Transcription
[Music]
The Mystery of the Trinity
I want to open this session with a couple of comments that we need in order to set our minds as humans in the right framework. The greatest mistake that any man could ever make is to believe that he cannot make one. We must live with the reality that being human automatically means that we will make mistakes.
Another statement I'd like you to note in your notes: the ignorance of man is to believe that he knows everything. Whenever a man believes that he knows everything, he has just exposed his ignorance. Write this statement down; this may be helpful: the greatest misunderstanding of man is to believe that he understands everything. Actually, the awesome creation and the reality of our existence and the reality of life itself, and the nature of the universe, constantly reminds us of our limitations in comprehension. Just being alive alone is a challenge.
The discoveries of science, for example, continually remind scientists of their ignorance. Every time they discover something new, it’s because they didn’t know it before. Sometimes science becomes so impressed with itself that it believes it knows more than what it discovers. But you see, I’ve come to a conclusion, and I’ve repeated this many times, and it's this: All you know is what you’ve learned, and all you have learned is not all there is to know. So, no matter what you know, you still don’t know something.
As a matter of fact, most of us are guilty of buying books but not reading them. We have libraries that know more than we know, and they’re right in our homes. We are victims of incrimination every time we look at our books because we haven’t read them. All we know is what we’ve learned so far, and I am certain that what you don’t know is much greater than what you’ve learned. So we are basically living out of a fraction of information that life has to offer. That very reality means that most, or all humans—all of us—are living from a position of ignorance. The unknown is much larger than the known; therefore, the infinity of the unknown magnifies our finiteness.
I want to repeat that statement: the infinity of the unknown magnifies our finiteness. In other words, we know so little that what we don’t know always outweighs what we know.
On February 26 of this month, 1996, I hold in my hand a Time magazine. This was released February 1996; the actual date is February 26. On the top of the page is a feature story, and the feature story says, "Man versus Machine." On the inside, on page 60 of Time magazine just this week, is a story of a chess game between a man and a computer. The name of the computer is Deep Blue; the name of the man is Mr. Gary Kasparov.
Now, Gary Kasparov is the number one chess player in the world. As a matter of fact, he has beaten every single champion chess player in the world. I want to quote from this story; it's an interesting story. The subtitle of the article is: “Kasparov wrestles with a machine: Civilization hangs in the balance.”
I want to quote a couple of statements from the article. Here’s what it says: "Gary Kasparov, the best chess player in the world, as quoted by Time magazine, says this quite possibly he is the best chess player who ever lived, sat down across a chess board from a machine, an IBM computer called Deep Blue, and he lost."
Now, you may think there's no big deal about this, but the rest of the story is this: it says Mr. Kasparov was devastated. This was quoted by his chess coach; he was depressed because the machine won. It was said that the Deep Blue machine computer could see 200 million positions every second. The average human can only see one position every second, and Mr. Gary Kasparov can see at least three positions every second. In other words, the computer outnumbered his moves by 200 to two every second.
What's the point? Here’s a quote from the story: "Deep Blue’s omniscience will make it omnipotent." Now, what they’re saying is this machine knows so much and can calculate so quickly that it can outthink the man that made it. That’s the point; it can think faster and calculate more alternatives than the human brain that made it.
Friends, we are on the verge of something dangerous here. Quote Kasparov: here’s what he says: "Deep Blue’s quantity has become quality." In other words, this machine can work so fast it has developed the quality of thinking. In other words, the machine’s knowledge capacity separated it from the comprehension of the human mind, and its capability to calculate. What a frightening proposition!
Why did I show you that story? Because man always thinks he’s so smart; even the machine he made is now beating him. The above statements that I made concerning our ignorance and our limitations, even to be the machine and to know everything, show that the mind of man is limited in its capacity and ability to comprehend all matters of life and existence.
We are limited, and therefore we must be careful when we conclude that we know and understand everything. There are things that are too incomprehensible and not capable of being understood by the natural mind. I think you would agree with that. As a matter of fact, there are some natural things you don’t understand because they are so deep.
What do we call these things that are so high for us? David, the king, said it this way: "I will not exercise myself in matters too high for me." That’s what David says in the book of Psalms. The Apostle Paul said it this way: he says in Romans 11, please make a note, verse 33 and 34: "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out! Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
Paul says, how can you know God and his wisdom? Again, in First Corinthians chapter 2, make a note verse 11 and verse 14. Paul says this: "In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. The man without the Spirit of God does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him." Everybody say foolishness, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Everybody say discern. Say it loud; say it a little louder; say, for our friends on television. You know, the Bible says the only way to understand the stuff that God knows is by discernment.
Not by going to college; studying philosophy will not give you revelation. I want you to write a statement down: Jeremiah chapter 33 verse 2. Jeremiah quoted something he heard from God, and here's what it says: a powerful verse. "Call to me and I will answer you," says the Lord, "and I will tell you great and unsearchable things that you cannot know."
We read that again: it's a powerful verse. God says, "Call to me and I will answer you, and I will show you great and unsearchable things that you cannot know." No matter how much you study, there are certain things you cannot know that God knows.
So the question is, how do we know what God knows? Jesus said in John chapter 16, make a note in your notes, verse 12: Jesus said, "I have much more to say to you, but you cannot bear it now." What is he implying? Here’s God in the flesh, walking on two legs, and he’s talking to humans just like you, and he says, "I got so much more I want to tell you, but I’ll fry your brain if I try."
In other words, all the stuff that we know about Jesus and what he said is not all Jesus knew, and what he already told us is still blowing our minds after 2000 years. As a matter of fact, the statements Jesus made are still confounding the greatest philosophers of our day, and he didn’t tell them everything he knew. Y’all better say amen; that’s an awesome God.
He says, "Look, if I told you what I know, you couldn’t bear it—you’ll burst; your brain will fry." The indication here is I have to ease stuff on you; I got to tell you it when you can handle it. The next line says, "But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." There’s stuff that Jesus left for the Holy Ghost to tell you because you couldn’t take it direct from the Word.
Hallelujah! He said, "After I’m gone, I’m gonna send the Counselor and he’s going to give you more information; he’s going to open up things that I said, and you’re going to see that what I said is not what you heard." Hallelujah!
God says this information that he has that the brain of the human mind cannot comprehend—that is why even a computer can wipe us out. Now, why am I saying this? Because you see, when we start talking about the Trinity, people get the idea that you could explain it. We cannot explain the inner workings of God. No wonder why God had mercy on us and said he won’t give us everything he knows.
Therefore, we see that the limitations of our understanding must give way to spiritual discernment if we are to understand the wisdom, the knowledge, and the revelation of God. This is called revelation. Write this down: definition of revelation. What is revelation? Revelation is what God determines and wills to tell us. Let me say that again: it’s a simple truth. Revelation is what God determines and wills to allow us to know. That’s revelation.
Unless God himself allows you to understand something, all you have is information. Information is not truth; revelation is true. And so, revelation can only come from God. That is why Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter one, when he prayed for the church, he says, "I pray that the Spirit of revelation would be upon you, that you will be able to see the riches of his wisdom."
In other words, God himself has to give you revelation to understand what he knows. I want to make a statement that is very important as we touch the Trinity, and it’s this: Revelation is always a result of faith. Say that with me: Revelation is always a result of faith. What does that mean? That means faith precedes revelation.
The world that I was brought up in, and you were part of, we thought a certain way. Here’s where we thought: I’ll believe it when I see it. That’s the way scientific assumption operates. That’s the way the unbeliever functions. That’s the way you and I used to think. We used to think we must move from seeing to believing, but revelation doesn’t work that way. Revelation comes from believing, then you see.
And so we need to note here that revelation is a result of faith. Faith is believing before you see. Faith is, what? The substance of things you hope for, the evidence of things you haven’t seen yet. So the Trinity doesn’t come because you understand it; you understand it after you believe it. Y’all better hear me today. Say something to me!
In other words, you gotta have faith first before you understand revelation. A lot of people say, "Well, I ain’t coming to God until I understand him." The atheist says, "I hardly know there’s a God. I can’t believe in someone that I don’t see or I can’t have evidence of."
Well, let’s read what the Bible says about faith and revelation. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6 says, "He who comes to God must first believe that he is." Now, we’ve got a problem here: the atheist cannot prove there’s no God until he believes in God first.
Well, that’s logical. If you’re gonna prove that there’s no God, then the burden is on you to prove it. So you gotta go make sure he doesn’t exist. Go ahead and do everything they say he must do and see if he doesn’t exist. See me? I accepted the fact first, then I discovered it was true.
But what people want to do first is discover it first, then they’ll believe. The Bible says, "Blessed is the man who has not seen and yet believes." Why? Because revelation comes after faith. You see, with God and his truth, we must first believe before we understand.
The doctrine of the Trinity is, in essence, a deep mystery that cannot be fathomed by the finite mind, and it falls into the category of revelation. A study of the Trinity is a study of the unsearchable riches of the wisdom of God. In this session, I will attempt to address four aspects of this great doctrine.
I want you to write them down:
1. The Doctrine Stated: We're going to talk about how it is stated in scripture.
2. The Doctrine Defined: We're going to define the Trinity.
3. The Doctrine Proven: We're going to show from scripture that the Trinitarian doctrine is proven from the Bible.
4. The Doctrine Illustrated: We're going to give some illustrations to try and give insight into this great mystery called the Trinity.
Now, there is no reasonable doubt in my mind that the doctrine of the Trinity is taught in scripture, and yet it is a doctrine to be believed even though it cannot be fully and thoroughly understood.
I don’t understand the Trinity. All right, let me stand in front of everyone and hear me say it: I don’t understand the Trinity, because if anyone can understand the Trinity, they can understand the inner workings of God. So what we’re going to do is see it from the glimpses that God gives us of this Trinity, and God does give us insights—brief ones—of his awesome corporate unity.
First point: The Doctrine Stated. The scriptures teach that God is one, and beside him there is no other. That is very clear in the Bible: there’s only one God, and there’s none beside him. Now, the Bible states clearly: the Lord our God is one, and beside him there is no other. Now that one statement is a very amazing statement. It says the Lord our God is one, and beside him—not them—there is no other, which means there’s God, is not others in one, and there ain’t none beside him, and he is him, and him is not them.
So how do you deal with this awesome revelation? Now, the first question that arises in our minds is: How could God have any fellowship before finite creatures came into existence? Who was God’s fellowship? What was he with if he is God alone? The answer is in the statement of the Trinity. The divine unity is a compound unity, and that in this unity there are really three distinct persons, every one of whom is the Godhead.
We’re getting mysterious already! And yet is supremely conscious one of the other, and yet they are the same, and yet they are distinctly different. Confused yet?
Pray! In essence, there was an eternal fellowship before any finite creatures were created; therefore, God was never alone—God was with himself. Hello, somebody.
The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The same was in the beginning with God. The three cooperate with one mind and purpose, so that in the truest sense of the word, they are one. The Father creates, the Son redeems, and the Spirit sanctifies. Yet in each operation, all three are present and active in each work. In other words, the Father doesn’t create by himself; the Son doesn’t redeem by himself; and the Holy Ghost can’t signify by himself.
What a mystery! The Trinity is an eternal fellowship. The redemption of man called forth this historical manifestation. If man had never fallen, we probably would not have understood the Trinity the way we do today.
I want you to try and write this down. I’ve got a list of things that will definitely make you shout:
1. The Father testifies of the Son (Matthew 3:17).
2. The Son testifies of the Father (John 5:19).
3. The Son testifies of the Spirit (John 14:26).
4. The Holy Spirit testifies of the Son (John 15:26).
In other words, they all testify of each other because they want—the doctrine of the Trinity is clearly revealed in the Bible, and no one can conceive it by human reason.
How else could we learn, think about it, of the inner nature of the Godhead except by revelation? There’s no way we can know what’s going on in God as human beings unless God decides to let us know, because we are offspring of his creation. We are products of his creative power, so he only knows what he allows us to know.
You know, I was thinking how true this is: you cannot understand the Trinity except God gives you revelation. I’ve been studying the other religions for a while; I studied a number of them in detail. Even in our college career, we had to be exposed to many of the other religions, and I was amazed that the inventions and philosophical development of God by other religions are so logically presented.
In other words, Buddha has the supreme mind, orderly organized; you can actually understand it. Confucius and its relationship to the nature of the universe—they have God neatly organized. The Baha'i Faith and all the others, they have God organized. But the Christian faith is the only religion in the world—if I can use that term—where God is not organized.
Why? Because we’ve got a problem with God! You see, I never getting the point across: if you create a religion, you create a God everyone can understand. The Bible’s God is the only God that the Bible itself can’t explain.
[Applause]
If the man who wrote the Bible wanted a religion to make everybody happy, they could create a God that we could relate to, like the Romans and the heathens and the pagans and all those folks who had their gods.
I mean, the pharaohs—they had their gods all designed. They had their gods—the sun god, the moon god—and you could offer fruit to the moon god. And when you’re mad, you offered to the sun god; he gets somebody for you. Then you’ve got all these folks who offered: God of nature, the god of sex. I mean, that’s all worked up!
But the Jewish revelation, through whom God brought the revelation of himself, still can’t explain God! That’s why the Trinity is so mysterious: because God can’t explain something that your mind can’t understand. That’s how I know I’m serving the only God!
Hallelujah! Because if you can understand God, you could manipulate it. Y’all better say something to me! But God has done something awesome: he says, "I’m gonna give you just enough to blow your mind, but I’ll keep your mind from being blown." Why?
I can’t explain myself to you! Why? I am from eternity to eternity! And if I try to put eternity and finiteness, it’ll explode! The Trinity, therefore, can only come by revelation.
What do we know about God? Only what he told us so far! It is true that the word "Trinity" does not appear in the Bible—that's true. It does; it's nowhere in the Bible! It is a theological expression invented during the second century to describe the Godhead as stated in the Bible. They tried to explain what it is, and they came up with the word Trinity.
Now, someone says, "Well, if it's not in the Bible, then we shouldn't use it or we shouldn't believe it." Well, let me ask you a question: Did the planet Jupiter exist before they discovered it? Yes! And who named it? Man! But it was there before a man found it, right?
That's exactly what happened to the Trinity! It’s been in the Bible all along, but the second century finally put a name on it. God existed long before we called him God! I can't hear you! And God was mighty long before you experienced his wife! And God was holy long before you called him holy!
Hallelujah! And God is a Savior long before he saved you! So he was Trinity long before we called him Trinity.
Flap your hand, somebody! He is Trinity without our input!
[Applause]
So we state clearly that the doctrine of the Trinity is in the Bible. I want to define it for you. This is going to be the tough part of the message because you can't define something that's a mystery! So I’m going to give you a poor attempt.
It’s important for you to take notes of this series because you’re going to have to give an answer for the reason for the faith that is in you. Some of y’all will meet people who think they know God and can explain him away, and you need to have your understanding clear so you can give a reason for the faith that is in you.
The Bible says that no man has seen God at any time; it is very difficult to find human terms to express the Trinity and the unity of the Godhead. And at the same time, the reality and the distinctiveness of the person of God and the person's distinctiveness of God is very mysterious.
The Trinity is not, and I repeat, it is not Tritheism. Now, what is Tritheism? Tritheism is the belief in three gods. That is not the Trinity! The Trinity is not the belief in three gods.
The Bible does not teach three gods; Christians do not believe in three gods. We believe in one God who is a Trinity in a compound unity released in a unit that is one that happens to be three who is one. Help me!
Secondly, the Trinity is not Sabellianism. Now, Sabellianism is something you’re going to run into when you read philosophical books on theology. Sabellianism is a belief in three aspects of God; that means God manifested himself in three forms.
That is not Trinity! Let me tell you why it can’t be! Because you see, if Sabellian is…
It’s a Sabellian-ism! In school, I couldn’t pronounce that!
This was developed by a bishop called Bishop Sabellius. A bishop came up with this idea and he says that God manifests himself in three different forms. The question is: If that is true, then who was Jesus really talking to?
In other words, the prayer of Jesus would have sounded like this: "Myself, I came from myself, and I returned to myself. Therefore, myself, I want to please myself, glorify myself; therefore, myself in myself!"
He didn’t pray that! He had a distinct awareness of a co-equal unity that was one, and so he prayed, "I came from my Father, and I return to my Father, and my Father and I will send you a Counselor, and the Counselor will teach you about I and my Father, and my Father will reveal to you myself through the Counselor, and the Counselor will speak only of me, and we will make our abode in you."
What is he talking about?
Help me, Lord Jesus!
Trying to explain the Trinity was very easy on us!
Let me give you a list to write down.
1. The Father loves and sends the Son.
2. The Son leaves and returns to the Father.
3. The Father and the Son sends the Holy Ghost.
4. The Holy Ghost intercedes with the Father.
Now, what kind of combination is that? Let me say it again: The Father loves and sends the Son; the Bible teaches that.
So, it doesn’t make sense if he’s the same, and yet he is one. But he’s distinct!
The Father loves the Son, and the Son leaves and returns to the Father. The Father and the Son sends the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost intercedes with the Father.
A definition of the Trinity, as revealed in the scriptures, was clearly defined by the Athanasian Creed. Now, this creed was written in the fifth century. This is when the church, right after Paul died, they had so many other religions around—paganism and hedonism—that they wanted to safeguard any error that could arise with concern for the Trinity in the Bible.
So they came up with what they call the Athanasian Creed in the 5th century early church.
I want to read this to you. I want you to ask the Lord to give you wisdom because this is very deep. I’m going to read something—I don’t understand.
Are you ready? Here it is!
Definition of the Trinity: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity; neither confounding the person nor separating the substance. For the person of the Father is one, the Son another, and the Holy Ghost another; but of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, there is one divinity, equal glory, equal co-eternal majesty.
What the Father is, the same is the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Father is uncreated; the Son is uncreated; the Holy Ghost is uncreated. The Father is immense; the Son is immense; and the Holy Ghost is immense. The Father is eternal; the Son is eternal; and the Holy Ghost is eternal; and yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
So there are not three beings uncreated, yet three immense, but one uncreated and one immense. In like manner, the Father is omnipotent; the Son is omnipotent; the Holy Ghost is omnipotent. Thus, the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Ghost is God, and yet there are not three gods, but one God.
Thus, the Father is the Lord, and the Son is Lord, and the Holy Ghost is Lord; yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord, because we are compelled by the Christian verity to confess each person severally as God and Lord. So we are prohibited from saying there are three gods or Lords.
The Father was made from none, nor created, nor begotten. The Son was made from none, nor was he created, but the Father alone released the Son. Neither made nor created was the Son, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding from the Father. Therefore, there is only one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity, there is nothing first or last, nothing greater or less, but all three co-eternal persons are co-equal among themselves. So that through all—as is above and said about unity and Trinity and Trinity and unity—is to be worshipped."
End quote.
Now that is a definition of the Trinity. They still didn’t get it right! We don’t worship three gods; we worship one God who is co-eternal, co-equal, who is distinct, yet the same. There’s no first or last, no superior nor inferior. The revelation of the Trinity is found only in the mind of God, and when we learn it, it’s because he has shown us a glimpse of himself.
In the Old Testament, the Trinity is not plainly taught, and the reason is very evident. Here’s why: it is in the Old Testament, but it is not taught by the prophets because in a world where the worship of many gods was common, it was very necessary for God to impress upon the Israelites the truth that God was one—with no one beside.
Now keep in mind: the pagans had many gods, and they used to worship all kinds of different gods. And God wanted the people not to be involved in error, so he kept on teaching them all through the Old Testament that there’s only one God.
The God of Israel is one, and yet in the Old Testament God shows himself in Trinity. The name of God is Elohim. Elohim is a plural word that means one who is many. Everybody say Elohim!
In Joshua chapter 24, verse 18, the word is used as God who is one but who is also many. Jehovah is one, and yet he is Elohim—many in one.
Genesis chapter 35, verse 7—read it when you have time. Each member of the Trinity is mentioned in the Old Testament. In Isaiah 63, verse 16, the Father is mentioned; in Psalm 145, verses 6 and 7, the Son of Jehovah is mentioned; and then in Jeremiah 23, verse 5 and Isaiah 9:6, please get the tape. The Messiah is described as divine titles; in Genesis chapter 1, verse 2, Isaiah 11:2, the Holy Spirit is mentioned.
The New Testament also talks about the Trinity, but in very plain terms— even more distinct than the Old Testament. In the early church, they were confronted with two facts that they had to deal with: that God is one and that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and the early church had to grapple with this the way they did in the Old Testament.
These two facts constitute the Trinity: there’s one God, and the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and they are one God. The only conclusion was that the Godhead was a real but mysterious distinction of personality, which distinction became manifest in the divine work for the redemption of man.
Matthew, I want to read some scriptures for you real quickly. Please make note of these:
Matthew chapter 3, verses 16 and 17: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven opened, and he saw the Holy Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, whom I'm well pleased.'"
We’ve got three people—distinct persons activating here: we’ve got the Son in the water, the Holy Spirit coming down, and the Father speaking.
Matthew 28, verse 19: "Therefore go into all the world and preach the gospel, make disciples of every nation, baptizing them…" Jesus in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
John 14, verse 16: "It says, and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth."
We find the Son saying he will ask the Father to send you another Comforter, and all three of them are God, and yet they don’t see themselves as three gods; they are one. As a matter of fact, we read this morning when Jesus declared where he was going, he’s going back to the Father. One of the disciples asked him, "Show us the Father." And his answer was, "How long have I been with you?"
What a confusing answer! But wait a minute; you said you're going to him! Yes, and you’re with him now! For he that has seen me has seen the Father. And yet the Father and the Son are distinct. Don’t ask me; just believe! And then he says, "And the Father and I will send you another Counselor, and he will be with you forever, and he will teach you and guide you into all truth."
John chapter 14, verse 17: "The world cannot accept him," speaking of the Holy Ghost. "It is neither, it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he lives with you and shall be in you."
I want to underline those words: "him" in verse 17; very important in John 14. A lot of people think the Holy Ghost is a cloud, a mist, a feeling, a mood. The Holy Ghost is some kind of a strange apparition that comes into a room and makes people do things. No! Jesus said about the Holy Spirit: he is a person! A personality!
And it says, "The world cannot accept what him!" And the world cannot see him, but you know him—you can know him! You cannot know a cloud; you cannot know some mysterious mind in the space in the cosmos. You cannot keep company with just an apparition or some mysterious blob. No, he says the Holy Ghost is a person!
Look at verse 26: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." He will have work to do; he’s working today right now! He’s trying to help you understand what I’m trying to say!
Second Corinthians chapter 13, verse 14: Paul says, "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you." He’s saying all three are gonna be with you.
Galatians 4:6: Make a note, "Because you are sons, God the Father sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts." And the Spirit cries, "Abba, Father!"
Ephesians chapter 2, verse 18: Very important, it says: "For through him we both have access to the Father by the Spirit."
It’s interesting: Ephesians 2:18 says: Through Jesus Christ the Son, we have access to the Father through the Spirit.
First Peter chapter 1, verse 2: "Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying work of the Spirit for obedience to Christ, sprinkled by his blood."
We’ve got Trinity in that verse: explicitly clear! First, it says that we have been chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying work of the Spirit for the obedience to Jesus Christ through his blood, who is the Son.
Ephesians 1:3: "Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in heavenly places with spiritual blessings."
Hebrews chapter 9, verse 14: "How much more then will the blood of Jesus Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, through the eternal Spirit cleansed our conscience so that we may serve God?"
Now, each of these three are designated the same titles and authority in the Bible, and all three of these distinct personalities or persons are the same.
I know you’re confused! It’s not confusion; it’s called mystery!
So I want to give you the list of their titles; this will help you. Here’s a list of the titles of the three distinct personages of God:
Each is Creator. Everybody say Creator! Job 33:4; Isaiah 44:24.
Each is Jehovah. The Holy Ghost is called Jehovah; Jesus Christ is called Jehovah; and the Father is called Jehovah. Deuteronomy 6, verse 4; Jeremiah 23, verse 6; Ezekiel 8, verse 1.
Each is called Lord! Everybody say Lord! This is found in Romans 10:12; Luke 2:11; 1 Corinthians 3:18.
Each is called the God of Israel. The Son is called the God of Israel; the Holy Ghost is called the God of Israel; and the Father is called the God of Israel. This is found in Matthew 15:31, Luke 1:6, and Samuel 23:2 and 3.
Each is called omnipotent! What a powerful revelation! And each one is called omniscient!
Now this one is amazing to me—the Son is calling—listen! That means he could be everywhere at the same time!
The Holy Ghost is called omniscient; he can be everywhere at the same time! And the Father is called omniscient! Jeremiah 23, verse 24; Ephesians 1, verse 2; Psalm 139, verse 7.
Each is called the source of life! Everybody say: the source of life!
They all give life: Deuteronomy 30:20; Colossians 3:4; Romans 8:10. By the tape, each made man! Each one of these persons made man! The Bible says in Psalm 100, verse 3, John chapter 1, verse 3, and Job 33, verse 4 that each one of them made us.
Next, each one quickens the dead! The Holy Ghost quickens the dead, the Father raises the dead, and the Son raises the dead! They all work the same, have the same titles—they are called the quickening Spirit! This is found in John chapter 5, verse 12, and John chapter 6, verse 33!
Another mystery: each one raised Jesus from the dead! First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14; John chapter 2, verse 19; First Peter chapter 3, verse 18.
Next, each one commissions the ministry: Second Corinthians chapter 3, verse 5; First Timothy chapter 1, verse 12; writing fast enough—Acts chapter 20, verse 28. Please buy the tape!
You gotta study this stuff! I can’t go through it because we don’t have the time.
Next, each one sanctifies. The Holy Ghost sanctifies, the Father sanctifies, and the Word sanctifies! The Bible says Jesus prayed, "Father, sanctify them." And then he says, "Sanctify them through thy Word." And then he says, "The Holy Ghost shall sanctify them while they’re in the world."
All three sanctify: Jude chapter 1, Hebrews 2:11, Romans 15:16. And finally, each one performs all spiritual operations! They all work together on everything: First Corinthians chapter 12, verse 6; Colossians chapter 3, verse 11.
I want to close this session on the last item, I promise you, and that is we’re going to illustrate the Trinity. Because it's too mysterious, I want to warn you with a question: How can we illustrate something that's a mystery?
How can three persons be one God? I don’t know! This is still a mystery after all this teaching!
Any finite illustration used to explain and describe infinite truth and mystery, such as the Trinity, may be helpful but must be used very cautiously because we cannot press it too far, because we still don’t know everything there is to know about God!
Therefore, whatever I use in the next few moments to illustrate the Trinity must be taken with caution because they are inadequate.
First, I want to take a look at the Trinity from the standpoint of the nature of things. I want to use, first of all, something that we all could relate to, to Trinity. Can I have three men come here, please?
Yeah, can you come run real quickly? You and that one—there you go! On TV, so you better smile!
I want you to pick up that jug of water. Can I have another one, please? Can you come real quickly and pick up the ice? The other one, pick up the kettle. I want you to come stand right here. Please stand right here for me.
Now, I want you to stand right beside each other. Come on—right together! Okay, now this is really a weak example, but we’re gonna try to illustrate the Trinity.
The Bible says: "The Lord our God is what? One!" And yet he is Elohim; it’s three but he’s the same God.
Now, on my right is a picture of water—that is the original state of God for our illustrations. Now I use water in its original state because it is very incomprehensible.
For example, if I try to hold this water in my hand—if you try to pour for me to handle it, what happens? I can’t handle it! If I try to take this water from here to that door, what happens? By the time I get there, it’s gone!
Why? Because I can’t handle it! It cannot be grasped! That’s the way God is when he’s God, Elohim! He is past finding out! The Bible says you can’t know him! He is unsearchable!
So, that’s why God has been good to us: in his original state, we couldn’t comprehend him. Now we take the same water here—same water—and now we want people to be able to handle God!
Touch him! See him! So what God does is he takes himself—same water—and freezes himself for three, thirty-three and a half years!
What is this water? What is this water? What is this? It’s water! But it’s in a different state! And therefore the name changes!
[Applause]
Hallelujah! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God! And the Word was made solid flesh! Can I hear an amen?
And it dwelt among us, and we were able to behold—to see his glory—glory is what? His nature! Hallelujah!
That’s why Jesus says, "He that has seen the ice, has seen the water!"
[Applause]
Hallelujah! Now he’s about to leave; he says, "The Father is going to send another one just like me, but she won’t be able to see this one!"
[Music]
Oh, glory! He said, "I am going away, but I will return soon, and I will be with you." And when I come with you, I will remain where? In you!
He says, "I am with you, but I’m gonna change my form, and I’m gonna become Spirit again."
And so you take the ice and you put it in the kettle, and on the Day of Pentecost, a mighty rushing wind blew into the place and they saw fire tongues come upon the disciples’ hands, and suddenly they were filled with steam!
[Music]
Oh, hallelujah! Same water! Everybody say same water!
Everybody say same water!
Now, there’s no power in ice! Wait! In Jerusalem, and you shall receive dynamis power!
Why? When you put steam in a locomotive, then wheels start turning! Hey! Hallelujah!
And all of a sudden, there’s power to move a freight train! Can I hear an amen, somebody?
You shall receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in all the world! You shall cast out demons; you shall heal the sick; you shall raise the dead; you shall bring deliverance!
With who? The power of the Holy Ghost! And yet they are all!
[Applause]
Now, Jesus said, "John chapter 14, I will return to my Father, and the same glory I had from the beginning shall be restored."
Water going back to water! Can I hear an amen, somebody?
And right now, this is how heaven looks. The Son is seated at the right hand of power, interceding for the saints, and the steam is still on earth, working hard!
Can I hear an amen, somebody?
Come on, clap your hands! You understand the Trinity! Hallelujah!
Same God! Come on, shout hallelujah, somebody!
We worship: one God, oh, three questions in one glory! Hallelujah!
Oh, glory! Can I get that?
I want to show you just one more mystery: the Bible says God is light! Light is a mystery!
Now that light is on, you can’t see it because there’s a greater light! That’s the way we are when we come in God’s presence; we are all lights of the world! Remember, when he shows up, you can’t see us too well!
Now light has three properties! I want you to write them down! I did a study of light; it’s very interesting!
Light has three rays! All light—the sun has it, the light in your home has it, the lights here in this auditorium has it—three rays.
The first ray in light is called Actinic Ray (A-C-T-I-N-I-C). The Actinic Ray is invisible! That’s the light ray you can’t see.
Look at these lights; there’s a ray coming down on us, but you can’t see it—that’s light! Then there is what they call Luminiferous Ray (L-U-M-I-N-I-F-E-R-O-U-S).
Prior to tape, it’s a visible ray—that’s the one that you can actually see coming from lights!
Then there’s a third ray that comes from every light: it’s called the Caloric Ray (C-A-L-O-R-I-F-I-C). This ray is the heat ray that is felt!
Now all of those come from the same light source! All light has those three things!
The first ray, the Actinic Ray, is a ray that is invisible, but you see its effects! That’s this original!
Then there’s a ray that is visible—that’s the one that you can actually see coming from lights! Then there is an invisible ray that has power; it’s the heat that comes from light!
You can’t see it, but you can feel it!
And all of them when they are together are called light! The Bible says God is light! And in him, there is no darkness at all!
Therefore, God is invisible; he’s visible, and he is invisible but can be felt!
That’s why the Holy Ghost, when he touches your life, people see changes!
Let me give you one more illustration for you to go home with: a triangle!
Now, a triangle is an interesting example of the Trinity, because if you look at a triangle, a triangle has three angles! Everybody see that? Three angles!
Now, if I was to move one of the angles, it is no longer a triangle!
If I move another one of the angles, it’s no longer a triangle!
So any removal of one of these angles cancels the unity of triangle! And yet what do we call this triangle? It has one name with three distinct co-equal parts! Removal of one destroys its essence and existence!
So it is with God! If you make the Son man only, you destroy God!
If you make the Holy Ghost a mind or a cloud, you’ve destroyed the true essence of God! But all three are God, and together each angle is completely equal and the same!
No matter how you turn a triangle, it is a triangle! No matter which side you’re looking at at the time—if you look at the Holy Ghost side, it’s God!
If you’re looking at the Son side, that’s gold!
You’re looking at the other side, that’s the Father, Jesus!
If you’re seeing my side, you’re seeing inside; you’re seeing his side; you’re saying my side—all of us is the same side because we are one God!
Hallelujah!
Come on, shout hallelujah!
This is it! Thank you very much, gentlemen!
A final example from man: all of you are three parts in one! You have a body; you have a soul; and you have what? A spirit!
Now, have you ever said to anyone, "Uh, we’re gonna see you tomorrow?"
You don’t say that, do you? You don’t say, "Child, we going in for lunch—who? We? Who? Or three? Are we?"
Turning me to John 14, if you prepare to wrap up this mysterious thought!
The scripture that was read earlier: God is love, isn’t he? Eternally a lover!
And God required an object to love—an eternal object! Because if he’s eternal, his love is eternal!
So the object has to be eternal; therefore, God’s Son became his eternal object, and he became his Son’s eternal lover!
That’s why the Bible constantly repeats all through the words of Jesus: "The Father loves the Son!"
The Father—he kept saying that! "The Father loves me!"
"The Father loved me from the beginning!"
"The Father has loved me!"
Why? He is love! He needs someone to love!
So he loves me! Then he says, "If you obey me, the Father will love me with the same love that he will love you!"
So if you love me, the Father will love you!
What a love from the eternal lover!
That’s why when God loves you, nobody should touch you!
Hello, somebody!
The Bible says the Father loved the Son so much, he told the Son, "If you go in the grave, I’ll take your body out! If you go into hell, I’ll raise you up with three keys: death and the grave!"
And he says, "The same love the Father will have for you!"
I don’t care what you’re going through today, friends! If you’re in love with the Son, the Father is in love with you!
No matter what happens to you, he gonna bring you out of it, brother! God loves you!
No matter what they do to you, no matter what the devil tries, the Father’s love is on you like it is on the Son!
Give me your hands—just thank him for a minute! He loves you!
Hallelujah!
If you feel a little lonely this week, a little down and out this week, just remember, the love that the Father has for Jesus is the same love he has for you!
And when the Son was on the cross, the Father was loving him! When he went to the pit, the Father was loving him!
And the Father loved him right out of the pit!
He will love you out of your pit too!
John chapter 14, I want to close on an interesting thought: the Trinity is very necessary for your salvation! You cannot be saved without the Trinity! If you don’t believe in the Trinity, you cannot be saved!
You will die, and you will be damned, and you will perish!
It’s important that we understand the value of the Trinity of God!
In John chapter 14, verse 6, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Underline it: he says if you want to go to the Father, you have to come through who? Me!
He says, "So there’s only one way to get to the Father, and that is through the Word, Jesus Christ!"
But look at John chapter 6 a few pages back, and here’s what it says in verse 44: John 6, verse 44: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."
Oh boy! Everybody got it now!
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man can come to the Father except by me."
Then he says, "No one can come to me unless the Father draws him to me."
So you can’t get to the Father except Jesus takes you! And you can’t get to Jesus except the Father takes you to him to bring you to the Father!
No, no, you gotta understand—this is heavy stuff!
That means you can’t decide, "I can choose another guru. I can choose another prophet. All roads lead to God." Sounds familiar!
Everybody has a road, a way to get to God. Jesus said, "Look, if you want to get to the Father, I am the way."
That a lot of other guys advertising that they are the way—God bless them, unchange them! There are people who are saying, "Well, you don’t need to be so fanatical about Jesus; what about those other religions?"
Brother, y’all are so narrow-minded!
You know: God has many ways to bring men to him!
There have been other prophets and other gurus and other teachers and other people who are good people! Jesus said, "If you want to get to the Father, you got to come through me!"
Now the trouble is to get to me, the Father has to bring you!
Now, here’s the point I want you to get: can you come here for me, please? Quickly! Come on! You bring him with you!
Yeah, he could be the Father; you look like the Son!
Doesn’t mean you’re old; it just means you’re looking more dressed!
Get myself in trouble here! Alright, I need the Holy Ghost!
Can I have a woman? I want a woman to be the Holy Ghost!
Can you come be the Holy Ghost?
Yeah, not that he’s a Holy Ghost but he’s a woman!
But you know!
Stand over here for me, please!
Now, I want you to see how important all three of these are!
One more scripture I want you to read, and that is Matthew chapter 12.
Matthew 12—here's a scripture that everybody gets concerned about!
Now we say that no man comes to the Son except the Father brings him, and no man comes to the Father except the Son brings him to the Son!
But here’s what it says in Matthew: now this is probably one of those scriptures that we all have been praying for me to talk about, because some of y’all are confused!
Some people believe that the unpardonable sin is divorce or murder or something! No! If you kill a man, you could go to heaven!
God could forgive you!
It doesn’t mean you must go and do it because you can pay the penalty for that!
If you drink liquor and smoke dope for 59 years, you still go to heaven! You get saved and God will clean you up and take you to glory!
If you get married 500 times, God is still saved! You send me to heaven if you get saved if you come to the Father or the Son!
So what is the unpardonable sin?
Here it is right here! This is the sin that you can’t be forgiven of!
It’s a story about men who met Jesus, and they called Jesus demon possessor—Belsey Bub! Wow!
And they said to him, "You are full of the devil!"
Look at verse 24! And they said to him, "It is only by Belsey Bud, prince of demons, that this fellow is driving out demons."
So here’s Jesus—God in the flesh—working miracles, and they say he is full of the devil!
So they’re calling the Holy Ghost—who is the devil!
The Holy Ghost is in Jesus, and he is called a demon!
Now obviously, if you call the Spirit and Jesus a demon, then you’re not going to submit to that Spirit! Is that right?
So here’s the problem! Verse 30: "He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men; but the blasphemy against who? The Holy Spirit will not be forgiven! Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Ghost will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come—they’ll be damned forever!"
What are you saying here?
Now why! The Bible says no man comes to the Son except the Spirit draws him!
The only way for you to be saved is by the Spirit to convict you!
Is that right? The Bible says the Holy Spirit will convict men of sin, righteousness, and judgment!
So the first person to go into action for your redemption and salvation is the Holy Ghost!
Matter of fact, if you study the Bible, he is always the first person to go into action!
Even in Genesis 1, when everything was disorganized, that by the Spirit of God hovered over the earth, waiting for who?
Waiting for the Word to come!
When the Word says, "Light!" then the Holy Ghost made the light!
And who said Word?
Light!
The Father!
So the three working together: the Father says, "Light!" Light came out!
The Word hit the Spirit; the Spirit did the work!
The Spirit always moves first!
Now, if you call the Holy Ghost a demon, you can’t even get to the Father!
Now here’s the Bible says: no man comes to the Father except the Spirit draws him!
And no man comes to the Son except the Father draws him!
So the Holy Ghost got to bring you to the Son!
The Son then can’t take you; he gotta take you to the Father!
The Father can’t take you; he takes you to the Son!
Now here’s why: the Holy Spirit convicts you, so he’s the first one to move on your heart like he’s doing right now for many of you in this room!
He’s been calling you for months and for years!
He’s been telling you, "You got to change your life! You got to discover who you are! You got to discover God’s will for your life! You got to discover what you were born to do and get rid of your sins and live a prosperous life in Christ!"
He’s been telling you that for years, and he’s reminding you again today right now—he must change your life!
The Holy Ghost moves first!
The Bible says, "Harden not your heart when you hear his voice, for now is the day of what? Salvation!"
Now how does he get you saved?
The Holy Ghost then takes you, and he leads you to the Father!
Now here’s a strange thing: the Bible says no man comes to the Father except through me!
Who’s that? The Son!
So the Father says, "No! I can’t accept this person!" Why?
Because if I accept them the way they are, judgment comes!
Come on! Use your mind!
They’re full of sin! They’re full of degradation; they’re full of blasphemy!
He says, "If I put judgment on them, I’ll wipe them out!"
Why? The Father is the judge!
So the Father says, "No! Take him to the Son—to get some blood on it!"
Oh glory, hallelujah!
He said, "Take him to the one who paid the price!"
So the Holy Ghost then takes you to the Son!
Everybody say, "Thank you, Jesus!"
And the Son said, "I shed the blood on you!"
So the Holy Ghost—the Son puts his arms around you, washes you; the Holy Ghost seals you, and they both take you to the Father!
Amen, hallelujah!
Come on, y’all hug me up here!
We go crazy!
[Applause]
Thank you, Jesus, for the Holy Ghost who took me to the Father!
And the Bible says, "And we will come and make our abode in you!"
Hallelujah!
I feel so safe in here; I don’t want to leave!
I got the Word! I got the power! And I got the Father!
Come on, somebody!
Y’all stay with me, please!
Lord, don’t leave!
Hallelujah!
On any side you try to attack me on!
[Music]
[Applause]
He’s with you! Glory! Hallelujah!
Come on, lift your hands and praise him!
He got you covered!
Hallelujah to Jesus!
Oh! Now you see why we love Jesus, huh?
Everybody say, "Thank you for the blood!"
Say, "Thank you for conviction!"
Thank you for your love, Father!
Give him the biggest hand you ever gave him all day!
Hallelujah!
Oh, let’s go ahead and shout!
Wow! [Music]
Thank God for the Trinity!
I say, "Thank God for the Trinity!"
I say, "Thank God for the Trinity!"
Elohim is God! Hallelujah!