"Revisiting the Godhead 1+1+1=1" - Pastor Stephen Bohr

shall we bow our heads for prayer father in heaven today we're going to study some very solemn and important things and we need desperately the help of your Holy Spirit and so we asked that as we open your Holy Word that your spirit will hover over its pages and come into our minds and hearts so that we might be able to comprehend the importance of what we're going to study and we thank you Father for hearing and answering our prayer for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus amen most pagan religions are characterized by a belief that there are in existence many gods this concept is known as polytheism in contrast to ancient pagan religions we have Judaism which at least after the Babylonian captivity taught a staunch monotheism now this doesn't mean that before the Babylonian captivity in the Bible you didn't have a staunch monotheism what I'm saying that in actual practice before the Babylonian captivity Israel fell repeatedly into idolatry obviously the Bible teaches monotheism from the times of Moses on now when Christianity was born Christians had a very difficult task of explaining how Jesus was God and how the father was also God and still preserve monotheism the problem became even more complicated when Christians began teaching that the Holy Spirit is God as well of course the obvious question is if the father is God and the son is God and the Holy Spirit is God do we not then have three gods do we not have polytheism the idea that there is more than one God or multiple gods is this not blasphemy is this not paganism in the highest sense of the word now this is a problem that the early church had to struggle with and as a result of the struggle many heretical movements arose within the Christian Church to try and explain how there could be three persons and yet preserve monotheism the idea that there was only one God one group of heretics known as the Evia Knights taught that Jesus was born a normal human being but he was such an extraordinary human being in his life that at the moment of his baptism he was adopted into the Godhead in other words he was a man who became God in other words he was adopted as a member of the Godhead obviously this makes Jesus a semi God and he is not inherently God within his very own nature which creates more problems than it actually solves then you have the heresy known as model ISM or civilian ISM named after Sebelius he taught that actually God is one person who manifests himself in three different forms or modes it was common for example for those who taught this heresy to say that in the Old Testament God manifested himself as the father in the Gospels he manifested himself as the son and in the church age he manifested himself as the holy spirit in other words one person at different periods of human history took different forms but you don't have three persons you have one person in three different manifestations of human history of course this creates huge problems as well as we'll notice as we study the concept of the Trinity in Scripture another heresy which crept into the church when this idea of the Father Son and Holy Spirit being God is known as arianism it's named after arias and this is the idea that Jesus was the first creature made by God made by the father in other words Jesus is a created being by the way the heirs of this idea today are the Java's witnesses they believe that Jesus was the first creature of the Father and his name was Michael the Archangel that is to say they don't believe that Jesus is eternal God in the fullest sense of the word they teach that Jesus was a God but of course this creates more problems than it solves because then you have a great God and you have a lesser God you still end up with polytheism now Muslims and Jews today are staunchly monotheistic religions in other words they staunchly stand for the idea that God is one there is only one true God now Christianity agrees with the idea of monotheism but Christianity has a different understanding of the idea that God is one in other words Christianity does not view the oneness of God in the same way that the Jews and the Muslims do because the Jews and the Muslims believe that God is one person that's their monotheism but scripture teaches that God is one and yet that one God is composed of three persons now I'd like to ask the question isn't it logical nonsense to say that there are three persons but only one God how can three be equal to one in fact the title of our study today is 1 plus 1 plus 1 equals 1 now you say pastor Bohr you have to go back to grammar school because 1 plus 1 plus 1 does not equal 1 how can you say that 3 is equal to 1 we're going to study that concept in Scripture today sadly even within the seventh-day Adventist Church today there are many who are coming to the conclusion that the doctrine of the Trinity that has been held by the seventh-day Adventist church for many decades actually is of pagan origin and many are saying that this doctrine of the seventh-day Adventist Church should be abandoned and that we should adopt the view basically that the Muslims and the Jews have that there is only one person in God now what I would like to do in our study today is go through three very simple steps to study the biblical concept of God or the biblical concept of the Trinity the first point that I would like to cover is those texts of Scripture that speak about God as one there are many texts in Scripture that refer to God as one the second step that I want to take is to read the text where God is spoken of as being more than one in other words a plurality of persons within the Godhead and in the third place what I want to do is relate these two ideas that God is one and God is more than one so that we can understand in what sense according to the Bible God is one let's begin our study and we're going to use scripture abundantly in our study today Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 4 Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 4 this text is the central confession of the faith of Judaism you will hear it used in every Jewish synagogue even till this day it says there in Deuteronomy 6 and verse 4 here o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one the word Lord is capitalized so it's Jehovah Jehovah or Yahweh is one very clearly in this text God is spoken of as one Jehovah or Yahweh is spoken of as one known as I say a chapter 44 and we'll read verse 6 and we'll also go to verse 8 once again were emphasizing the oneness of God it says in Isaiah 44 and verse 6 thus says the Lord once again capitalized the king of israel and his redeemer the lord of hosts by the way i don't know if you noticed here that we have two lords at the beginning of verse 8 of verse 6 rather did you notice this thus says the lord capitalized the king of israel and his redeemer the lord of hosts so there are actually two lords there are actually two Yahweh's or two Jehovah's what does he say I am the first and I am the last besides me there is what no god verse 8 do not fear nor be afraid have I not told you from that time and declared it you are my witnesses by the way this is a central verse that the Jehovah's Witnesses use to call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses you are my witnesses is there a god besides me indeed there is no other rock I know not one so according to these verses how many is God God is one and yet we noticed at the beginning of verse six that there are two Yahweh's there are two Lords here capitalized or Jehovah as it stated in the King James Version notice Isaiah chapter 45 in verses 21 and 22 once again the idea of the oneness of God what is 1 it says there in Isaiah 45 verse 21 tell and bring forth your case yes let them take counsel together speaking about the false gods of the nations who has declared this from ancient time who has told from that time have not I the Lord and there is no other God besides me a just God and a savior there is none besides me look to me and be saved all you ends of the earth for I am God and there is no other several times in these verses verses 21 and 22 you have the emphasis that God is one there is none besides him there is no other God now the emphasis that isaiah is giving in chapters 44 and 45 is not necessarily saying that god is numerically 1 what is being contrasted here is god as the true god with all of the false gods of the pagan nations that's why god is saying none of those gods are the true god i am the true god I am the only God let's go to the New Testament now mark chapter 12 and verse 29 and then we'll jump down to verse 32 mark chapter 12 and verse 29 and then we'll go to verse 32 a lawyer comes to Jesus and asks them a question it says there then one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together perceiving that he had answered them well asked him which is the greatest commandment or the first commandment of all and then of course Jesus quoted Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 4 with which we began our study the Lord our God is one Lord there's only one true God then notice verse 32 he speaks about the answer that Jesus gave to his question so the scribes said to him well said teacher you have spoken the truth for there is one God and there is no other but he let me ask you does the New Testament emphasize just like the Old Testament that there is only one God and there is no other absolutely it's not all the concept that the Jews had it is a Christian concept which is found in the New Testament notice also John chapter 10 and verse 30 John chapter 10 and verse 30 here Jesus is speaking about his relationship with his father and this is one of the shorter verses that we find in the Bible Jesus says this I and my father are what are one notice the emphasis once again on the oneness of God there's the father and there's Jesus but the Bible says that they are one now notice that's one more verse that speaks about the oneness of God and then we're going to examine the verses where God is spoken of as being more than one John chapter 14 and verses 10 and 11 John chapter 14 and verses 10 and 11 here Jesus is speaking and he says this do you not believe that I am in the father and the father in me the words that I speak to you I do not speak of my own authority but the father who dwells in me does the works notice that father dwells in Jesus notice verse 11 believe me that I am in the father and the father in me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves Jesus gives the impression in these verses that he and the father are to be identified he says the father in me I in the father given the impression that they are not two but they are really what they're really one so in the New Testament we have this concept that God is one and yet you have the idea of the Father and Jesus being separate and distinct individuals now how in the world can you understand this you know Jesus saying that God is one but at the same time speaking about himself and about his father the fact is that we have several texts in the Bible that refer to a plurality of persons with in God in other words there's more than one person in the Godhead now we've examined already the texts that speak about the oneness of God at least some of them now what I want to do is refer to some texts that refer that speak about the plurality of persons within the Godhead you see God is one but there are more persons than one let's go to Genesis chapter 1 and verse 26 Genesis chapter 1 and verse 26 very interesting verse it's speaking about the creation of man the plan to create man it says there then God said by the way the word God there is Elohim it's plural it could be translated gods then God said now notice this let us make God in our image according to our likeness let them have dominion over the fish of the sea over the birds of the air and over the cattle over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth do you notice the pronouns here God said let us make man in our image according to our likeness very clearly you have an idea of a plurality of persons within God in this verse notice Genesis chapter 11 and verse 7 Genesis chapter 11 and verse 7 this is the episode at the Tower of Babel and God is in heaven he's watching what the builders of the Tower of Babel are doing and notice what he says come let us go down and there confuse their language that they may not understand one another's speech once again let us go down and if you read on in chapter 11 it says God confused there at Babel their language so as God who's confused the languages of the people but at the same time we find that God says let us go down and confuse the languages so once again you have the idea that even though God is one you have more than one person within the Godhead notice Genesis chapter 3 and verse 22 Genesis chapter 3 and verse 22 there are several references in Genesis that speak about this phenomenon of God being one but there being more than one person in the Godhead this is after Adam and Eve sinned and God sees that necessary to cast them out of the Garden of Eden then the Lord God said Behold the man has become like one of what one of us once again man has become like one of us the devil said you shall be like who you shall be like God now they weren't like God in every way they were like God in the sense that now they knew good and evil because God already knew evil because it had originated in heaven before the creation of this world but interestingly enough God says behold the man has become like one of us in a specific sense to know good and evil and now lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever therefore the Lord that's the word Yahweh or Jehovah God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken once again the pronoun us is used to refer to man in the Garden of Eden or immediately after he was cast out of the Garden of Eden indicating that even though God is one there's a plurality of persons within the Godhead let's examine several others in the Old Testament to this idea of the plurality of persons within God Isaiah 6 and verse 3 speaks about the call of the prophet Isaiah and even though the idea of the Trinity does not come through real clearly here there's a hint that you have three persons within the Godhead you say how is that well Isaiah 6 and verse 3 is speaking about the him being sung by the by the Seraphim the six winged creatures and it says there in Isaiah 6 verse three and one cried to another and said holy Oh holy how many times three times is the Lord the word Lord there is capitalized once again the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory is it just perhaps true that the reason why you have three Holies here is because you have three persons that are receiving the honor and glory and praise of the Seraphim notice Isaiah 61 in verse 1 here it comes out even more clearly Isaiah 61 in verse 1 I want you to see in this verse that you have three persons by the way this is the verse with which Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth you can find it in Luke chapter 4 the spirit there you have one of the Lord God there you have two is upon me did you get that once again the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me and this is a messianic prophecy because the Lord has anointed me see the distinction between Lord and me the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to proclaim Liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound so you have three individuals here the Spirit the Lord God and me which is referring to the Messiah notice Isaiah 48 and verse 16 isaiah 40:8 and verse 16 I hear God is speaking he says come near to me here this I have not spoken in secret from the beginning from the time that it was I was there and now listen to this and now the Lord God there's one and his spirit to have sent me three once again the idea of three within the Godhead notice also Isaiah 63 and verses 9 and 10 Isaiah 63 verses 9 and 10 here you have three individuals but the Messiah is spoken of with a different name notice Isaiah 63 verses 9 and 10 it's speaking about Israel and God is speaking here in all their affliction or it's been spoken about God rather in all their affliction he was afflicted there's one he was afflicted and the angel of his presence saved them see God is afflicted then it says the angel of his presence saved them let's continue reading in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bore them and carried them all the days of old but they rebelled and grieved whom his Holy Spirit so he turned himself against them as an enemy and he fought against them do you see the three in those two verses you have first of all he was afflicted secondly you have the angel of his presence saved them and then later on in verse 10 but they rebelled and grieved his holy spirit so you have the Lord you have the angel of his presence and you have the grieving of the Holy Spirit once again the idea of three persons very clearly expressed in these two verses Isaiah 63 I wish we had time to talk a little bit more about the angel of his presence in the Old Testament the angel of his presence is also spoken of as the angel of the Lord and the angel of the Lord very frequently in the Old Testament is spoken of as being God the angel for example that delivered the three friends of Daniel from the fiery furnace Nebuchadnezzar said that his appearance was like the Son of God at the burning bush the angel of the Lord appeared in the bush and then he speaks and he says I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the angel is speaking this you know Jacob struggles with the angel in Genesis 32 and you know he says finally I have struggled with men and I've seen God face to face and that's why he calls that place penny L and yet he was struggling with the angel of the Lord in other words the angel of his presence is God according to scripture now let's go to several texts from the New Testament that show us this idea of three persons within the Godhead Matthew chapter 3 and verses 16 and 17 Matthew chapter 3 and verses 16 and 17 this is at the moment of the baptism of Jesus and I want you to notice the three once again when he had been baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water there you have one and behold the heavens were open to him and he saw what the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him and suddenly a voice came from heaven whose voice was that the father's because he says this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased how many do you have at the baptism of Jesus three you have Jesus was being baptized you have the spirit that is descending upon him and you have the voice of the father from heaven saying this is my beloved son notice John chapter 14 and verse 16 John chapter 14 and verse 16 here Jesus is speaking about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit notice once again the idea of three and I this is Jesus will pray the Father there you have number two and he will give you another helper who is that other helper the Holy Spirit right that he may abide with you forever once again John 14 verse 16 as three I the father and the helper who is the Holy Spirit by the way when Jesus used the word other in Greek there are two words that are translated other one is the word interest we get the word hetero sexual from that heterosexual means of a different what of a of the same sex but of a different kind right and the word that is used here in John 14 verse 16 is not heteros in other words of a different kind another of a different kind the word is a louse which means another of the same kind so when he says I'm gonna send you another counselor he's saying I'm gonna send you another counselor just like me notice John chapter 15 and verse 26 John 15 and verse 26 once again the same idea of three Ness but when the helper comes there's number one whom I shall send you from the father there's number two the Spirit of Truth there's number three who proceeds from the father he will testify of what of me once again you have the helper you are the father and you have me the idea of three coming clearly through in the New Testament notice Galatians chapter four and verse six will notice several more from the New Testament lations 4 and verse 6 it says there and because you are sons god there's one has sent forth the spirit there's two of his son there is three into your hearts crying out Abba Father so you have God sending the spirit of his son three once again Matthew 28 and verse 19 Matthew chapter 28 and verse 19 this is the Great Commission that Jesus gives to his disciples go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit by the way how many names do the three of them have there are three persons but one name in the name of the Father of the son in a volley spirit that shows oneness but it also shows what three three in one continue say teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age amen second Corinthians 13 verse 14 another verse that refers to three second corinthians 13 verse 14 it's the benediction the apostolic benediction that the Apostle Paul gives to conclude the letters to the Corinthians it says there the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ there's number one and the love of God there's number two and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen once again the idea of three time and again in the Old Testament and in the New Testament you have this idea that you have one god but you have three persons not as 1st Corinthians chapter 12 in verses 4 through 6 first Corinthians chapter 12 and verses 4 through 6 it says there are diversity of gifts but the same spirit there.i diversities of ministries the same what come on you can help me the same Lord and then it says there are diversities of what yes but there is one what there is one God do you notice there 3 you have the spirit you have the Lord and you have who and you have God once again three are participating in the impartation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit now as 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse 2 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse 2 Peter also has this concept this idea it says there Peter actually I'm going to read starting at verse 1 Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father there you have one in the sanctification of the Spirit there you have two for obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ there's three grace to you and peace be multiplied now let's go to Revelation Revelation chapter 1 and verses 4 and 5 Revelation chapter 1 and verses 4 five it says there John to the seven churches which are in Asia grace to you and now Lotus and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come there you have one and from the seven spirits who are before stood on the number seven is symbolic of completeness or totality the fullness of the Spirit and then it says and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth once again you have Kim who is and who was and who is to come you have the seven spirits and you have Jesus Christ three notice Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 18 I want to read a few more because I want you to see how pervasive this idea is in the New Testament Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 18 once again has three it says for through him that is Jesus we both have access by one spirit there's number two to whom to the Father there's number three notice also John chapter one and verses one to three and this passage only mentions two but it still proves the point that the God is is composed of more than one it says in John 1 verses one through three in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God now isn't that interesting you have one who is with God so he's not the same person as God there he's with God he's with someone who's called God but it also says that he is what God so how many persons do you have in that verse who are God two very clearly verse two he was in the beginning with God there you have it again all things were made through him by the way that expression all things were made through him means that there is someone who is making the things through him there has to be someone someone who is using him as the instrument through whom things are made so it says all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made notice John chapter 6 and verse 46 John chapter 6 and verse 46 it says here not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God he has seen the father now is this insinuating that Jesus has seen the father of course now if Jesus and the father are the same person then Jesus probably was looking in the mirror we know that that's not the case he was with the Father he saw the father they are two separate individuals known as first John chapter 2 and verse 1 first John chapter 2 and verse 1 this is a very well-known verse it's speaking about Jesus as our advocate or intercessor my little children these things I write to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous so if Jesus and the father are the same person then Jesus is interceding with himself we know that that's not the case if he is the advocate with the father he is one and the father obviously is another not as also Romans 8 verse 34 one more verse where we have a plurality of persons within the Godhead Romans 8 and verse 34 who is he who condemns it is Christ who died and furthermore is also rip risen who is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for us you know if he's at the right hand of God he has to be a separate individual from God the Father furthermore if he's interceding he has to be interceding before someone that means that there are at least two persons in this verse that referred to the Godhead and so the conclusion is inevitable the Bible is clear that God is one very very clear many verses Old Testament and New Testament underline the fact that God is one but equal true are all of those texts where God has spoken of as more than one in some verses to Jesus and his father and in many verses 3 God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit now the big question is this how do we reconcile those two ideas how is it possible for God to be one and yet for God to be three you know in math as I was mentioning it's impossible for three to be equal to one that is logical nonsense and yet sometimes when we think theologically logic does not apply so in what sense is God one and in what sense is God three let's read some verses that reconcile these two ideas you see the Trinity is not that difficult to understand when we understand what the word one means go with me once again to Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 4 Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 4 here o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one by the way that word one that is used there is the Hebrew word HUD it doesn't mean mean one numerically but it means one in terms of unity not one numerically but one in unity I'm going to show you that from other text in Scripture in other words you can have three but they're one in the sense that they are perfectly United now as Genesis 2 verse 24 here the same word is used it's not referring to God but it's referring to man it helps us however understand in what sense God is one Genesis 2 verse 24 therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become what one flesh by the way does this mean that that the man jumps into the woman or the woman jumps into the man and they become one person obviously yet what does the word one mean here it does not mean one numerically it means one in terms of unity they are perfectly to United in one because they're supposed to think in a similar way they're supposed to be in harmony they're supposed to be in a chord in other words numerically they are obviously two but in terms of unity they are one so let me ask you in this verse is it possible for two to be one of course so if it's possible for two to be one why can't three be one now let's notice what Jesus had to say he was even more explicit about this marriage in the New Testament Matthew 19 and verses 4 through 6 Matthew 19 and verses 4 through 6 and he answered and said to them Jesus is speaking to the Jewish leaders have you not read that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female and said for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh notice the two shall become one flesh and now Jesus is really strong on this he says so then they are no longer two now I see some of you are husband and wife here and unless I'm seeing double I see two but Jesus says they're no longer two there one he's explicit therefore what God has joined together do you see the idea of unity there what God has joined together let not man separate so husband and wife are two but Jesus says they're no longer two they are what one so two equals one in theology not in math Genesis 11 verses 6 and 7 Genesis 11 verses 6 & 7 once again this is speaking about the Tower of Babel and there were thousands of people probably who were rebuilding this tower it says and the Lord said indeed the people are one so they all jumped into one body right by the way the word here is a cod the same word of Genesis 2 verse 24 the people are one what is Moses trying to tell us when he when he tells us that the Lord said that the people were one one person no they were perfectly what United and the Lord said indeed the people are one and they all have one language and this is what they begin to do now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them come let us go down in there confuse their language that they may not understand one another's speech so once again all of those thousands of builders of the Tower of Babel we're told by Moses who is quoting God that all those people were how many one they were not one numerically they were one in sense in the sense of unity notice Galatians 3 verse 28 let's examine a few text from the New Testament that used the word one Galatians chapter 3 and verse 28 it says here there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither slave nor free there is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus what are we we are all what one well I see a good number of people here today you don't all look like one I must not only be seen double I must be seen multiple people here the fact is what is meant by the Apostle Paul when he says that we are all one in Christ Jesus he's not speaking numerically he's speaking theologically we are all one in the sense of being what United notice also first Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 20 first Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 20 but now indeed there are many members yet what yet one body many members one body in the same way husband and wife are two but they're one the builders of the Tower of Babel were many but they were one when we joined Jesus Christ we are one we are one not numerically we are one in terms of unity are you understanding how three can be equal to one when the Bible says that God is one it's speaking about unity when the Bible says there are three it's speaking about three persons in that unity it's not polytheism that we're dealing with here because it is possible for three to be equal to one when you understand one in the biblical sense of the word notice John 17 and verses 10 and 11 and we'll also read verses 20 and 21 John 17 verses 10 and 11 and then we'll go to verses 20 and 21 this is the great prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before he went to the cross he says and all mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in them now I am no longer in the world but these are in the world and I come to you Holy Father keep through your name those whom you have given me notice that they may be one as we are one verse 20 I do not pray for these alone but also for those who will believe it through their word that they all may be what one as you Father are in me and I in you that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me Jesus is praying for his eleven disciples because Judas was going to apostatize did Jesus pray that all of his eleven disciples should be one did he want them all to be one yes does that mean that they were no longer you didn't have Peter and John and Andrew they all jumped into one person of course not what was Jesus praying for he was praying for them to be what to be in unity to be united all in one Accord like it happened on the day of Pentecost they were all of one Accord in one place according to the scripture by the way did you notice that Jesus wanted us all to be one even and he s he and his father were one so if 11 people can be one can also God the Father and his son be two and yet be one obviously yes because that's speaking about unity it is not speaking about numbers by the way we sing the little chorus we are one in spirit we are one in the Lord that doesn't mean that we're 1 numerically it means that were 1 in terms of the theological meaning of Scripture now notice John 14 verses 10 and 11 John 14 and verses 10 and 11 once again the emphasis of the unity between Jesus and his father it says there do you not believe that I that I am in the father and the father in me the words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority but the father who dwells in me does the works not he's speaking about the unity with his father my father tells me what to do my father tells me what to say I am in such unity with him that we work in harmony verse 11 believe me that I am in the father and the father in me once again the idea of unity or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves John 14 verse 20 a few verses farther down in chapter 14 at that day you will know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you now what is he the same I am the father the father and me I and you you and me he's saying that there's supposed to be a perfect triangle here between the Father the Son and us we're supposed to be in perfect unity in other words the oneness is a oneness of unity this is the reason why I believe that instead of speaking of the doctrine of the tree we should talk of the doctrine of the Tri unity of God because they are three persons that are in perfect unity they are one God in thought in power in character in work in objectives in purpose in plans but they are not one person in other words we could say that they are distinguishable but they are not separable they are three of the same kind you know in my household there are four bores we all have the same last name bore well in God's family there are three and they're all called God their name is God three-in-one now throughout the course of the history of the church several imperfect analogies have been given for the Trinity for example some people say that the Trinity is like a tree you know a tree has a root it has branches and that's fruit but it's just one tree the problem with that is the fruit is only a part of a tree and the branches are only a part of the root is only a part with with the Trinity they are all completely God in themselves they're not a part of God they are totally God within themselves other people say you know it's kind of like an egg it has a shell a yolk and the white part well once again the problem is you know that would mean that each one of is only a part of God when the Bible teaches that each one of them is God in their fullness others say you know they're like the Sun the Sun has light heat and brightness once again that's not a good analogy because each one of these things is only a part of what the Sun produces other people say you know it's like man man is body soul and spirit according to Scripture well the thing is the spirit is only part of men and the body is only a part of men and the soul is only a part of man and so to speak of the Godhead in terms of by soul and spirit would mean that each person is only a part of God and not God in its fullness now allow me to read you some very interesting statements that we find in the writings of Ellen White on the Trinity I'm going to go quickly through these they are really striking statements the first one is found in review and Herald August 15 1907 she speaking about Hebrews 1 verses 1 and 2 and she says this here the position of Jesus Christ in reference to his father is brought to view while they are one in purpose and one in mind yet in personality they are - may we not learn from this that there is to be unity between believers you see what she's saying they're two distinct personalities but they're in unity she says can't we learn something from that and have unity even though we are many in another statement that we find in ministry of healing page 421 and for 22 she says this the Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each notice Jesus and the father have personality and individuality by the way I looked up the definition of individuality in the world book dictionary and this is the definition the character or qualities which distinguish one person or thing from another so when Ellen White says that the scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each that means that each one is an individual in himself she continued saying the personality of the father and the son also the unit of the unity that exists between them are presented in the 17th chapter of John in the prayer of Christ for his disciples the unity that exists between Christ's disciples does not destroy the personality of either are you catching what she's saying the unity between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality they're still 11 disciples plus the one that was named on the day of Pentecost and Christ she continued saying the unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either they are one in purpose in mind in character but not in person it is thus that God and Christ are one that is this statement that Ellen White presented in 1897 she says the Prince of the power of evil can only be held in check by the power of God in the third person of the Godhead the Holy Spirit the reason I read this one is because there are many Adventist these days that are saying the Holy Spirit is just an influence or a force that he's not a person Ellen White makes it clear that not only on the father and the son persons she makes it very clear that the Holy Spirit is a person as does the Bible as well once again she says the prince of the power of evil can only be held in check by the power of God in the third person of the Godhead the Holy Spirit so as the holy is the holy spirit of person he's the third person not as in 1898 el White has this to say desire of a just made 671 sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the third person of the Godhead third person of the Godhead who would come with no modified energy but in the fullness of divine power notice that the Holy Spirit is not only a person he has a fullness of divine power it is the spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world's Redeemer in 1899 Ellen White said this evangelism page 616 we need to realize that the Holy Spirit who is as much a person as God is a person is walking through these grounds he's talking about Avondale College she's talking about Avondale College here so she says that the Holy Spirit is as much a person as God is a person in 1906 she had this to say about the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is a person for he beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God when this witness is born it carries with it its own evidence at such times we believe and are sure that we are the children of God then she says this the Holy Spirit has a personality so if anybody tells you holy spirits just a force and you know Jesus is inferior to the Father he's not fully God we need to shut the door to that she says the Holy Spirit has a personality or else he could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God he must also be a divine person now there's not only a person but he's a divine person he is God or else he could not search out the secrets which he which lie hidden in the mind of God for man north the things of man save the spirit of Man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God one final statement evangelism page 615 Ellen White speaks about the heavenly trio she realized that there were three in the Trinity three in the Godhead she says this there are three living persons of the heavenly trio I like that three living persons of the heavenly trio the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized and these powers will cooperate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ three living persons in the heavenly trio now somebody's probably saying well pastor Bohr what difference does it make whether you believe in the Trinity or not you know it's okay if you believe that God is just one person let me in closing share with you the reason why it's important to recognize that God is a Trinity we're going to notice in our next study that the Godhead works in perfect harmony but each one of the persons of the Godhead Godhead have their particular function and we're going to find also in our next study that there are other beings in heaven that help the Godhead you have the cherubim the Seraphim the heavenly hosts of having the angels and the inhabitants of the worlds we're going to discuss all of these things in succeeding lectures in this series now why is the doctrine of the Trinity important first of all it's comforting to know that we not have own we don't have only one almighty power working in our behalf we not only have to but we have three that are working with the utmost of power to gain the victory in the lives of God's people in this world furthermore and this is even more serious the Bible explains that the essence of God is love but in order for love to exist there has to be a giver and a receiver is that true in order to love there has to be some one to love now what would what would happen if God at some point was only one person the big question is who would God have loved love cannot exist with only one person unless you speak about self love and self love is the essence of sin and so the Trinity safeguards the certainty of love in the universe before anything in this universe existed now there are some questions about the Trinity that I could never answer for example where did they come from that's a mystery I can't answer that another question where did they get their powers from don't ask me I don't have any idea what were they doing doing before they created anything in the universe there must have been some time when they were there and there was nothing what were they doing I don't know but we have enough information to know that there are three they work for our good they guarantee love and someday we will be able to inhabit eternity eternally with them [Music]

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Length: 57min 4sec (3424 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 11 2019