Practical Approach To Christianity Volume 1 "To The Beginner Christians"- Lesson 2: The Triune God

Chapter 2 – The Triune God

                In Genesis 1:26 God said, Let us made man in our own image and likeness.” The word “Us” there pertains to God Himself, only in emphasis with His three personas- The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. So meaning, even at the beginning of times, even God made known Himself already to us. Just think of it this way, if God created man consisting of three aspects- the body, soul and spirit; and man was being created in the image and likeness of God, then it is only safe to say, that God also possess the very same Personas that He gave to us – Jesus (Body), God (Him Being the unseen God in the unseen world which is equivalent to the heavenly or soul realm), and the Holy Spirit.

Who is God, the Father?

                When I was still young and is still attending Sunday Schools, I always wonder about the God that we are always talking about. They say that He is a Supreme Being. But where does God came from? When I finally asked that question to my aunt, who is a practicing Pastor to that church, she gave me a very practical answer that can be found in John 1:1 “In the beginning is the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God.” That answer alone wow my thoughts but still didn’t stop me from wondering. Yet, I grew up seeking His presence. When I undergone the mentoring and discipleship training led by my Pastor and mentor, Pastor John Mariano, it ended my long time question on where God came from. Indeed, the identity of God can be found at the beginning of times. In Genesis 1:1 it is said that, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”

                Being the Creator, He is not bounded by time (in the beginning), by space (heaven) and matter (earth) because things that are bounded by those are the creations, and creations will never be figure out the Creator.

                Now, knowing that our Creator is the one true God, we can now go back to Him, because living our life doesn’t begin on our birth. Our life will only begin as we go back to the beginning of times. In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us made man in our own image and likeness.” God created us as unique and distinct individual with the image and likeness of God and we have individual gifts. If we surrender our life to God and let Him to use our gifts for His glory, it is only then that our real life, processing our true identity will begin.

Jesus: The Only Sufficient Savior

                Is Jesus, whom God’s only begotten Son, is God Himself? Well, the Bible is clear that God is the Word, Himself (John 1:1) and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we behold His glory as that of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Jesus is God Himself. He humbled down and never account himself God, but suffered as a man. He is without sin, but He became sin for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

                John 3:16 tells us about God’s eternal plan and we are all included in it. God has a wonderful plan for us. He knows all our hopes, dreams and every desires of our hearts, because He is the one who place it there. The Bible tells us that God places eternity in the hearts of men. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) #G12WinningAndConsolidationGuide

                In fact, our life on earth is only provisional. Provisional means that for some reason, it is still valid among men on the secular world, like a temporary receipt in the absence of POS machine, but not to the extent of it being presented to the internal revenue for audit purposes. Our life here is valid to God but only in lieu of something that is yet to come. Meaning, our focus should not be on today’s pleasure but on its eternal significance. Our ultimate joy must be deferred on that “someday life” and each of us must choose what matters most.

                By knowing God’s eternal plan for us is what brings us real satisfaction. #G12WinningAndConsolidationGuide

                There are four things that we must know about God’s plan:

1.       We have destination

We all have final destinations after we physically died, and the Bible is clear that we only have two destinations – heaven or hell. Now, where will you go?

2.       We have Sinned (Sinful World)

We all want to go to heaven, but we cannot go. Why? Because we are all sinners. No matter how much we want to go, and how much we tried to be connected back to God, we always fall short (Romans 3:23)

What Sin does? It hurts us, our family, and most of all, it hurts God.

Religion, in fact, is one way use by men to fill up the void in our hearts that sin left us when God was being separated from us. We keeps on searching for God, and in the process makes our false gods.

Sin, in its worse is punishable by death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life, through Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

3.       Jesus is our Savior – God’s one and only Son

Sin separates us from God, but through Jesus, He is now reaching for us. John 14:6 says that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

As a man, would you rather sacrifice your mother or your father’s life for a friend? But God loves you and He loves me. Because of that love, even though He is God, He never account Himself as God, but humble down, and made Himself equally yoke to man. (John 1:14)

He gave His life as a ransom for many, so that we will be restored back to God. (Romans 5:8)

The payment of our sins came at heaven’s expense. Through Jesus’s death, justice was satisfied as God accepted the sacrifice as sufficient payment for our sins.

The blood that shed from Jesus speaks of our destiny.

4.       Faith in Jesus – Believe

Jesus promised us that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)

But, as many has received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believes in His name (John 1:12).

Salvation was granted to those who put their faith on what Jesus’ done on the Cross. To have faith is to trust God (Hebrews 12:11).

For it is by grace you have been save through faith – and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Holy Spirit

                “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also , after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. –Ephesians 1:13-14.

                The Holy Spirit is the promise of God to us after the redemption of the purchased possession, which is Christ, who is being crucified for our sins. After His resurrection, and right after He ascended to the right hand of God, He poured out the Holy Spirit to the disciples and to the other believers in order for them to preach the gospel to the whole world, even to the Gentiles. It is now the beginning of the era of the Law of Grace. When you are under the Law of the Grace of Christ, whatever sin that is in our hearts and minds are now convicted by the Holy Spirit.

                For us to know if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, is that we also became Holy. We abstained from committing sin and we always seek God’s presence every day. It is also said in 2 Timothy 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

                But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:9-10)

In Conclusion

                God is the Creator of heaven and earth. Most of all, He created man. Jesus is God, Himself. He is the word who became flesh. He came from heaven to earth to show us the way to the Father. He died and was crucified for the redemption of our sins, so that by His grace, we are being saved through faith. Holy Spirit is the promise of Jesus Christ after He resurrected on the third day and ascended back to the right hand of God. The Holy Spirit is our channel back to God, that we may live blameless and righteous in His sight. Under the Law of Grace, the Holy Spirit will be our sealed as Sons and Daughters of God.

Practical Questions

1.       What are the three personas of God? Do you believe in the trinity of God?

2.       How does knowing the three personas of God relates to your life?

Memory Verse

For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in him, shall not perish but have eternal life. –John 3:16

Practical Application

What you have learned?

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