The Trinity

As we continue the idea of "basic" concepts in our Faith, it's important for us to understand that God and all His works are so vast and complex that there are going to be things that we cannot understand. There are mysteries that we aren't meant to understand and we have to come to peace with God in that, trusting that even though we don't comprehend all the complexities of Him and His creation, we can trust in who He is and that He's in control.

After our discussion of Christian Doctrine, it seemed only fair to talk about the most complex statement that is hard for so many to grasp.

The word "Trinity" is not found anywhere in scripture but the concept, evidence, or "formula" for the trinity is laid out clearly by Jesus, John, and Paul. Trinity in its simplest form means "unity of three". The trinity is made up of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of these are indiviual, yet all the same. Confused? Me too! Let's break this down.

God the Father

God the Father is the supreme being that created the entire universe. No one has ever seen God (John 1:18, John 5:37). He is always present, sees all things, and knows all things. There can be nothing hidden from Him. God has consistenly stayed the same, in a world that is always inconsistant. From the beginning of time He loved us and He still does.

Jesus Christ the Son

God showed us His unfailing love by sending Christ to this Earth who explained and demonstrated His love for us by not only dying on the cross but raising up again from the grave. Jesus is the Son of God the Father but also the embodiment of God in the flesh (John 10:29-30, John 14:9)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit was the helper that Jesus said He would send to us when He ascended into heaven. This is the Spirit of God who also is God and Jesus. When we accept who Christ is, believe what He's done for us, and ask Christ to come into our lives we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God the Father and Jesus now dwells inside of us and guides us. (John 14:16-17, John 15:26-27)

The idea that these 3 seperate beings are all the exact same is so hard for us to grasp but Jesus laid out the perfect example to help us understand. In John 4:10 Jesus says to the woman at the well, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Jesus compares Himself to water. As a kid I remember watching all these science cartoon videos explaining the chemistry of water. Water has three forms (solid, liquid, and vapor), but water is made up of 2 parts Hydrogen and 1 part Oxyen. When water takes on these three different forms the chemical compound of water (H2O) never changes. Water in its three different forms is still the same! Sound familiar?

Don't be discouraged if this is something that's difficult for you to grasp! It's something that we can never fully understand because logically it doesn't really make sense, but that's the beauty of it! We are so blessed to serve a God that has no limitations and is alive and dwelling in each of us.