YOU BELONG TO THE TRIUNE GOD
Rev. Bernt P. Tweit
Epistle Lesson;
Romans 8:14-17
Gospel Lesson;
John 3:1-17
Old Testament Lesson;
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Sermon Text;
Romans 8:14-17
The word ‘trinity,’ or the word ‘triune’ is not found in the Bible. However, as we look at the scriptures, we see that it clearly teaches that God is triune, that He is three in one. It is based on these two, simple, teachings in scripture. Scripture says, on one hand, God is one. In our Old Testament Lesson for today we heard an example of a passage that says this.
"Hear, O Israel:
The LORD our God,
the LORD is one."
On the other hand scripture also tells us that God reveals Himself to us in three persons. In the Great Commission, Jesus said,
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit."
When we take those two, simple, teachings in scripture, and bring them together, we see that we have one God who reveals Himself to us in three persons.
Throughout the centuries, people have tried to use different illustrations to show that God is three in one. This morning I would like to share three illustrations with you.
One of those illustrations is a mathematical illustration. Now, critics of the Bible, critics of scripture, use their own mathematical equation. They say, "One, plus one, plus one, equals three." Then they say, "See, by that, you Christians should believe that you have three gods." Christians say, "No. We have one God who reveals Himself to us in three persons. The mathematical equation is; one, times one, times one, equals one." Now a mathematician, who looks at that equation of one, times one, times one, equals one, and understands that, may find it helps them understand the teaching that God is three persons, and yet, He is one God. That is an illustration from math.
Another illustration that people have used throughout the centuries is a geometric illustration, with the use of a triangle. A triangle has three sides. A triangle has three corners. And yet, it is just one triangle. That is a good description of our triune God, who reveals Himself in three persons, and yet, He is but one God.
The final illustration I want to share with you is a moral illustration. It is one that an early church father used. His name was Augustine. He wanted to use love, as an illustration. Augustine said, "The triune God is like a lover who has a beloved, and the spirit of love is shared between them." God the Father is the lover. God the Son is the beloved. And the Spirit of love is shared. Now, all three of those are needed in order for them to be united as one.
Those are just a few illustrations that people have used throughout the centuries, trying to describe our triune God – one God who reveals Himself to us in three persons.
Well, today as we get to our sermon text, (which is our Epistle reading), we see Paul in three very short verses describing to us our one God. And he shares with us the three persons of the trinity. In order to look at these verses this morning, I have a little rhyme for us to remember, as we go through these verses. I will say the rhyme twice. From our verses in scripture we find out, know and remember that the Holy Spirit is our guide. In the Father you can confide, while the Son, for you, has died.
Let me say that one more time.
The Holy Spirit
is your guide.
In the Father
you can confide,
while the Son,
for you, has died.
When Paul wrote the words of our text, he was writing to believers who lived in Rome. Rome was a large metropolitan area. The thinking, back in Paul’s day, was that there was not much attraction to going to church. Rather, the people wanted to live by the theme, "Let us eat, drink and be merry."
And yet, as Paul wrote these words to the believers in Rome, they knew it was the Holy Spirit who had brought them to faith and had changed their hearts. Those believers knew there was a difference between following the ways of the world and following Christ, who is the way and the truth, and the life. As God’s Word had come to them, through Paul, it was the Holy Spirit who had changed their hearts. And that is what our text for today says, as Paul says,
"Those who are lead by the Spirit of God
are sons of God."
The Spirit was their guide, who brought them to faith in Jesus as their Savior.
Now what were they (the believers in Rome), before they became Children of God? They were orphans. They were orphans! But, after the Holy Spirit had guided them through God’s Word, they came to faith to believe in Jesus, as their Savior and they became Children of God.
Now, the same it is with you and me, today. The Holy Spirit is our guide.
Now we may ask the question this morning, "When was it that we became Children of God?" For most of us sitting in this room today, a majority of us would say we came to faith when we were baptized as infants. And I love that, because it is not we making the decision for Christ, rather it is the Holy Spirit guiding us and the Holy Spirit coming to us, through simple water and through simple Word. The Holy Spirit changed our hearts to believe in Jesus as our Savior.
But, others of us, sitting in this room this morning, can say it was God’s Word, which changed our hearts, when we were just a little bit older. And there, God’s Word was preached to us. We heard the Word. The Holy Spirit changed our hearts to believe that Jesus is our Savior and we became sons of God.
In our Gospel reading for today, Nicodemus (who came to Jesus in the middle of the night), had many questions for Jesus. One of the ways that Jesus described the work of the Holy Spirit was by using the illustration of the wind. Jesus said, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is for everyone born of the Spirit."
Now, we know a little bit about the wind. We know that the wind picks up and the wind dies down. We can even tell the direction from which the wind is coming. But, we don’t know where it starts and where it ends. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. The Spirit comes to us. The Spirit is our guide and the Holy Spirit uses means to guide us. The Holy Spirit has changed our hearts, through God’s Word. The Holy Spirit has changed our hearts, through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. And, the Holy Spirit has changed our hearts, through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The Holy Spirit truly is our guide.
Our scripture reading for today also tells us in the Father you can confide. When John F. Kennedy became president of the United States, it had been a few years since young children had been in the White House. In order to get an appointment with the president, you needed to go through a lot of rigmarole. You needed to phone his secretary. You needed to make an appointment through them. You needed to make an appointment through the Chief of Staff. There was truly a lot of red tape to go through. And yet, John F. Kennedy’s son could bolt right into the Oval Office, and he could hop onto his dad’s lap and say, "Hey Dad!" And then, he could carry on a conversation with him.
The same it is with your relationship with God, our Heavenly Father. In God we can confide. We can cry out, "Abba, Father," as our text for today tells us. We know how much it is that our parents love us. Sometimes it may take us a little while to understand the love that our parents have for us. We can better understand the love that we have, though, for our children. And through scripture, we see God’s love. God created Adam and Eve. But, what did they do? They sinned. They ruined perfectness. But, what was it that God did? God promised to send a Savior. God promised to provide eternal salvation for them.
Who are we? We are God’s Children. God has made us, also. What is it that we have done? We have sinned against God. What is it that God does for us? He has already given to us our Savior. He has already promised and provided for us eternal salvation, through His Son.
As God’s Son, Jesus confided in His Father. An example from scripture that we may use is when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Jesus was going through His greatest mental anguish, He approached His Father in prayer, and He confided in Him.
As God’s Children, we are also able to confide in our Father. We can cry out, "Abba, Father!" That word Abba, in Aramaic, maybe best can be translated as "daddy," in our English language. We can cry out, "Daddy, Father!" Now, it is usually young children who use that term "Daddy." Once they grow up, they shorten it down to "Dad."
Did you know that we can call our Heavenly Father, "Daddy?" On one hand it may seem a little disrespectful to call Him "Daddy." And yet, just as a young child is able to call their father "Daddy," when they get a little boo boo, and want a kiss, or as a dad comes home from work and they scream out, "Daddy!" so it is we who can cry out, "Abba, Father!" It is our Heavenly Father who wants to know our thoughts, our concerns, our worries, and our times of thanksgiving. While it is the Spirit who is our guide, it is the Father in whom we can confide, but also the Son for you has died.
When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, one of the things He said is the most familiar passage in scripture.
"For God so loved the world
that He gave His one and only Son.
Whoever believes in Him,
shall not perish,
but have eternal life."
But, Jesus went on to say something that is maybe less familiar to us and that is this,
"God did not send His Son into the world
to condemn the world,
but rather to save the world
through Him."
Life on this earth meant suffering for God’s Son. As believers, we join in Jesus’ suffering. The Apostle Paul once said, "We must go through many hardships in order to enter the Kingdom of God." The result of Jesus’ suffering and our suffering with Him is eternal blessedness. If we will share with Jesus in His suffering, scripture says, in our text for today, we will also share in His glory. Since we are Children of God, we are coheirs with Christ. It was God’s Son who came to this world for you. God’s Son is your brother. He is my brother. Jesus went to the cross and there He suffered. And He died to pay for your sin and my sin. And through His act of obedience and through His death, we share in what He has done for us. We become coheirs with Him! We have that inheritance of eternal life in Heaven! And it truly is the Son for you who has died.
On this Trinity Sunday, we may not be able to completely understand our Triune God. We have one God who has revealed Himself to us in three persons. Throughout the centuries people have tried to use many different illustrations to show that we have one God who is three persons. While we may not be able to completely understand that, we believe it, because God’s Word says it. We belong to Him. You belong to the Triune God. It is the Spirit who is your guide. It is the Father who wants you to confide in Him, while it is the Son, for you, who has died.
Amen.
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