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The Trinity

There is one God who eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one true God.

“I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.” —Isaiah 45:5

Jesus Himself affirmed this truth when He spoke of “the only true God” (John 17:3). The apostles likewise continued to proclaim this same truth.

“There is one God.” —1 Timothy 2:5

Everything we believe about the Trinity begins here: God is one.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Are Distinct

Although there is only one God, Scripture also reveals the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as personally distinct from one another.

This is clearly seen at Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus, the Son, is baptized. The Holy Spirit descends upon Him. The Father speaks from heaven.

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” —Matthew 3:17

The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father.

They speak to one another, love one another, send one another, and act toward one another.

Jesus prayed to His Father. The Father sent His Son into the world. The Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with Christ’s people.

Jesus brought all three Persons together when He commanded His disciples:

“Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” —Matthew 28:19

Notice that Jesus said name, not names. There is one God, yet the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are personally distinct.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Are Fully God

Scripture does not present the Father as God while treating the Son and the Spirit as lesser beings. Each Person is fully divine.

The Father is God.

“For us there is but one God, the Father.” —1 Corinthians 8:6

The Son is God.

John begins his Gospel by describing Jesus as the eternal Word:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” —John 1:1

Jesus is distinct from the Father—He was “with God”—and yet He fully shares the divine nature—He “was God.”

After Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas worshiped Him, declaring:

“My Lord and my God!” —John 20:28

The Holy Spirit is also God.

In Acts 5, Peter tells Ananias that he has lied to the Holy Spirit, and then states:

“You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” —Acts 5:4

The Holy Spirit is not merely God’s power or an impersonal force. He knows, speaks, teaches, leads, can be grieved, and personally works within God’s people.

The Father is fully God. The Son is fully God. The Holy Spirit is fully God.

Yet there are not three Gods. There is one God.

None of the three Persons is one-third of God. Each fully possesses the one divine nature. They are equally eternal, equally holy, and equally worthy of worship.

The Trinity Is Seen in Our Salvation

The Trinity is not merely a complex doctrine for theological discussion. Knowing God as Triune helps us understand the personal way in which He has acted to save us.

The Father sent the Son.

“The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” —1 John 4:14

The Son willingly came, took on human nature, lived without sin, died for our sins, and rose from the dead.

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” —Luke 19:10

The Holy Spirit gives new life, brings us to faith, dwells within us, and continues God’s transforming work in us.

“He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” —Titus 3:5

Our salvation is the work of the Triune God.

  1. The Father planned and sent.
  2. The Son accomplished our redemption.
  3. The Spirit applies Christ’s saving work and gives life.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always act in perfect unity as the one God.

Your salvation brings you into relationship with the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit.

We Come to the Father Through the Son by the Spirit

The Trinity also shapes our daily relationship with God.

Paul writes:

“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” —Ephesians 2:18

This single verse presents a profound picture of the Christian life.

Through the Son, we have access.

Jesus has reconciled us to God through His death and resurrection. We do not approach God on the basis of our own righteousness.

Because of Christ, God receives us as His children. We may call upon Him, trust Him, worship Him, and bring our needs before Him.

By the Spirit, we draw near.

The Holy Spirit dwells within us, helps us pray, teaches us God’s truth, and strengthens us to walk with Christ.

The entire Christian life is encompassed by the grace and love of the Triune God.

A Mystery God Has Truly Revealed

We should not be surprised that we cannot fully comprehend God.

God created our minds; our minds did not create God.

The Trinity is a mystery, but mystery does not mean contradiction or complete unknowability. It means that God is greater than our capacity to fully comprehend Him.

Simple illustrations of the Trinity fall short. We cannot reduce the eternal and infinite God to something fully explainable.

We are called to believe what He has revealed:

These truths belong together. From beginning to end, our salvation is the gracious work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” —2 Corinthians 13:14

What We Have Learned

  1. There is only one true God.
  2. The one God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  3. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, not three manifestations of one Person.
  4. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each fully and equally God.
  5. The Triune God works in perfect unity in our salvation.
  6. Through the Son and by the Holy Spirit, believers are brought into relationship with the Father.
  7. We cannot comprehend God fully, but we can know Him truly because He has revealed Himself.

What We Are Called to Do