The belief in Triune God is a core foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. Triune, or Trinity, is a shorthand way of describing the God revealed in the pages of Scripture, who has revealed Himself as three persons (who) unified in one Being, Yahweh (what). The three distinct persons are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with the Son proceeding from the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeding from both the Father and the Son. Each is distinct in their relationship, but are uncreated, co-equal, co-eternal, full deity, acting with one will, and not confused. Each is the holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, sovereign, loving, and just Lord of glory, Yahweh.
Application of Doctrine
Let’s be frank here, this is not a lightweight or easy doctrine. We must recognize that there is manifold mystery to behold in the Trinity. It should not make us run away from it, but draw us in to worship. We look with awe and wonder at the depth, breadth, and beauty of the universe and its endless number of stars and galaxies. It stretches the mind beyond its limits and humbles us. How much more the Triune God who created it? Like David in Psalm 8, we should look in awe towards our Creator, and wonder: What is man? How and why does this immense and infinite God who defies categories and understanding, have regard for me? Why does He not just have regard, but also care for and love me?
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. – Psalm 139:17-18 (ESV)
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. – Psalm 139:6 (ESV)
Whenever I struggle to understand a heavy doctrine like the Trinity, it always helps to look to the Gospel. First, there is the Son, sent by the Father, made sinless in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the same Holy Spirit who hovered over the surface of the deep in Genesis 1. Then, empowered by that same Spirit, the Son bears the sins of sinners. He dies, is resurrected from the dead, and then ascends to sit at the right hand of the Father who sent Him. The Son sends His Spirit to His people to regenerate, seal, and sanctify them, forever.
In the Gospel, we can see the unity of will and power of the Triune God. It is good for God to be triune, and I dare say it would have been impossible for the plan of Salvation to have worked if God was not.
Implications of the Doctrine
You don’t have to look far to see the problems with denying the Trinity. It has long been a tactic of Satan to try and remove the reality of the Trinity, as is the case in Unitarianism, Socinianism, and Arianism, usually expressed by denying the deity of Christ. As a result, the Holy Spirit becomes non-existent or just an unnamed, faceless force akin to “The Force” in Star Wars. The second this happens, what you have is less than Christianity. Pick a cult: Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism, Islam, Oneness Pentecostalism, Unitarian Universalists – You will find a denial of the Trinity somewhere along the way of their doctrinal trajectory.
An Iremovable Doctrine
Briefly, let’s follow the line of thought of denying the Trinity. If God is not triune, then Jesus was not God. If Jesus were not God, then He would have been born of Joseph, inheriting his sin nature, therefore, even if He somehow lived a perfect life, he would need forgiveness of at least the sin of Adam imputed to Him. If He Himself needed a savior, then He could not have paid for our sins, and we are still dead in our sin and of all people most to be pitied. This argument is laid out in detail by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 and is a masterclass in systematic theology.
It is important to build your understanding of the Trinity from the Scriptures, which are perfect, and not an external source, which is imperfect. Extra-biblical sources can be very helpful in explaining and understanding what the Bible teaches, but the foundation must be Scripture. Other important Trinitarian texts include: Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 3:13-17, and Hebrews 1.
The more you study the Trinity, the more you will see how this doctrine is interwoven into every part of what we believe. To remove it is to remove the foundational cornerstone of our beliefs.
Approach it with fear and prayer. Be in awe of our Triune God.
