Prayer. Our Father in heaven, grant us precisions of word and thought, Father, in true faith.
Give us the light of understanding by your Holy Spirit. Enable us to believe what you have spoken
in your word, that you are one and the only true God, existing in Father, Son, and Spirit.
Humble us, Lord, by the complexity of the matter at hand. In the present Jesus' name, amen.
Good morning. So today we begin a series on the attributes of God. I'm glad we have this time together.
A.W. Tozer in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, says the most important thing about you
is what comes into your mind when you think about God. Not what you say or do or what you say about
yourself, but what you deeply in your heart conceive God to be like. Your knowledge of God.
In a way, our salvation depends on our knowledge of God. Jesus said,
This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
We must know God. Not carnal knowledge about him, but true knowledge based upon the word and spirit.
So, not just knowing about diamonds, where it's found underneath the earth and made of carbon atoms,
its value in the marketplace. But the knowledge we gain when we gaze upon a beautiful, sparkling diamond,
beholding it within its splendor. That's the kind of first-hand knowledge of God that we must have.
And a high view of God sees God as holy, high, and lifted up.
Helping us to see ourselves rightly as sinful, in a need of grace.
A low view of God is idolatry, and a mere figment of our imagination.
A high view of God leads to humility and reverence.
A low view of God leads to shallow worship and pride.
What you think about God affects your politics.
It affects your view of history. It affects your marriage.
It affects how you endure trials. How you understand persecution.
It affects everything.
And in fact, your whole life is being driven by how you conceive God to be like.
Everyone is a theologian. Everyone has this view of God in their minds.
So, in this class, my prayer is that we remove the blurriness of God's character,
and that it comes into sharper view,
so that our whole lives would be to live for God's honor and praise.
Jeremiah 4, verse 23 says,
Thus says the Lord,
Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom.
Let not the mighty man boast in his might.
Let not the rich man boast in his riches.
But let him who boasts boast in this,
that he understands and knows me.
And so to that end, we're going to begin today with the doctrine of the Trinity.
And this is somewhat unusual.
Normally, if you read a book about the attributes of God,
it begins with things like God is a spirit, God is omniscient, God is holy, God is loving.
And Lord willing, we will get to those things.
But I chose this topic first because when we discuss the attributes of God,
they are the attributes of the triune God,
applying equally to the Father, Son, and Spirit.
So the Trinity will help us to understand how can God be the kind of God he is.
Now, what is the Trinity?
Where is that chapter and verse where the Bible defines the Trinity?
Well, as you probably know, the word Trinity is not in the Bible.
You don't find a point-by-point exposition of the Trinity.
Does that mean it's not in the Bible?
Well, we'll see.
The word Trinity comes from the Latin trinitas, which means threeness.
So even though the word is not in the Bible, it captures an essential truth.
So let's begin with a definition.
Wayne Grudem helpfully has defined the Trinity as this.
God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and each person is fully God, and there is one God.
So each person is fully God, and there is one God.
And to understand the importance of the Trinity,
I want to tell you a story of a heroic man in the early church,
a man from Africa of great courage and faithfulness.
And this man defended the truth of Christ's deity against the raging assault of Satan.
And this man was named Athanasius.
In Athanasius' day, many inside the church actually excommunicated those who confessed that Jesus is Lord.
In fact, Athanasius himself was exiled five times, thrown out of his church, and then called back,
always standing up for the truth.
And during that time, many older people in the church were allowing wolves to ravage Christ's flock.
And by the year 300, the orthodoxy that Jesus is Lord was threatened with lies and heresy
by a man named Arius.
And Athanasius was only in his 20s, remarkably, when he entered into the public arena.
And one of the examples in history where the younger generation was calling the older generation back to biblical faithfulness,
and associated with Athanasius came the Latin phrase,
Athanasius Contramundum, Athanasius against the world,
a man who stood against the world in defense of the truth.
So may God raise up more men and women who are more concerned with being faithful to God's word
than receiving the world's applause.
And it was indeed a dark moment.
The false doctrine from Aries spread rapidly during the early church.
And what was Arianism?
Well, Aries rightly said that there was only one God.
But then disastrously, he wrongly reasoned that if Jesus was the Son of God,
then he must have had a beginning.
He's the Son.
He must have had a beginning.
Right?
And therefore, there must have been a time where Jesus did not exist,
and only the Father was eternal.
And this came to be known as Arianism, which denies the full deity of Christ.
And we see these ancient heresy in modern times.
Oneness Pentecostals, who were kicked out of the assemblies of God many years ago.
Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses.
There's nothing new under the sun.
But by God's grace, in a moment of great triumph, in 315 AD,
the church sent representatives to the city of Nicaea to wrestle with the Scripture and to clarify their position.
And the rest is history.
There they formulated the Nicene Creed, which contains these important lines.
And when you read the Nicene Creed, think of begotten as meaning as the same essence as,
and essence as the same godness as.
So these are important lines.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
begotten, so of the same essence as, the Father before all ages,
God from God, light from light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of the same essence as the Father, of the same godness as the Father.
And later in 381, a statement was added about the deity of the Spirit,
which forms the modern Nicene Creed.
And there, in the three great ecumenical creeds,
the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creed,
are all structured around this threeness and oneness.
And these creeds are like letters from our spiritual ancestors,
warning us against dangerous theological mistakes that have threatened the church in the past.
But sadly, many in our modern day have not saw fit to have
that humble listening of the past.
Matt referenced last week that Ligonier study on the state of theology done for Americans.
And it is clear that even in our own day,
the doctrine of the Trinity is outright rejected by those who claim to be Christians.
So the question was this,
Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.
In 2020, 30% of American evangelicals agreed that Jesus is not God.
In 2022, that jumped to 43%.
That's amazing and saddening, a travesty.
Before we begin, let's ask the question,
why does this even matter?
Someone might object,
I worship God, we don't need these distinctions.
It's so abstract and vague.
People throwing around terms like essence and begotten,
co-this and co-that, it just seems so irrelevant.
We don't need these distinctions as long as someone worships God.
However they conceive him to be,
that's what's most important, right?
We worship God.
Well, to the contrary,
Jesus disagrees with that.
Remember in Jesus' last discourse,
on the night of his betrayal,
before going to the cross,
before the darkness of the crucifixion,
Jesus prays for his disciples
in his high priestly prayer.
And you can imagine the importance of these words.
In his hour of crisis,
before you go away,
what will you say to the frightened disciples?
What would you say?
Stop being so anxious.
You're always so anxious.
Or I'll be right back.
You know, BRB.
He doesn't say those things.
Instead, to get through the crisis,
Jesus is saying,
I need you to have a deeper understanding of God.
And he begins teaching them about the Trinity
and the sweet fellowship
between the Father, Son, and Spirit.
In John 17,
Holy Father, keep them in your name,
which you have given me,
and they may be one,
even as we are one.
Or verse 22,
The glory that you have given me,
I have given to them,
that they may be one,
even as we are one.
I in them,
and you in me,
that they may become perfectly one.
And the high priestly prayer
underlines the glorious mystery of the Trinity.
And so for the Lord Jesus,
this isn't a speculative topic.
It's entirely practical.
It helps us in times of suffering
and persecution.
And likewise,
early Christians were passionate
about this topic,
not because they were interested
in speculative philosophy
or scholastic theology.
No, because they wanted to worship
the Lord rightly.
And I would venture to say
that preserving this truth
in the Nicene Creed
helped the church persevere
through years of severe persecution.
And if that is so,
friends,
the church
must remove this blurriness
and provide clarity
on this important topic.
And many Roman Catholic apologists
will actually say,
well, see,
that's why you need
the Roman Catholic Church,
the big C.
Because you cannot prove
the Trinity from the Scripture.
You need the councils
and the creeds,
but we must disagree
with them there.
because ultimately,
we prove not our case,
not from the church fathers,
however helpful they may be
as a humble listening
of the past,
but ultimately to the Scriptures.
We must look to the Scriptures
as the foundation of our faith.
And so our goal
in our time together
is to expound scripturally
of the Trinity.
God is one,
and God is in three persons,
and discuss why this matters.
And so to do this,
we have to do three things
to prove the Trinity
from the Scripture.
First, we must show
that God is one.
Second, three in one.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
are all God.
Each person is fully God.
And third,
these three persons
are not identical.
And then we'll spend some time
thinking about application.
So point number one.
God is one.
So the first thing
we must say
that Christians believe,
just as Jews believe,
is that God is one.
And many accuse Christians
of being polytheists.
Right?
Accusing Christians
of believing in three gods.
And while it is true
that Christians believe
in a plurality,
it is not polytheism.
So Christians would hardly affirm
Deuteronomy 6, verse 4.
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God,
the Lord is one.
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your might.
So God is one.
This is referred to
as the Shema,
because the first word here
is the Hebrew word Shema.
Shema, O Israel.
And Israel was to understand
there is one God.
In contrast to all
the other surrounding nations
who worship many false gods,
Israel was to worship
the one and only true God.
There is one creator God.
The creator God of Israel
is the God who created
the heavens and the earth
and who redeemed the people
out of slavery
to be his special people.
But in another sense,
the Shema means for Israel
not only to say
that God is one,
but God, you are the one.
Like in a love relationship.
God, you are the only one
my heart desires.
The one I will love
with all my heart,
my soul, my mind, and strength.
And marriage pictures
that exclusive love,
does not,
an unbreakable love
between God and his people.
And the first commandment
is you shall have
no other gods before me.
An exclusive loyalty
to Yahweh as their king.
And the people in exchange
are his treasured possession.
And the heart of the Old Testament
is a call for Israel
to worship God
as their one and only true God
and worship him alone.
And this is a God
who will have no rivals.
His glory he will not share
with another.
He alone is God,
utterly unique,
ultimate authority.
At his command,
the Red Sea was parted.
In the ten plagues,
he shows his supremacy
over all the other false gods
of the Egyptians.
He can make the sun
stand still at his word.
I am the Lord God.
That is my name.
My glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
So all glory and praise
are due his name alone.
And God speaks authoritatively
about the past
and the future.
He's in absolute control
of all things.
And there are only two possibilities.
Either God is reigning
or he is being ruled over.
And the Old Testament
is emphatic that God is reigning.
Isaiah 44, verse 6,
Thus says the Lord,
the King of Israel
and his Redeemer,
The Lord of hosts,
I am the first
and I am the last.
Besides me,
there is no God.
Who is like me?
Let him proclaim it.
Is there a God besides me?
There is no rock.
I know not any.
Or Deuteronomy chapter 32,
verse 39,
See now that I,
even I am he,
and there is no God beside me.
I kill,
I make alive,
I wound,
I heal,
and there is none
that can deliver
out of my hands.
Because he's in full control,
fully sovereign,
fully reigning,
there is none
that can deliver
out of his hands.
There is none beside him
or over him.
Isaiah chapter 45,
verse 22,
Turn to me
and be saved
to all the ends
of the earth.
For I am God
and there is no other.
And so consistent
in the Old Testament
is that there is only one God.
And the New Testament
actually affirms
that God is one.
Jesus affirms
those Shema in Mark 12.
You'll recall
one of the scribes
asked Jesus,
Which commandment
is the most important of all?
Jesus answered,
The most important is,
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God,
the Lord is one.
So Jesus affirms
that God is one.
In 1 Corinthians 8,
when resolving the question
of meat sacrifice to idols,
Paul says,
We know that no idol
is anything in the world
and there is no God
but one.
James says,
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even demons believe
and shudder.
So the demons
can affirm the Nicene Creed.
1 Timothy 2, 5,
For there is one God
and there is one mediator
between God and men,
the man,
Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 4, 6,
One God and Father of all
who is over all
and through all
and in all.
Lastly,
1 Timothy 1, 17.
The king of the ages,
immortal, invisible,
the only God,
be honor and glory
forever and ever.
So rewind in Genesis 1.
This one God
created all things.
Unlike other pagan
cosmic stories
where creation is a result
of God's fighting
against each other,
one God speaks the world
into existence
by his word.
Ex nihilo.
Out of nothing,
he creates.
Ten times,
you're reading
the opening chapter,
and God said,
and it was so.
And God has supreme authority
over all creation.
He is not some tribal God,
but he is the king
whom every person
will give an account.
And this is the one
who created Adam and Eve
in his own image.
There is only one God.
There are not three gods.
There is only one.
So the response
to this oneness, right,
makes Muslims and Jews
say,
that's right,
God is one.
So therefore,
the Trinity is excluded, right?
One plus one plus one
equals three.
Right?
Father, Son, Spirit,
that's three gods.
If God is one,
that excludes Jesus
and the Holy Spirit's deity.
But this is not so.
Not at all.
So let's look at
the Old Testament again
and examine this criticism.
And B.B. Warfield
in his book,
The Biblical Doctrine
of the Trinity,
has an insightful comment
about the nature
of the Old Testament's
witness about the Trinity.
He says this,
The Old Testament
may be likened
to a chamber
richly furnished,
but dimly lit.
The introduction
of light
brings into it
nothing
which was not
in it before,
but brings out
into clear view
much what was in it,
but was only dimly lit.
That's a paraphrase.
So what he's noting here
is important,
that the nature
of the scripture
is progressive.
It's progressive.
So God reveals
himself in stages.
So the Trinity
is more clear
in Isaiah
than it is in Genesis.
It's more clear
in the New Testament
than it is in Isaiah.
So the nature
of the scripture
is progressive.
The light
is getting brighter
and then when the light
of the New Testament
is brightest,
we can go back
into the Old Testament
and see things
that were dimly lit,
but not at all perceived.
It's like we know
more now
than they did back then.
Right.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
So we can go back
into the Old Testament
knowing what we know
about God
in the New
and see things
that were there
all along.
And so the church fathers
thought
this was very important
to go back
into the Old Testament
and to see hints
or footprints,
they would call it.
I think it's called
the vestigia trinitatis.
So it's the footprint
or shadows
of the triune nature
of God
in the Old Testament.
So I want to throw out
a question for us here
is where in the Old Testament
is the plurality
of God implied?
And I have some here
as you can see.
Genesis 1
and the Spirit of the Lord
hovered over
and then
when
the angel of the Lord
makes an appearance
that's the pre-incarnate Christ.
Yeah.
And then God.
When does God
ever make an appearance?
The angel of the Lord
is fascinating, right?
He's a fascinating figure.
He appears
in numerous
points
and angels
refuse worship, right?
Yeah.
In Revelation.
Yeah, 22.
The Revelation
the angel says
don't do that.
I'm a fellow servant.
Don't worship me.
But this angel
accepts worship.
It appears
he has God's name, right?
And God sends him out
so it's
he has a name of God
but at the same time
he's distinct from God.
So a lot of people
have seen the angel
of the Lord
as being
Jesus says
in Israel
the spirit of the Lord
was upon me.
You know
he quotes Isaiah
as another
yeah the spirit
of the spirit.
Yes.
Yeah.
So we have Genesis.
We have the angel
of the Lord.
Is there any other place
that the plurality
Olivia?
I don't know where
somewhere
in the Old Testament
it's called
the man of God
or the son of man
like a scene
where they eat
under a tree
but a lot of people
think it's Jesus
or Elijah
or the plurality of God
and then there's
there's I think
one more place
that's all the new trees.
Yeah.
I'm thinking
when you say
the son of man
I was thinking
of Daniel 9
where the son of man
is given all authority
sovereign power
and glory
and it's like
who is this son of man
who is presented
to the ancient of days
and is given
an eternal dominion
an eternal kingdom.
It's puzzling right?
So where is the plurality
of God implied
in the Old Testament?
So we have
the angel of the Lord
there's the Daniel
there's certain places
where it seems
that there are
a divine figure
that appears.
Yeah.
The plurality
of God implied.
The servant passages
in Isaiah
come to mind.
They're not
they're
very shadowy
but
they're very much
perfect
once Jesus comes.
Yeah.
The servant
the servant
comes
and seems
to have
the attributes
of God
the servant
will save
his people
from their sins
but who can save
a God alone?
Who is the servant
that Isaiah speaks of?
And Moses
talking about
there's going to come
a God
will rise up
a prophet
after me
and listen to him.
Yeah.
Yes.
But does that
passage not
if you listen to
that passage
you're just expecting
a prophet
you want to be
God
and I'm sorry
I can't wait
to say
the context
of the question
he was speaking
about Jesus
Yeah
because Jesus
well the prophet
Deuteronomy 18
where it says
Moses
there will be
a prophet
like me
and listen to him
and the prophet
will say things
that will come true
and that's the way
you should know
that he's a true prophet
and I think Jesus
his resurrection
right
he says
I'm going to be
raised up on the third day
and when
it happens
it is the
the prophet
that Moses spoke of
but it's
he's
not necessarily
the deity of God
I mean
the deity of Christ
but it does
vindicate Christ
in what
all I said
was true
Yeah
And it wasn't even yet
he had to wait
for David
to come
and then after David
Jesus
came
Yeah
So Moses was talking
about two people
ahead of him
Yeah
To clarify
I don't disagree
what I'm saying
is that that passage
itself
does not talk
about Jesus
as
Moses was not God
so if Moses said
I'm a prophet
like me
Yeah
That passage
in the context
it's actually
it's not the plurality
It's not the plurality
of God
it's
it's affirming
the truthfulness
of what Christ said
and all that he did
and
yes
I agree
and some of the things
he said was
I'm the Father
I want
Yeah
Tom
Maybe I missed this
I stepped out for a second
but
the
Hebrew word for God
Elohim
is plural
but it's singular
it's used as a singular
verb
but it's a plural noun
referring to God
which is
puzzling
and it's
there's this plurality
in
the Godhead
seemingly
just in his name
Yeah
You can say the same thing
from
the Shema
you're always real
the Lord your God
the Lord is one
because
it uses
three different names
for God
it's the Yahweh
and the Elohim
and then
this is a little more complicated
but in the Hebrew manuscripts
they didn't want to say Yahweh
so they vocalized it
with Abed and I
so it's like
Yahweh
anyway
it's
the classic
you know
God is one passage
there's actually
three names
of lies
for God
Yeah
that is good
Sneaky
hints
I want you to get this
but
I'm going to stick this in here too
for here
like you'll get it
someday
Yeah
Right now
after coming out of Egypt
with all these
multiple gods
I want you to get
God as one
but
later on
remember
that's
that's so true
Romans 8 16
the spirit of God
bears witness to our spirit
that we are children
that's a reference to the spirit
yes
yeah
the spirit is equally God
exactly
and all these
and so many
so much more
if you look in the Old Testament
right
you can see
hints
footprints
shadows
of the triune nature of God
not explicitly stated
but you can go back
after the
of the New Testament
the light shines
and see like
oh yeah
I see that there were
the Old Testament authors
were not uncomfortable
using plural forms
of nouns
for God
like why is that
but
and
one other
is
the
Genesis 2
which we
we talked about
that
let us make man
in our image
after our likeness
and
Genesis 3
verse 22
the Lord God said
the man has now become
like one of us
knowing good and evil
he wasn't talking to angels
well and it's interesting
because
the
non
you know
some people could say
look
the church fathers
you can go and find
anything you want
in the Old Testament
if you have an agenda
I can go find
anything I want
if I'm going to go
in there looking for it
but even non-Christians
wrestle with this passage
of Genesis 2 and 3
so many Jewish rabbis
contradict each other
fumbling in an explanation
of what is going on
in Genesis 2
some rabbis point
that the us and our
is Genesis
as God speaking
with angels
and other rabbis
like no that cannot be
we did not
God
angels didn't create us
we're not creating
the image of angels
that just cannot be
and one Jewish writer
in the 2nd century BC
wrote a book
called Jubilee
and he had a lengthy
quote of Genesis
and he just dropped
the plural self-reference
out of it
so that's one way
of avoiding the problem
just avoid it
by deleting it
from your quotation
and I think
that just shows
the early church
were not reading
back into the Old Testament
things that weren't there
if Jewish
non-Christians
were wrestling
with the same issues
with the plurality
that's implied
and you know
the us and our
from a New Testament
perspective
we can say
this is intra-Trinitarian
conversation
so let us make man
in our image
and I think
when John writes
in the beginning
was the word
the word was God
was with God
right
Jesus was clearly there
the spirit is there
and the scripture
is hinting at
that there is a plurality
within the God
even in their act
of creation
and so our response
to the Muslim
is that there is one God
but there is a plurality
and that is attested
to in the Old Testament
one other
one I wanted to speak about
was Psalm 110
Psalm 110
was the
verse 1
was Jesus'
favorite verse
in the Bible
to quote from
it's quoted
in 24 separate
or alluded to
in 24 different times
and Psalm 110
verse 1
says
the Lord
says to my Lord
sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
your footstool
and the Lord
Yahweh
is speaking to
another person
whom he calls Lord
right
and this other person
clearly within the context
of the psalm
is the Messiah
David's messianic son
and this one
in Psalm 110
who sits at God's right hand
who triumphs over his enemies
he is a priest
in the order of Melchizedek
he has divine power
to judge the nations
to shatter kings
in his wrath
so the Lord
is speaking to the Lord
this Messiah
it's a puzzling
reality
what is going on
and Jesus quotes this
in his dispute
with the Pharisees
who are attacking him
Jesus says to the Pharisees
who do you think
of the
what do you think
of the Christ
whose son is he
they answer
the son of David
then he said
how is it
that David
in the spirit
calls the Messiah
Lord
and I think
it's the same
Yahweh speaks
to Adonai
in Psalm 110
and I don't know
how fully
David understood
this
what he was saying
but under the
inspiration
of the spirit
he's somehow
saying that
the Lord
is speaking
to another
person
whom is called
Lord
the God
the Father
is speaking
to the Son
sit at my right
hand
until I make
your enemies
your footstool
in Isaiah 9
this Messiah
is called
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
and again
this Messiah
will save
his people
from their sins
in Isaiah 53
but who can save
from our sins
but God alone
who is this Messiah
that David
and Isaiah
speak about
so those
are the hints
it's there
but it's
you know
we don't know
it could be
is God
three persons
is God
more than
three persons
from the Old Testament
we can't
we can't say
for sure
but one of the
remarkable things
is that once you
open the pages
of the New Testament
the Trinity
isn't so much
explained
but it's assumed
throughout the
whole narrative
and so what was
vaguely hinted at
in the Old Testament
now becomes clear
you know
some say
Jesus never claimed
to be God
except in a few
lines in John's
Gospel that were
added much later
is that right
does the New Testament
affirm Jesus deity
yes
yes they do
yes
there's scholars
that now
are acknowledging
that ancient
Judaism
did have
that is pluralistic
pluralistic
conception
of their
one God
and that
the phenomenon
of Judaism
denying that
is a recent
it's a recent
phenomenon
it's post-Christian
that I would say
was in response
to Christianity
but if you read
the first century
Jewish text
first century
BC AD
they seem to all
acknowledge this
many of them
anyway
and then
that's lost
once you go through
the Christian
centuries
so I think
they knew it
it wasn't
they may not have
the exact
conception
you know
a precise
trinity
but they knew
there was this
plurality
it wasn't just
David said
something
everybody forgot
it
I think
they were
aware
yeah
that's a good
point
so even
historically
this plurality
has been
part of the
Jewish faith
and it's not
something the
church fathers
just kind of
came up with
that thin air
yeah
I think we can
emphatically say
yes
the New Testament
affirms
Jesus DHU
Pastor Matt
preached on
Mark 2
a couple weeks
ago
Jesus is Lord
of the Sabbath
he's Lord
over God's law
Jesus receives
worship
after the
resurrection
Thomas says
my Lord
and my God
Jesus doesn't
say look
I'm your Lord
but not your
God
what are you
doing
he says
no no no
he accepts
worship
he's like
yes
he accepts
worship
that is due
God alone
and in
Revelation
the Lamb
on the throne
is worshipped
he receives
that which is
due to God
alone
he not only
receives worship
he takes on
divine titles
right
he is given
the name
Savior
but Isaiah
43
God says
I even
I am the
Lord
apart from
me
there is
no Savior
and Jesus
the name
Jesus
literally means
Savior
and not only
Savior
but he takes
on the name
of Shepherd
right
John 10
and David
would say
the Lord
is my
shepherd
and there's
many other
titles that
Jesus takes
on
Redeemer
the Son
of Man
the True
Vine
the Bridegroom
clearly alluding
to God's
work in the
Old Testament
the I am
statements
in the
Gospel
of John
are filled
with allusions
to Jesus
deity
one of the
I am
statements
for example
is I am
the light
of the world
and that
gives life
to the world
he's recalling
the wilderness
experience
and the
pillar of fire
that led
Israel
through
the desert
so any
listener
would have
understood
that light
was a picture
of the light
of God
himself
and the
light
metaphor
is where
the light
of God's
glory
is present
as God
led the
people
through the
wilderness
to salvation
Jesus
saying I
will lead
my people
out of
darkness
into the
light of
salvation
through my
life and
death
and so
these I am
statements
are alluding
to God's
work in the
Old Testament
and he
not only takes
on titles
like Savior
Shepherd
Redeemer
and Lord
he has
divine works
right
he forgives
sins
but who
can forgive
sins
but God
alone
as a Pharisee
is recognized
they were
rights
only God
can forgive
sins
because ultimately
as David
said
I've sinned
against God
and him
alone
my sin
against
Bathsheba
and Uriah
he stops
the wind
at his
word
what kind
of man
is this
says the
disciples
even the
winds
and sea
obey him
answer
he's God
right
he's God
he even
commands
the forces
of nature
and there's
more we can
say
the apostles
consistently
gave the
title Lord
to Jesus
in their
letters
1 Corinthians
8-6
Paul says
yet for us
there is
one God
the Father
from whom
are all
things
and for
whom we
exist
and one
Lord
Jesus Christ
through whom
are all
things
and through
whom we
exist
and it's
interesting
that is
1 Corinthians
8-6
people will
point out
that is
the Shema
and Paul
is inserting
Jesus
into that
as describing
him as
Lord
there is
one God
in 1 Corinthians
8-6
so Paul
calls him
Lord
through whom
all things
exist
and the word
Lord in the
New Testament
is the
Hebrew
word
translated
into the
Greek
Kyrios
and that is
the word
that is used
to describe
Jesus
over and
over again
and that
same word
is used
over 6,000
times in
the Old
Testament
to describe
God
so Jesus
is fully
God
and you
will call
Jesus
in John
8
calls himself
Yahweh
before Abraham
was I am
and the Pharisees
understood what
he was saying
because they
picked up
stones to
kill him
for blasphemy
right
they would
be right
he's calling
himself
God
except that
it was
true
Jesus
was God
understandable
reaction
you're only
50 years old
you're saying
you saw
Abraham
face to
face
he existed
2,000 years
ago
and Jesus
was saying
I am God
and they
understood
what he was
saying
because they
picked up
stones
to kill
him
God
came to
earth
and he
killed
him
yes
his people
knew him
not
yes
Jesus
yes
the love
of God
Jesus is the
image of the
invisible God
as Hebrews 1
says
so
the eternal
son of God
light from
light
true God
from true
God
we don't need
to pick a
couple verses
from John
to prove
Jesus deity
it is
throughout
the entire
New Testament
so let's
talk about
the Holy Spirit
the third
distinct person
from the
Trinity
of the
one God
the Father
is God
Jesus
is God
and the
Holy Spirit
is God
and these
are distinct
persons
despite there
being only
one God
I hope
your mind
is just
kind of
getting a little
confused now
how can that
be possible
there being
one God
and three
distinct
persons
in the
one God
and some
people will
say I
don't really
get this
whole business
about the
Holy Spirit
that's just
the word
for the
breath
the wind
the power
of God
working
through the
world
right
they don't
see the
Holy Spirit
as a
distinct
person
and Christians
who grew up
with the
KJV
anyone
grew up
with the
KJV
here
KJV
there you
go
I'm
familiar
with the
term
Holy Ghost
and the
Holy Ghost
it has
connotations
of distance
of an
impersonal
God
who's a
ghost
the Holy Ghost
right
it's like
who is
the Spirit
I mean
and
in many
passages
the Holy
Spirit
is spoken
of
impersonal
terms
we tend
to think
of the
Holy Spirit
as a
force
but the
Holy Spirit
is a
person
right
and frequently
does
activities
that belong
to personhood
so right
before the
cross
Jesus
expresses
an
internal
intimacy
with the
Father
and he
promises
to send
the Holy
Spirit
onto the
church
one
distinct
from both
the
Father
and the
Son
and the
Holy Spirit
is the
paraclete
the helper
the advocate
it says
that
God
decrees
Jesus
accomplishes
and the
Holy Spirit
applies
to salvation
yes
it's all
Trinitarian
in the end
yes
our whole
faith is
Trinitarian
yes
now why
did Jesus
have to
leave
before the
Holy Spirit
comes
well
that's easy
because God
wanted it to
be that
way
I actually
don't know
why
Jesus had
to leave
before the
Spirit
comes
maybe it's
because Jesus
was
yes
yeah
at a
Pentecost
yeah the
Spirit
is poured
out
but yeah
so there's
the Jesus
as a
sense
and the
Spirit
comes
down
and the
Spirit
in John
14
26
is the
helper
the
one
whom
the
Father
will
send
in my
name
he
will
teach
you
all
things
and
bring
to your
remembrance
all that
I have
taught
you
and so
the
Holy Spirit
teaches
us
right
the
Spirit
enables
them
to
remember
he
bears
witness
with
our
spirit
that
we
are
the
children
of
God
the
Holy
Spirit
helps
us
in
our
weakness
he
intercedes
for
us
with
groanings
too
deep
for
words
right
the
Spirit
understands
our
needs
and
Paul
in
1 Corinthians
4
the
Spirit
searches
everything
he
knows
every
aspect
of
the
depths
of
God
and
he
makes
God
known
so
that's
one of
the
roles
of the
Spirit
is
to
make
God
known
he
applies
the
work
of
redemption
in
our
hearts
1 Corinthians
12
verse
11
the
Spirit
gives
gifts
to
each
one
individually
as
he
wills
so
the
Spirit
gives
us
for
service
Acts
16
verse
6
Paul
is
traveling
through
Asia
as they
attempted
to go
into
Bithynia
and it
says
the Spirit
does not
allow
them
to
go
and so
the Spirit
is preventing
them from
going
somewhere
the Holy
Spirit
talks
he says
to
Philip
go and
join
the
chariot
so
the Spirit
speaks
to
Philip
and
of
course
the Spirit
can be
grieved
and
troubled
by what
we
do
so
the
Spirit
possesses
full
deity
of
the
Godhead
Raul
mentioned
earlier
the
deity
of
the
Spirit
in
the
work
of
creation
where
the
Spirit
is
hovering
over
the
waters
in
the
birth
narratives
Jesus
is
conceived
by
the
Spirit
the
Spirit
leads
Jesus
into
the
wilderness
where
Satan
tempts
him
and
after
he
overcomes
temptation
he
goes
forth
in
So
the
Holy
Spirit
is
equally
God
and
distinct
from
the
Father
and
the
Son
So
in
summary
there's
one
God
there are
not
three
gods
but
there's
one
God
but
there are
three
persons
who
are
distinct
from
each
other
the
Father
is
God
the
Son
is
God
the
Spirit
is
God
but
the
Father
is
not
the
Son
nor
the
Spirit
the
Spirit
is
not
the
Father
nor
the
Son
they're
not
identical
so
and
this
is
clear
from
Jesus
in
the
Great
Commission
all
authority
in
heaven
and
on
earth
is
given
to
me
go
therefore
make
disciples
of
all
nations
baptizing
in
the
name
the
one
name
of
the
Father
of
the
Son
and
of
the
Holy
Spirit
teaching
them
to
observe
all
that
I
have
commanded
so
there's
one
God
in
three
persons
so
let's
say
something
about
some
common
mistakes
that
analogies
I
want
to
get
to
analogies
so
we
can
say
that
analogies
could
be
helpful
right
if
you
an
analogy
might
help
you
understand
some
of
this
oneness
and
threeness
but
I
think
if
we
go
right
to
the
analogy
we
actually
end
up
misrepresenting
the
triunity
of
God
so
Christians
will
say
well
God
is
one
but
he
appears
in
three
different
forms
right
so
oftentimes
this
mistake
is done
when we
start
analogizing
God
has
three
different
masks
that
he
puts
on
that's
called
modalism
yes
God
appears
in
different
modes
and
so
God
is
like
H2O
sometimes
he's
water
sometimes
he's
ice
sometimes
he's
steam
and
that's
kind
of
water
is
appearing
in
different
forms
but
the
problem
is
if
water
can
turn
into
steam
but
can
the
father
turn
himself
into
the
spirit
no
he
can't
and
there's
no
situation
where
it's
water
steam
and
ice
and
they're
all
three
at
once
right
so
it's
not
it's
not
like
the
it's
not
a
good
analogy
for
the
trinity
although
we
can
that
might
be
helpful
but
it
ultimately
falls
short
God
can't
turn
himself
into
the
spirit
because
God
is
the
spirit
there
is
no
turning
he
is
yes
one
is
like
a
man
who
is
a
father
and
a
brother
and
a
son
all
together
right
so
I'm
a
man
I'm
also
a
father
I'm
a
husband
I'm
a
son
three
in
one
right
well
that
doesn't
work
either
because
that
denies
the
distinctions
within
the
Godhead
it's
that
doesn't
so
all
analogies
ultimately
fail
us
I
haven't
heard
of
a
good
analogy
I
mean
they
could
be
comprehension
and
it's
that
makes
sense
doesn't
it
if
God
says
that
my
ways
are
not
your
ways
my
thoughts
are
above
your
thoughts
of
course
we're
not
going to
find
an
analogy
that
perfectly
corresponds
one to
one
with
who
God
is
yeah
words
escape
us
words
escape
us
try
to
define
who
God
is
and
what
he
is
the
words
fail
I
got
it
up
here
I
just
don't
have
it
when
the
words
come
out
yes
like
Augustine
said
what is
needed
is a
loving
profession
of
ignorance
rather
than a
rash
profession
of
knowledge
yeah
we need
to
profess
our
ignorance
and
not
like
rashly
professed
our
knowledge
of
the
matter
yeah
so
let's
pause
for a
moment
and ask
ourselves
how does
the plurality
of God
help us
understand
God's
character
because this
is an
attributes
of God
class
how does
that help
us
understand
God's
character
God
well
there's a
big
difference
between
the
conception
of
Allah
and
a
Christian's
view
of
the
triune
God
so
if we
deny
the
trinity
and
let's
say
God
was
like
Allah
God
would
need
his
creation
to be
loving
would
he
not
can
you
love
anything
if you
have been
in solitary
confinement
since
eternity
past
no
you
need
an
object
to
love
to
be
loving
and
the
scripture
presents
the
father
son
and
spirit
being
in
eternal
relationship
and
fellowship
with
each
other
in
eternity
past
they
have
loved
each
other
from
eternity
past
it's
out of
this
love
and
joy
that
they
create
the
world
or
else
if
they
weren't
together
in a way
you'd
have to
say
God
needs
creation
to be
loving
but
that's
not
it's
like
in
C.S.
Lewis's
Narnia
the
magician's
nephew
Aslan
sings
creation
into
existence
it's
a happy
voice
out
of
love
and
it's
as if
God
sings
the
world
into
existence
in
Genesis
1
and
it's
out
of
this
love
and
joy
that
he
makes
us
and
it's
in
Christ
God
is
drawing
us
into
that
three
person
love
that
has
always
existed
to
have
the
sweet
fellowship
with
the
Trinity
the
father
when he
views
us
in
Christ
has
the
same
love
for
us
as
he
does
for
his
very
own
son
he's
drawing
us
into
that
three
person
world
of
love
that
has
always
existed
from
eternity
past
and
God
and we
could
understand
that
God
was
the
father
was
eternally
a
father
right
he
didn't
become
a
father
once
creation
was
done
in
Genesis
1
he
was
always
a
father
and
the
son
was
always
a
son
who
loved
his
father
and
honored
him
and
so
God
is
a
God
of
love
because
God
is
a
triune
God
and
we
are
created
in
the
image
of
God
ought
we
not
to
do
the
same
right
so
we're
created
in
this
triune
God
image
and
we
ought
to
be
loving
each
other
so
let me
speak
to
fathers
just
for a
moment
fathers
or
future
fathers
in
some
families
the
father
is
absent
right
or
uninvolved
in
their
children's
lives
in
some
cases
I've
known
men
who
have
never
heard
their
father
say
I
love
you
the
father
never
said
it
yeah
never
said
it
what
a
distortion
of
the
character
of
God
the
father
right
as
the
father
said
to
the
son
you
are
my
beloved
son
in
whom
I
am
well
pleased
as
the
father
said
that
to
the
son
we
as
fathers
should
say
the
same
right
to
our
children
and
that's
the
character
of
the
father
that
we
are
imaging
as
fathers
and
I
just
so
fathers
just
be
obnoxious
about
this
right
we
need
to
be
constantly
saying
this
to
our
kids
tell
your
kids
that
you
love
them
you
delight
in
them
every
single
day
don't
just
tell
them
that
you
love
them
but
actually
love
them
and
if
you
have
young
kids
play
with
your
kids
I
think
that's
teaching
a
profound
lesson
about
the
nature
of
God
and
God
the
father
when
fathers
take
on
the
role
of
loving
care
for
their
children
and
we
are
imaging
the
triune
nature
of
God
as
Raul
said
our
faith
is
Trinitarian
at
its
core
so
whoever
has
saving
faith
has
been
drawn
by
the
father
moved
by
the
spirit
to
confess
Jesus
is
lord
of
all
and
forgiveness
happens
because
the
father
puts
forward
the
son
the
righteous
one
in
exchange
for
the
unrighteous
and
satisfies
God's
wrath
against
sin
and
the
spirit
applies
that
work
of
redemption
to
our
hearts
so
it's
one
unified
program
right
the
spirit
intercedes
for
us
bringing
our
prayers
to
the
father
in
groanings
too
deep
for
words
as
Jesus
our
great
high
priest
always
lives
to
make
intercession
for
us
always
working
as
one
amen
so
who
should
we
pray
to
the
father
the
son
and
the
holy
spirit
who
should
we
pray
to
yes
yeah
exactly
amen
brother
yes
pray
I'll
just
say
it's
okay
to
pray
to
the
father
son
or
spirit
but
I
will
say
Jesus
pray
to
the
father
a
lot
and
I
think
the
pattern
is
praying
to
the
father
through
the
son
by
the
spirit
but
we
also
have
examples
where
Stephen
is
praying
to
the
Lord
Jesus
in
Acts
so
even
though
they're
all
three
they're
three
in
one
in
three
there
is
a
pattern
that
we're
praying
to
the
father
through
the
son
by
the
holy
spirit
but
having
said
that
it
is
okay
to
pray
to
you
know
but
Jesus
could
he
can
only
pray
to
the
father
he
can't
pray
to
himself
right
yeah
he's
the
trinity
he's
part
of
the
trinity
pray
to
yourself
yeah
our
father
in
heaven
yeah
so
I
want to
throw
this
out
a
question
so
other
ways
that
the
trinity
helps
us
to
understand
something
about
ourselves
made
in
the
image
of
God
so
how
does
the
trinity
help
us
understand
something
about
ourselves
made
in
God's
image
I'll
say
that
something
I love
about
the
trinity
is
this
idea
that
God
is
ruling
and in
charge
but
God
also
knows
what
it's
like
to
submit
and
to
honor
like
the
son
honors
the
father
and
we're
called
to
do
that
but
God
has
been
doing
that
from
eternity
in
person
of
Jesus
to
the
father
yeah
so
that
reflects
us
as
our
calling
and
we
all
are
in
charge
of
certain
things
as
well
we have
that
father
aspect
also
yeah
so
submission
to
authority
isn't
inherently
dehumanizing
as
some
would
say
because
the
son
submits
himself
to
the
father
yeah
it's
true
yeah
I've
always
had
this
problem
that
I
always
ask
myself
did
Jesus
save
did
God
save
me
because
he
liked
me
because
he
loved
me
because
I
got a
lot
of
Christian
brothers
and
sisters
that
I
just
don't
like
but
I'm
called
to
love
them
yeah
you know
I mean
I'm sure
there's a lot
that's not
likable about
me
a lot
of people
but
they're
called
to love
me
and I'm
called
to love
them
and that's
a big
mystery
you know
yeah
Ivor
that whole
thing is no
mystery
you need
to come
from a
large
family
I don't
like that
but you
love them
you love
them
I think
that
there's
something
too
that
our
three in
one
God
was a
family
before
creation
but then
that he
is our
creator
that means
we belong
to him
or
so
probably
I struggle
a lot
too
with whether
God likes
me
or not
but he
doesn't
think
he created
us
in his
image
yeah
that image
is marred
by sin
but he
restores
that
right
like there's
there's no
need to hate
myself
because God
restores the
goodness
in me
I resist
I make it
slower
sometimes
but he's
patient
so
yeah
God is
God is a
family God
and he
doesn't mind
dealing
he came down
into our
space
to deal
with the
mess
and to
live with
us
brings
the
transcendent
I think
I wonder
if that
tension
of
light
and love
I think
also
helps
or
reflects
the tension
between
us being
justified
and sanctified
I think
in the sense
in which
God loves
us
but like
Abraham
in some
way was
a friend
of God
there is
a place
of being
known
and like
you know
who
and when
Jesus
talks about
those who
obey my
commandments
and I
think when
we sin
we suffer
his displeasure
and I
think it's
fair to
say in
those moments
like
maybe he
wouldn't
like us
the same
way we
think about
others
but I
think the
bedrock
of love
doesn't
change
what
changes
is the
nuance
of
you say
fellowship
for
life
and
so
I
think
it's
a way
to think
about
those two
times
when we
distance
from God
because of
our sin
and our
sin makes
us feel
distant
from God
and God
is essentially
using that
as a way
to draw us
close to him
but I
don't know
that it
is
and to
purify
it
I think
both of
those
perceptions
do have
a role
in reminding
us that
the goal
is to
grow deeper
in fellowship
and in love
with God
but it
starts with
the bedrock
of his
love for us
and actually
without that
that idea
of being like
by him
is not even
possible
I think
we can't
destroy the
dignity
we've been
given as
made in God's
image
that's
been really
important for
me
is
his
displeasure
lasts for a
moment
but his
love
lasts for a
moment
I was reading
a book by
Michael Horton
I got it
downstairs in
my lending
library
when the
apostles
or the
disciples
were in
the boat
in the
sea of
Galilee
and the
waves came
up
and they
were
master
we're
going to
drown
wake up
and he
was just
asleep
and Michael
Horton
in one of
his books
in the
face of
God
the dangers
of spiritual
intimacy
talks about
oh the
waves are
getting big
let's wake
them up
we might
drown
no it
was a
dreaded
fear
when
Job
was before
God
in the
pillar
of the
cloud
or when
Moses saw
the backside
of God
it was
like
this
gentle
man
in the
front
of this
boat
can kill
us
it's not
the water
that we
should be
afraid of
or the
wind that
he stopped
it's him
and he
loves us
but he
can just
like
in a
second
but he
doesn't
you know
it's like
wow
our God
is a
consuming
fire
yet he
loves us
and stoops
and loves
us
it just
blows my
mind
yeah
you know
he's crazy
around
it is
interesting
that the
first reaction
that people
in the
Bible have
when they
see
God
is not
of like
this is
great
but like
fear
right
like
I'm a
man of
unclean
lips
you're
going to
destroy
God
but then
God
invites
him
he
washes
him
clean
invites
him
in
so
it's
this
yeah
his
holiness
is
the
basis
of
our
fear
but his
holiness
actually
draws us
in
into
fellowship
with
him
yeah
it's an
amazing
it's like a
three-year-old
kid watching
his son
his father
who was a
lumberjack
cut lumber
and he said
this is my
daddy
he can
destroy me
but he
loves me
yeah
he'll never
hurt me
right
yeah
you know
and it's like
that's how we
should be
with God
yeah
all this
truck
but he
won't
hurt us
yeah
he already
he struck
the sun
once
he won't
strike us
a second
time
yes
amen
brother
let me just
finish up
and I
have just a
few more
thoughts
we
imitate
the journey
in our
life
together
in our
families
and at
the
church
when we
mutually
love one
another
in the
church
we're
imaging
something
of God
himself
for people
outside
the church
as in
each
plays
as part
in the
grand play
of redemption
something
like
who God
is
between the
father son
and spirit
and we
said our
marriages
model something
of eternity
the wife
is not
inferior
and the
husband
is not
inferior
the children
are not
inferior
even though
they may
work differently
in the house
right
we're all
creating the
image of God
even if some
of us play
different roles
than others
and finally
the Trinity
should curb
intellectual pride
God calls
us to faith
in the absence
of a comprehensive
explanation
God is one
God is three
it doesn't
explain how
this is
and
as Christians
we receive it
by faith
someone once
asked a man
Daniel Webster
a prominent
orator
in the 19th
century
how a man
of his intellect
could believe
in contradiction
that three
equals one
Webster
replied
I do not
fully
pretend to
understand
the arithmetic
of heaven
now
but the
doctrine
of the
Trinity
doesn't
mean that
three
equals
it's not
a contradiction
but it
does show
a humility
in approaching
the subject
and so
with that
friends
we've reached
a little
bit
there's so
much more
we can
plumb the
depths of
and that's
why we
worship an
awesome
God
who is
beyond
our
finite
comprehension
so let me
pray
and if there's
any other
questions
we can do
that
Father in
heaven
we do
thank you
for the
light of
understanding
by your
word
by special
revelation
you reveal
yourself to
us
and you
are not
a God
that we
could just
create
out of a
figment
of our
imagination
Lord
you are
an awesome
God
beyond all
our
highest
thoughts
help us
to have
humility
as we
worship
you
Father
Son
and
spirits
and that
we would
honor you
Lord
with our
lives
in Jesus
name
amen
all right
thank you
friends
thanks
brother
thank you