December 11
Bible Reading: Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
To think rightly about God, we must grapple with the doctrine of the Trinity—a truth that is both profound and challenging to fully understand. Though the Bible does not contain the word “Trinity,” Scripture and church history clearly teach and affirm the truth.
The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that there is One God who eternally exists in three distinct persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These persons are not parts of God, nor are they three modes of God, but co-equal, distinct persons who share the same divine essence, nature, and will.
The foundation of this doctrine rests on the clear teaching of the oneness of God. Deuteronomy 6:4 affirms, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (also 1 Timothy 2:5). However, the Bible also teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each God. For example, the Father is God (John 6:27; 1 Peter 1:2), the Son is God (John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:8), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
Throughout Scripture, we see the three persons of the Trinity working together in unity to accomplish great acts: creation (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16), the incarnation (Luke 1:35), the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17), atonement (Hebrews 9:14), resurrection (Romans 1:4), and salvation (Ephesians 1:3-14).
In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commissions His disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The singular “name” points to the oneness of God, while the three persons are distinguished. This concept is reflected again in 2 Corinthians 13:14.
Some reject the doctrine of the Trinity, unable to reconcile how God can be both one and three. A. W. Tozer noted that those who deny this mystery often forget that life itself is filled with mysteries beyond human understanding. He writes, “Any real explanation of even the simplest phenomenon in nature lies hidden in obscurity,” and so it is with the Godhead. Praise God that we worship a Being whose ways and thoughts transcend our own (Isaiah 55:8-9).
“In one sense the doctrine of the Trinity is a mystery that we will never be able to understand fully. However, we can understand something of its truth by summarizing the teaching of Scripture in three statements: 1. God is three persons. 2. Each person is fully God. 3. There is one God.”—Wayne Grudem
PRAISE YE THE TRIUNE GOD
Praise ye the Father for His loving-kindness,
tenderly caring for His erring children;
praise Him, ye angels; praise Him in the heavens;
praise to the Savior!
Praise ye the Savior for His deep compassion,
graciously caring for His chosen people;
young men and maidens, ye old men and children,
praise to the Savior!
Praise ye the Spirit, Comforter of Israel,
sent from the Father and the Son to bless us;
praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
Praise to the triune God!
LookingtoJesus 