The Doctrine of the Trinity and What it Means to Me

The doctrine of the Trinity can be a totally confusing concept. One in three? Three in one? Three distinct persons? But one God? Don’t get discouraged. As a matter of fact, intellectuals, theologians, and church fathers have all been struggling with the issue of the Trinity for about two thousand years. The concept hasn’t gotten any easier over time, and God hasn’t changed at all. What is the doctrine of the Trinity? Why is it important? As you engage in college evangelism, the issue of the Trinity will come up. In the day of Internet student evangelism, Internet student ministries, and postmodern questions of reality, why should we even bother believing in the Trinity, let alone explaining it?

What is the doctrine of the Trinity?

The doctrine of the Trinity is the orthodox Christian doctrine regarding the identity of the person of God. The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is One, yet He is also three distinct persons. These three persons are labeled as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of the three Persons is God. Each member of the Trinity is eternal. Each member of the trinity is equal to the other.

What’s the big deal about the Trinity?

Belief in the doctrine of the Trinity is important to have a truly orthodox faith. Even though the word “trinity” doesn’t actually appear in a chapter and verse, its truth is all over the pages of our Bibles. God is referred to in the plural (Genesis 1:26; 3:22). The Father, Spirit, Son, appear individually at the same time (Matthew 3:16-17). Each person of the Godhead is referred to in various passages (e.g., Matthew 28:19). Since the Trinity is a biblical doctrine, it’s a big deal.

In addition, believing in the doctrine of the Trinity is a big deal simply for the legitimacy of our faith. On the one hand, if we don’t believe in the tri of the “tri-unity,” we have no confidence in a Savior who died, a Spirit who sustains, and a God who created. However, if we fail to believe the unity of the tri-unity, than we have a multideistic religion, and confusion over who to worship and how to conduct ourselves.

How do I understand the Trinity?

There are some who think that comprehending the Trinity requires a herculean effort of the intellect. Others think that some clever analogy will help them get to that “aha!” moment of finally grasping the elusive erudition of Trinitarian cogitation. Whether it’s an egg, the states of water, or a triangle, people try to grasp the concept of a three-in-one God through different pictures. Forget it. You’ll never completely understand it. Systematic theologian Millard Erickson admitted after seventeen pages of scholarly writing: “In the final analysis, the Trinity is incomprehensible” (Systematic, 363). This does not mean that we deny it. Nor does it mean that we don’t try to understand it better. It simply means that our finite human minds are not capable of comprehending the infinite mind of God. That is reason to glory in our great God—the blessed Trinity.

As someone once said,
Try to explain it, and you’ll lose your mind;
But try to deny it, and you’ll lose your soul.

Attributes of God

Attributes of God
Have you ever wondered about God’s true nature? A breakdown of His character, as revealed in the Bible, can be discovered.

The Meaning
God is a word that means different things to different people. What enters our minds when we think about God is considered to be the most important thing about us.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without him was not one thing made that has come into being.” (Gospel of John 1:1-3)

Characteristics

Wisdom
“Wisdom is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve these ends by the most perfect means.” (Dr. Fred R. Johnson, Ph.D.)

Infinitude
Infinitude impacts all of the others, and since God is infinite, everything else about Him must also be infinite.

Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the application of His other attributes of being all-knowing and all-powerful. Sovereignty makes Him absolutely free to do what He knows to be best.

Holiness
Holiness is what sets God apart from all other created beings, which is pure and righteous in all the universe.

Trinity
The Trinity consists of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called God, given worship as God, exist eternally, and are involved in doing things only God could do.

Omniscience
Omniscience means all-knowing, which means God knows everything, and His knowledge is infinite.

Faithfulness
God’s Faithfulness guarantees everything that He has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact, which has Jesus confirmed.

A Continuing Study

Love
Love simply means that God holds the well-being of others as His primary concern.

Omnipotence
Omnipotence means all-powerful, and since God is infinite and possesses power, He possesses infinite power.

Self-Existence
Self-Existence means God has no beginning or end; He just exists. Nothing else in all the universe is self-caused.

Self-Sufficiency
God is Self-Sufficient. He does not need our help with anything, but because of His grace and love, He allows us to be a part of advancing His plan on earth and being a blessing to others. We are the ones who change, but never God.

Justice
The Bible says that God is just, but it is His character that defines what being just really is. His justice is needed to be satisfied, but He took care of it for all who will believe in Jesus.

Immutability
It is why the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” This simply means that God never changes.

Mercy
“Mercy is the attribute of God which disposes Him to be actively compassionate.” Since God’s justice is satisfied in Jesus, He is free to show mercy to all those who have chosen to follow Him.

Eternal
God always has been and will forever be, because God dwells in eternity. It is why God can see the end from the beginning, and why He is never surprised by anything.

Goodness
Goodness is why He bestows all the blessing He does on His followers. God’s actions define what goodness is, and we can easily see it in the way Jesus related to the people around Him.

Gracious
God enjoys giving great gifts to those who love Him, even when they do not deserve it.  Jesus Christ is the channel through which His grace moves.

Omnipresence
Omnipresence means “always present.” Since God is infinite, His being knows no boundaries. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow Jesus.

The Conclusion
By learning the attributes of God, you may praise God for who He really is and for how each of His attributes impacts your life in a positive way.