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Hoyte Nelson's Poems/ Reflections & Biblical Essays
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Essay The Trinity The Trinity: [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] is, in essence, The One eternal God of the Holy Scriptures. (Mark 12: 29; Deuteronomy 6: 40) He is the omniscience (all knowing), omnipotent (all power), and omnipresent (ever present) God; Who has for His own creative and redemptive purposes, revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. John’s Gospel gives us these truths concerning the Trinity in chapter one:
Verse one: “In the beginning was the Word, ...and the Word was God” Verse three:
“All things were made by Him....” Verse ten:
“And the world knew Him not.” Verse fourteen: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” In
Isaiah 7:14 He is called: “Emmanuel” (Isaiah. 7: 14), that is: “God with
us!” The
Apostle Paul said of Him: “Who was born of the descendant of David, according
to the flesh” (Rom.1: 3). This statement, “according to the flesh” is the
key to our understanding of His humanity. This is in reference to His
incarnation wherein we are to identify as we study the basics of Christianity.
And so, as recorded in the gospel of John,
“God is with us” (In Christ), and we, John said, “we beheld His
glory.” I have often thought of Jesus as the manifestation of God; however,
that thought, though true, is very limited. A better wording would be, “Jesus
is God” manifested to us. (Chapter 1: 1,3,10). I will try to illustrate, in a very limited way, the Trinity. Jesus often used illustrations called “Parables” (Matthew 13:34b; Mark 4: 34). If we could picture, in our minds eye the whole universe as being covered by crystal clear canopy of pure water. Then, suppose that a container of this pure water was let down from heaven, and everything that it touched became life. Now, suppose that you were told that you could receive this “Water of Life” as a free gift (John 4: 13-15). Now, [as an illustration] consider this: Though this whole canopy that envelops us is love; yet, this water of life [love] in the person of Jesus Christ has come down to us. (Romans 1: 3), and says to us, “Drink!” (John 4: 10). This
is how Jesus spoke to His disciples as it is given in John’s gospel, When
Jesus had finished his work, and was about to ascend back to the Father, He said
to His disciples, “I will not leave you
comfortless: I will come to you. At
that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. But
the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, (Spirit) whom the Father will send in my
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14: 18,20,26). Then later Jesus
said, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth,
which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15: 26, KJV).
This is Pentecost. Of
course, this is a crude illustration, but it does present a “this world”
truth with a heavenly meaning. Paul wrote, “Who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Now, concerning the Third person of the Trinity: Jesus said
this about the coming of the Holy Spirit, “It
is better that I go away, and if I go not away; (that is, back to the Father in
heaven, because He was limited in His physical body) the Comforter will not
come" (John 16: 7), My
conclusion is this: If the God of heaven had not became a man, (born in
Bethlehem’s manger), we would have no way of understanding who God really is;
and if He had not sent the “gift” of the Holy Spirit, we could not
experience Him. Yet, God is One! |