Does the Bible teach the Trinity?

How can God be three distinct Persons? How can the Father be God, Jesus Christ be God, and the Holy Spirit be God, and yet there is only one God? No other issue has generated as much debate as the Trinity. It was debated thoroughly at the earliest church councils, and it is still hotly debated today. Unlike many other hotly debated issues, I entirely understand what there is so much controversy over the Trinity. The reason is simple there is no way to adequately or perfectly explain the Trinity. To the finite human mind, it is impossible to understand how God could be three distinct Persons, but only one God. All the debate over the Trinity is due to finite human brains trying to comprehend what only God can understand. Does the Bible teach the Trinity? Absolutely! Yes! The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2). Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20). The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16). But, there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5). How the idea of Persons within the Trinity is fully compatible with monotheism is impossible to understand. The sooner we admit this, the better. Now, I am not saying the doctrine of the Trinity is unimportant. Nor am I saying that we shouldnt study what the Bible says about the Trinity. What I am saying is that we have to, at some point, stop trying to figure it out and just accept, in faith, what the Bible says. Nearly all of the debates result from individuals or groups who attempt to make sense of the Trinity. Whether it is Modalism, Monarchianism, Sabellianism, Patripassianism, or some other Trinitarian heresy, the cause is the same trying to explain the unexplainable. In a sense, it is pride, maybe even arrogance, that continually motivates people to try to develop a theology that results in the Trinity making sense. I cannot tell you how many times we have received emails that say I finally figured it

out. If I spend the time to examine the new explanation, I am always taken back to Solomons words, What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is the Trinity related to the trichotomous nature of humanity (body, soul, spirit)? Is the Trinity like an egg (shell, white, yolk)? Is the Trinity like water (liquid, vapor, solid)? Will we see all three members of the Trinity in heaven? What is the perichoresis? What is the filioque controversy? What is the eternal generation of the Son? All of these questions are fascinating and interesting, but ultimately, they can become a waste of time if they are our primary focus. Yes, the Bible teaches the Trinity. Yes, I firmly believe in the orthodox understanding of the Trinity. But, I decided a long time ago to stop trying to figure it out and to simply trust that what the Bible says is true.

Doubt vs. the Assurance of Salvation

Why do people doubt their own salvation? There are several possibilities and if you doubt your salvation, its helpful to know why. Some people who doubt their salvation do so because theyre not really saved. God has promised that His Spirit provides a testimony to our spirits that we are truly His children, (Romans 8:16), so the best thing to do is to ask Him for that assurance. There is also sometimes a sort of reverse pride that says: Im special - SO sinful that even the Creator of the universe cant save me. These people refuse the grace of God because to accept it puts them in the same category with all other sinners saved by grace. They would rather remain in their own special category, even though it leads them to hell. But for those who are saved but who still doubt, there are several reasons why they suffer from a lack of assurance. For one thing, it could be that they have been in a home or church where confrontive, convicting preaching or teaching has not been balanced by strong teaching about the love and grace of God to undeserving sinners. For sensitive souls with a strong natural sense of guilt, this can produce a relentless sense of sin so great that they feel they cant possibly live up to the standard. Frankly, this doesnt happen all that often today. The day of the pulpit-pounding, bearded, gloom-and-doom Calvinist preacher is a thing of the past. Some people feel they are too sinful to be saved. They dont understand the scope of the cross or the depth of the love of God toward sinners. Too many people listen to the whispering of demons in their ears telling them they arent good enough to merit salvation. This is one of Satans favorite lies. He gets us thinking we have to do something, and then convinces us nothing we can do is good enough. That

way we stay on his evil little merry-go-round, chasing our tails into an eternity in hell. Some doubt their salvation because they have convinced themselves that every little thing has to be confessed to be forgiven. They obsess about every thought, word and action, trying to determine if it is sin and needs to be confessed. They dont understand the completeness of the forgiveness in Christ, that He paid the penalty for all sins past, present, future. They dont understand that we have died with Christ and are resurrected with Him to walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4). That means were completely new creatures. Sin has no hold on us. Yes, we still sin, but we dont have to obsess about it and fall on our knees every time a stray sinful thought crosses our minds. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Some are so keenly aware of their sinful flesh that they dont believe its possible to be saved and still have thoughts and desires when they are now new creations in Christ. They dont understand the nature of the continual battle of the flesh against the spirit. Paul experienced this same battle daily, and bemoaned the fact that he didnt do what he wanted to do and did the things he didnt want to do. This is the plight of all believers and causes us to say, with Paul, Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25). Believers also doubt their salvation because of the trials they experience, which they see as evidence God is not present in their lives. They lack the understanding of the role of trials in the Christian life, seeing them as either punishment from a God who is not pleased with them or evidence that God isnt in their lives at all. If He were, they reason, this wouldnt be happening to me. That simply isnt true. The Christian life is a spiritual battle and anyone who tells you otherwise does not know the Scriptures. Ultimately, those who are saved and still doubt their salvation usually dont have a true understanding of the gospel. They believe faith is a work they have to accomplish, rather than a gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9). Some accept that salvation is a gift, but after they are saved, they believe maintaining their salvation is a matter of their own effort. They misapply I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me with a heavy emphasis on I can do. When they fail to do, they doubt themselves. They just dont understand the magnitude of being in Christ.

Will God continue to forgive you if you commit the same sin over and over again?"
To best answer this question, were going to look at two powerful passages of Scripture. The first is found in the book of Psalms: As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). One of the most effective tricks Satan plays on Christians is to convince us that our sins aren't really forgiven, despite the promise of God's Word. If we've truly received Jesus as Savior by faith, and still have that uneasy feeling wondering whether or not there is true forgiveness, that may be coming from demonic influences. Demons hate it when people are delivered from their grasp, and they try to plant seeds of doubt in our minds about the reality of our salvation. In his vast arsenal of tricks, one of Satans biggest tools is to constantly remind us of our past transgressions, and he uses those to prove that God couldn't possibly forgive or restore us. The devil's attacks make it a real challenge for us to simply rest in the promises of God and trust His love. But this psalm also tells us that God not only forgives our sins, but removes them completely from His presence. This is a profound thing! Without question, this is a very difficult concept for humans to grasp, which is why it's so easy for us to worry and wonder about forgiveness instead of just accepting it. The key lies in simply giving up our doubts and our feelings of guilt and resting in His promises of forgiveness. Another passage is 1 John 1:9; If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. What an incredible promise! God forgives His children when they sin if only they come to Him and in an attitude of repentance and ask to be forgiven. Gods grace is so great that it can cleanse the sinner from his sin so that he becomes a child of God, and, correspondingly, it is so great that even when we stumble, we can be forgiven still. In Matthew 18:21-22; we read, "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Peter was probably thinking that he was being generous. Rather than repay a person who had committed a sin against him with equal retribution, Peter suggested giving the brother some leeway, say, up to seven times. But the eighth time, forgiveness and grace would run out. But Christ challenged the rules of Peters suggested economy of grace by saying that forgiveness is infinite for those who are truly seeking it. This is only possible because of the infinite grace of God which is made possible through the shed blood of Christ on the cross. Because of Christs forgiving power, we can always be made clean after we sin if we humbly seek it. At the same time, it must be noted that it is not biblical for a person to sin habitually and continually as a lifestyle and still be a believer (1 John 3:8-9). This is why Paul admonishes us to examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in youunless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5). As Christians, we do stumble, but we do not live a

lifestyle of continual, unrepentant sin. All of us have weaknesses and can fall into sin, even if we dont want to. Even the apostle Paul did what he didnt want to do because of the sin at work in his body (Romans 7:15). Like Paul, the response of the believer is to hate the sin, repent of it and ask for divine grace to overcome it (Romans 7:24-25). Although we need not fall because of Gods sufficient grace, sometimes we do because we rely upon our insufficient strength. When our faith grows weak and like Peter, we deny our Lord in word or in life, even then there is still a chance to repent and be forgiven of our sin. Another one of Satans tricks is to get us into thinking that there is no hope, that there is no possibility that we can be forgiven, healed, and restored. He will try to get us to feel consumed and trapped by guilt so that we do not feel worthy of Gods forgiveness any longer. But since when were we ever worthy of Gods grace? God loved us, forgave us and chose us to be in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6), not because of anything we did, but in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:12). We must always keep in mind that there is no place we can go that Gods grace cannot reach, and there is no depth to which we can sink that God is no longer able to pull us out. His grace is greater than all of our sin. Whether we are just starting to wander off course or we are already sinking and drowning in our sin, grace can be received. Grace is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). When we sin, the Spirit will convict us of sin such that a godly sorrow will result (2 Corinthians 7:10-11). He will not condemn our souls as if there is no hope, for there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). The Spirits conviction within us is a movement of love and grace. Grace is not an excuse to sin (Romans 6:1-2), and it dare not be abused, meaning that sin must be called sin, and it cannot be treated as if it is harmless or inoffensive. Unrepentant believers need to be lovingly confronted and guided to freedom, and unbelievers need to be told that they need to repent. Yet let us also emphasize the remedy, for we have been given grace upon grace (John 1:16). It is how we live, how we are saved, how we are sanctified, and how we will be kept and glorified. Let us receive grace when we sin by repenting and confessing our sin to God. Why live a soiled life when Christ offers to make us clean and whole and right in the eyes of God?

When / how do we receive the Holy Spirit?"

The apostle Paul clearly taught that we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. First Corinthians 12:13 declares, For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body whether Jews or Greeks, slave or freeand we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Romans 8:9 tells us that if a person does not possess the Holy Spirit, he or she does not belong to Christ: You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Ephesians 1:13-14 teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation for all those who believe: Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possessionto the praise of his glory. These three passages make it clear that the Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation. Paul could not say that we all were baptized by one Spirit and all given one Spirit to drink if not all of the Corinthian believers possessed the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 is even stronger, stating that if a person does not have the Spirit, he does not belong to Christ. Therefore, the possession of the Spirit is an identifying factor of the possession of salvation. Further, the Holy Spirit could not be the seal of salvation (Ephesians 1:1314) if He is not received at the moment of salvation. Many scriptures make it abundantly clear that our salvation is secured the moment we receive Christ as Savior. This discussion is controversial because the ministries of the Holy Spirit are often confused. The receiving/indwelling of the Spirit occurs at the moment of salvation. The filling of the Spirit is an ongoing process in the Christian life. While we hold that the baptism of the Spirit also occurs at the moment of salvation, some Christians do not. This sometimes results in the baptism of the Spirit being confused with receiving the Spirit as an act subsequent to salvation. In conclusion, how do we receive the Holy Spirit? We receive the Holy Spirit by simply receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior (John 3:5-16). When do we receive the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit becomes our permanent possession the moment we believe.