Answer: There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory. (1 Cor. 8:6; John 10:30; John 14:9; Acts 5:3,4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)
INSTRUCTION
I. You must understand that there are three persons in the Godhead so that you can properly understand what God has plainly revealed about Himself!
I. THERE ARE THREE PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD
There are blips in the OT
Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
Genesis 3:22 “Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.”
THOMAS BOSTON: “This cannot be understood of angels: for man is said to be created after the image of God, but never after the image of angels; and the temptation was, ‘Ye shall be as gods,’ not as angels.”
In Genesis 18:1-2,10,13-14 “And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. . . 10 The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. . . . 13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”
It is made explicit in the NT
Mark 1:9-11 “9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
II. THE FATHER IS GOD
1 Corinthians 8:6 “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.”
III. JESUS IS GOD
John 10:30-33 “30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?’ 33 The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.’”
IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD
ACTS 5:3-4 “3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
There is no division in the Godhead, but there is distinction. ONE God in THREE persons.
THOMAS BOSTON: “It is a fundamental article, the belief whereof is necessary to salvation. For those that are ‘without God,’ (Eph. 2:12) and ‘have not the Father,’ cannot be saved; but ‘whoever denies the Son does not have the Father’ (1 John 2:23). Those that are none of Christ’s cannot be saved; but ‘Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to [Christ]” (Romans 8:9). None receive the Spirit but those that know [Christ] (John 14:17). This mystery of the Trinity is so interwoven with the whole of [Christianity], that there can neither be any true faith, right worship, or obedience without it. For take away this doctrine, and the object of faith, worship, and obedience is changed; seeing the object of these declared in the scripture, is the three persons in the Godhead; and the scriptures [are aware of] no other God.”
II. You must understand there are three person in the Godhead so that you can properly understand the gospel!
I. EACH MEMBER IN THE GODHEAD IS INTRICATELY INVOLVED IN REDEEMING SINNERS
I) THE FATHER PLANNED REDEMPTION; THE SON PURCHASED REDEMPTION; THE SPIRIT APPLIES REDEMPTION
Ephesians 1:4,7,13-14 “4 [THE FATHER] chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. . . 7 In [THE SON] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. . . 13 In [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised HOLY SPIRIT, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
John 6:37, 63 “37 All that THE FATHER gives me will come to me (THE SON), and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. . . . 63 It is THE SPIRIT who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.”
