GOD-Three in One | ACBC Exam Question #6

16.       State briefly the biblical basis for, and formulate the doctrine of, the Trinity.

God is three identities; Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit, each member is equally God independently, and yet together they are the One.  This concept is truly a mystery we cannot fully comprehend, but a truth we must know, and then believe by faith.

  From the beginning of Creation we read that all three members of the Trinity were present and actively involved in the process. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…. and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters…Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:1-2, 26 my own emphasis added).

The word “trinity” is not used anywhere in Scripture, but the doctrine is communicated in many passages.  In the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19 the disciples were instructed to; “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”.  This verse recognizes the three Persons of God, each one having an important role in the life of a believer.  

Each member of the Trinity functions uniquely, and are mentioned in Scripture as accomplishing certain tasks.  In 1 Peter 1:2 we see this clearly; “…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”  Here God the Father is the elector who knows in advance who will come to know Christ as Saviour, the Holy Spirit has the role of sanctifying a person, and it is all accomplished by the sacrificial blood of Christ that has paid the sin debt of one who believes. 

  At times an analogy can help us picture a truth, enabling us to better understand a concept, though when it comes to comparing God to anything on earth it will always pale in comparison, falling short, as nothing here on earth can aptly capture the majestic phenomenon of God.  However, like an egg has a shell, white, and yolk God is distinctively Three, and yet One at the same time.  Each is different in its substance, function, and appearance, but each is still considered egg weather independently or as a whole unit.

The doctrine of the Trinity should be upheld as truth, and should inspire us a believers to worship this God beyond our understanding for who He is as Three in One.