating with us and can be known personally and intimately. Is there a difference in the way you relate to God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? How so?

𝟰. 𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘯; 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥.” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭:𝟭𝟬-𝟭𝟭

Though the persons of the Trinity are equal in being and essence, each person has a distinct role that is not superior or inferior to one another. This can be likened to a family where each person is equal as human beings, but each member of the family plays a different role.

Differences in roles between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit appear consistently in the Bible. The pattern of Scripture shows the distinction of roles this way: the Father plans, directs, and sends; the Son is sent by the Father to die on the cross to save fallen humanity from sin. Jesus, in unison to the Father’s will, obeys and subjects Himself under the Father’s authority (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Holy Spirit is directed and sent by the Father and Jesus to carry out their will to the world by being the Helper (John 14:26).

Despite the difference in roles, love and unity are the essence of their relationship. How does the knowledge of the different roles of the Trinity help us see our own place in the kingdom of God?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• While we may not necessarily worship other gods, there are things that we turn into gods which deviate us from worshiping the one true God. What can these things be in your life? What steps can you take to turn your eyes only to the one true God?

• How does knowing the essence of God help you cultivate your relationship with Him?

• How does a growing understanding of God and the relationship in the Trinity help you understand your other relationships? How can you apply these truths to your relationships?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for giving you the perfect example of a loving relationship in the Trinity. Pray for your relationship with Him to continue to grow.

• Pray for your understanding of God and the Trinity to deepen further as you spend time in His word and in prayer every day. Ask for a fresh revelation of who He is.

• As you grow in your understanding of God, ask Him to help you follow the loving example of the Trinity in your own relationships. Pray that God will use you to demonstrate and declare who He is to those around you.