Lessons from the Trinity
By Steve Brandon, March 2005

I recently attended the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a few men of the church. Each year, John Piper and his staff select a topic for the conference. This year, the theme was the Trinity. Upon hearing of the topic, I initially thought that it would be a bit dry and theological. However, to my great surprise and delight, the realities and implications of the Trinity have far reaching applications into our lives. This article will share a few thoughts that have stirred my soul.

The Theology of the Trinity

First, I feel the need to say a few things about the Trinity itself. The word “Trinity” is nowhere found in the Bible, but it is the word that Christians have used down through the centuries to describe the complexities of God. The Bible clearly states that there is only one God (see Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-6; James 2:19). However, the Scriptures also teach that Jesus is God (see Philippians 2:6; John 1:1, 14; 20:28; Colossians 2:9). Furthermore, the Bible teaches that the Spirit is also God (Acts 5:3-4; Psalm 139:7-8).
In other words, we believe that there is only one God. But, God is three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of these three are fully God. This is what “Trinity” is seeking to represent: a unity with three. Indeed, “Trinity” means “tri-unity.” Certainly, this mystery is great, and we cannot understand it. All human analogies will fail to fully grasp the nature of God. It ought not to surprise us that we can’t understand God. We ought to worship Him, who is so different than we are.

Submission and Authority

As you begin to probe a bit into the interactions among the persons of the God-head, you begin to see some amazing things. First of all, you see that the Son submits Himself to the Father in all things. Jesus said, “I do nothing on My own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28). Jesus also said that “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34). It was Jesus’ submission to the will of God that energized Jesus for His work. At the end of time, Jesus will deliver the kingdom to God, the Father. “Then, the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him (i.e. the Father)” (1 Cor. 15:24, 28).

In all of this submission and authority, there is perfect love. Jesus obeyed the Father, “so that the world may know that I love the Father” (John 14:31). The Father loved the Son (John 15:9-10). The love that exists between them is a perfect love. Throughout Scripture, there is never a hint that Jesus despised His role as the willing, submissive One. Never do we see the Father dominating the Son in His authority. Their relationship is one of perfect unity and harmony and love. Here is the surprising application. Their relationship is the model for us. It is God-like to exercise loving authority, as the Father does. Furthermore, it is God-like to submit willingly to the authority of others, as the Son does. It is when we model loving authority and willing submission, that we are most like God! All of us have opportunities to demonstrate the character of our God. There is no better sphere of application than in the home. If we are husbands, we ought to exercise our authority over our wives and family with love and tenderness. If we are wives, we ought to willingly submit ourselves to our husbands (1 Cor. 11:3). If we are children, we ought to demonstrate our love toward our parents by obeying and honoring them, that our love to our parents might be clear for all to see. Now, think about the Muslim world. Is it any wonder why those who follow Mohammed face such difficulties with one another? Their god is one who demands all authority, with no thought of submission. They think that they need to be like God. It only creates conflict. But our God excercises authority and willingly submits! The Trinity gives us reason to live in harmony and unity with each other.

Depending on the Spirit

Jesus never sinned. This is the constant testimony of Scripture (John 8:46; Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 2:18; 1 Peter 2:22-23). Indeed, this truth is the bedrock of our faith. If Jesus had sinned, His sacrifice would not have been accepted by the Father. But, it was His sinless sacrifice that was accepted (Hebrews 10:11-14). Jesus never, ever sinned. But, have you ever considered how it is that Jesus lived a sinless life? Certainly, as God, He couldn’t sin (for, sin is contrary to the nature of God). However, because He also had a human nature, there are indications in Scripture that Jesus lived a sinless life by trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit. Long before Jesus was ever born, we were told that “the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him” (Isaiah 11:2). Shortly after the baptism of Jesus, He was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:1) and was “led about by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Luke 4:1). Upon defeating the devil’s temptations, Jesus “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). When Jesus preached at His hometown synagogue in Nazareth, He said, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me” (Luke 4:18). When Peter summed up the life of Jesus in one sentence, he said that “God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38). Why does the Scripture seek to make it so clear that Jesus walked upon this earth in the power of the Holy Spirit? I believe that the reason is connected with the example that Jesus left for us. Peter wrote that His life is an “example for [us] to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). If Jesus had simply exerted His deity to live a sinless life, what hope would we have of following in that example? But, Jesus lived a sinless life as He willingly submitted Himself to live in the power of the Spirit. We need to do likewise. The Scripture is clear about such teaching on the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to His disciples, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). It is by the Spirit that we will resist the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Our lives are to be controlled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). May we live our lives dependent upon the Spirit, just like the God-man, Jesus, modeled for us.

Conclusion

We have much to learn from the Trinity. Certainly, we will never unravel all of the mysteries of how God is One and yet God is three Persons. But, we can apply much in our lives from knowing how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit interact.