Page 42 - Full Sample of ec magazine

indescribable:
The Trinity
by Michael Cummings
Trinity. You won’t hear a great deal of 1 © istockPhoto / matthew hertel Luke 4:14, John 1:1-2, and
conversation about that word in the school cafeteria, but it is
a very important component of Christianity. Webster defines
Trinity as “the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three
persons in one Godhead according to Christian dogma.” The
term “Godhead” refers to the nature of God, while a “dogma” is
a belief held to be true by a certain group of people.
40 | jul 2009 ec magazine
If you’re confused about the Trinity, then you are in good
company. The early Christian fathers struggled with this The Trinity is one of the great
concept for hundreds of years before they drew the conclu-
mysteries of our faith. It’s hard
sion that Yahweh was the three-in-one God.
The Trinity is one of the great mysteries of our faith. It
to wrap our three-and-a-half
is hard to wrap our three-and-a-half-pound brain around pound brain around it.
this concept. One of the reasons it is difficult is that no
solid examples of this can be found in the natural world.
However, this has not stopped us from trying to under-
stand God’s nature.
I have heard examples all of my life, such as the one So what evidence do we have that it is true? The evi-
that compares the Trinity to water. Water can have three dence is in you! Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep
forms—liquid, gas, and solid, yet all of these forms come My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He
from the same substance. This is a really good effort, but it will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He
falls short. God the Father had a relationship with the Son is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him
and the Spirit, and this is where things get tricky with the because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know
water example. First of all, water cannot have a relationship Him, because He remains with you and will be in you”
with anything because it is an inanimate object. Second, (John 14:15-17).
the human form is a bit more complicated than even water, In our world, people are constantly searching for heroes
not to mention how infinitely more complicated the nature with supernatural abilities like Wolverine and Harry Pot-
of God as Father and Spirit is. Third, all three forms of ter. However, we have the Hero the world really needs. He
water cannot co-exist for a sustained amount of time. If is the One and only true Hero. He is the Triune God who
you don’t believe me, try putting ice into boiling water to lives in each and every one of us who call ourselves Chris-
see how long they co-exist. It is best not to try to explain tians. If you want to prove to the world that God exists and
the indescribable God we serve using this or any other that His Word is true, then simply let the God who resides
analogy. within you out into the world. Show His love, mercy, and
The God we serve chose to reveal Himself to humanity grace to a world that is desperate for a real hero.
throughout history as three distinct Persons, and yet He is If you do this, you will give the world a small glimpse of
One. We do not worship three gods. God tells us so when the indescribable God we serve. ec
He gave Moses these words to speak: “Listen, Israel: The
Lord our God, the Lord is One” (Deut. 6:4). 1. “Trinity,” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed.
How can this be? The answer is simple: we don’t know (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).
how it can be true, but we know that it is true because the
Word of God is true.
The Scripture provides
much evidence which
confirms that, throughout
time, the three Persons of
the Trinity have co-existed
(Gen. 1:26, Gen. 3:22, Gen.
11:7, Isa. 6:8, Matt. 3:16-17,
1 Cor. 2:10-11). These are
just a few of the Scriptures
in which the different
Persons of the Trinity are
interacting and co-existing.
Some people might debate
this topic, but even though
the Bible is God’s Word
holds to this view.
and is true, not everyone ec magazine jul 2009 | 41 © istockPhoto / tim mccaig