God's Triune Nature

MAIN TEXT: MATTHEW 3:13-17

HIGHLIGHT VERSE: MATTHEW 3:17
“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” (NIV)

TOPIC POINTS:

1. Shadowed in the Old Covenant – Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22, Genesis 11:7
2. Revealed in the New Covenant – Matthew 3:13-17
3. Proven in the Divine Attributes

INTRODUCTION:

A uniquely Christian doctrine that has been fiercely defended since the beginning of the Church is the doctrine of the triune nature of God; that within the one being of God exists three co-equal and co-eternally persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Many false beliefs have arisen within professing Christians and outside Christianity to attack the doctrine of the Trinity. Tritheism, subordinationism, and modalism are the three biggest heresies that opposed the doctrine of the Trinity. Everyone who taught such beliefs were excommunicated from the early Church.

Denying the triune nature of God is a damnable heresy that puts one in danger of hellfire. It is a non-negotiable Christian doctrine that undergirds all other Christian beliefs.

SHADOWED IN THE OLD COVENANT

– GENESIS 1:26, GENESIS 3:22, GENESIS 11:7

In the book of Genesis, God makes some utterances that have baffled the minds of the Jewish people for centuries. In the creation of man, God said, “Let us create man in our image, in our likeness…” Before Adam and Eve were kicked out of Eden, God said, “The man has now become like one of us…” Also, when the Tower of Babel was being built, God said, “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so that they will not understand each other.”

These utterances were not commands, but are phrased as suggestions among equals. To whom was God speaking? Some have suggested angels (the divine council) as those to whom God spoke. This explanation lacks weight considering that angels are subordinate to God and receive commands from Him not suggestions.

These utterances do not definitively prove the Trinity or fully reveal the three persons within God but they get us thinking deeply.

REVEALED IN THE NEW COVENANT

– MATTHEW 3:13-17

The most striking revelation of the three divine persons occurs at the baptism of Jesus. As Jesus came up out of the water, we see the Spirit descend on Him, and the Father affirm His sonship. This is why it is wrong to teach that the Father from the Old Testament transformed into the Son and later transformed into the Spirit.

Sonship, apart from its biological meaning, is used in Scripture to refer to having the same nature and character as something or someone (Matthew 3:7, Mark 3:17, John 8:44). This is why the Jews repeatedly tried to stone Jesus because they understood that by Him claiming to be the Son of God, He was claiming to have the same nature as God therefore making Himself equal to God. (John 10:22-33, John 5:1-30)

PROVEN IN THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES

God’s attributes are the qualities of HIs nature. Humans are created in His image, therefore, we share in some of His attributes like love, mercy, justice, holiness, goodness. However, there are attributes of God that are completely unique to Him, no human or angelic being has these attributes.

We can conclusively prove the “God-ness” of the three persons by showing they each possess all the attributes of God.

Being God

The Father – John 6:27, Romans 1:7, Galatians 1:1
The Son – John 1:1-3, 18, Isaiah 7:14, John 20:28
The Holy Spirit – Acts 5:3-4, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Being Eternal

The Father – Genesis 21:33, Psalm 90:2, 1 Timothy 6:15-16
The Son – John 8:58, 17:5, 24
The Holy Spirit – Hebrews 9:14

Being Creator

The Father – Genesis 1:1, Psalm 104:2, 115:15
The Son – John 1:3, Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1:10
The Holy Spirit – Genesis 1:2, Job 33:4, Psalm 104:27-30

Omnipotence

The Father – Genesis 17:1, Jeremiah 32:17, Job 42:2
The Son – John 5:19, Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 28:18
The Holy Spirit – Luke 1:35

Omnipresence

The Father – 1 Kings 8:27, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Hebrews 4:13
The Son – John 3:13, Matthew 18:20, Ephesians 1:23
The Holy Spirit – Psalm 139:7-10

Omniscience

The Father – Psalm 139:1-6, Jeremiah 23:23-25, Psalm 147:5
The Son – John 16:30, 21:17, Colossians 2:3, John 4:24-25
The Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, John 14:26, 16:12-13

CONCLUSION:

The revelation of God’s triune nature is revealed in the incarnation of the Son and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is based on this reality that the New Testament was written. It is impossible to read and make sense of the New Testament without believing in the triunity of God.

Any difficulty in understanding the Trinity is resolved when we realize that God is infinitely unique from anything in creation. We will keep running in circles if we keep trying to fit Him into our limited categories of thinking. We need to humble ourselves and accept what He has revealed concerning Himself.

Holy, holy, holy
Lord God almighty
Early in the morning my song shall rise to thee

Holy. holy, holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• Recite our highlight verse
• What is the doctrine of the Trinity?
• In what ways do people get the doctrine of the Trinity wrong?
• Why is this doctrine non-negotiable?
• What utterances in the Old Covenant suggest a plurality in God?
• Why was God not referring to angels in those utterances?
• Do these utterances prove the Trinity?
• When do we see all three divine persons revealed at once?
• What does it mean for Jesus to be the “Son of God”?
• What divine attributes do we see in all three divine persons?
• Cross-examine some volunteers on the doctrine of the Trinity.