THE DOCTRINE OF TRINITY

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

MARCH 2, 2022

TOPIC: THE DOCTRINE OF TRINITY

BY T. O. BANSO

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 New King James Version).

The term Trinity is not used in the Bible but the concept is clearly expressed. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. It often confuses many people and they ask questions. Trinity is the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as three distinct persons in the Godhead who are coequal and coeternal. Each is fully God.

God is both one and three but we don’t have three Gods! Christians believe in the Trinity, not three Gods. We worship one God, not three Gods. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (New King James Version). Verse 5 says you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Other scriptures tell us that there is one God (Malachi 2:10; Mark 12:32; Romans 3:30; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; James 2:19).  

In John’s account of creation, he says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3 New King James Version). In this passage, we see two of the three persons in the Godhead mentioned: the Word and God.  Jesus, God the Son, is the Word. As said in this scripture, all things were made through Him.

In Genesis 1, we see the work of creation, which John 1 refers to. Genesis 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (New King James Version).

The three persons of the Trinity are involved in creation. God created heaven and the earth. We also see the Spirit of God (God the Holy Spirit) hovering over the face of the waters. The Holy Spirit is a person, not an influence. Lastly, God spoke the Word, and as we have seen in John 1, God the Son is the Word.

Before making man, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26a New King James Version). Who do the plural “Us” and “Our” refer to? They refer to the three distinct persons in the Godhead – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Although the Bible does not specifically state this, the three persons were involved in creation from verse 1 as earlier stated. The plural Us” and “Our” do not refer to one person; they refer to three persons, but we have one God.

At the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Bible underscores the reality of the Trinity – One God in three persons. Matthew 3:16-17 says, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (New King James Version).

If you look at this scripture, you will see the three persons of the Trinity. God the Son (Jesus) was the person baptized. Then, the Holy Spirit (God the Holy Spirit) descended on Him. And God spoke: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. The triune God works together, as shown in the Bible.

While talking about the promise of the Holy Spirit, Jesus referred to Himself, the Holy Spirit, and the Father, saying, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26 New King James Version). Also, giving the Great Commission, Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19 New King James Version).

The following scriptures also mention the three persons in the Godhead: Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:3-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 1:20-21; Revelation 1:4-6. The three members of the Trinity are distinct but don’t act independently. They are one in purpose.

Every Christian must believe in the Trinity and relate scripturally with the three persons of the Trinity. For example, for us to be saved, we must confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). As Christians, we must also be led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:18). In addition, we must pray to the Father in Jesus’ name and receive the help of the Holy Spirit to pray as we ought to (John 16:23; Romans 8:26). The church, the family, and, indeed, society, can learn from the unity and interdependence of the Trinity in our relationships. 

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: I believe in God who is one in essence and three in person. Holy Spirit, help me to understand the Trinity more and relate with each person of the Trinity scripturally. For those who are finding it difficult to understand the doctrine of Trinity, Holy Spirit, grant them the revelation that they will be able to explain to others too.

(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org