Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, Verses 1-8
The Trinity Sunday is the Sunday that we celebrate the Triune God. It is a time to reflect and confirm our understanding of the Trinity. To many people, it is a confusing word, and many do not want to talk about it or preach about it. When it comes to listening to discussions on the Trinity, many find it uninteresting or boring because it is very confusing and hard to understand. However, it is very important. The Trinity is a foundational aspect of our faith that needs to be confirmed.
The particular words we read today, "May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Heavenly Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit," may be familiar to you because you hear them every Sunday during the benediction. Many churches use this benediction, as it combines the whole concept of the Trinity in a single phrase—about Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—this is the concept that did not come from Jesus Christ. The word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, and we have no record of Jesus saying it, even though there are references to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When He was ascending to heaven, He said, "Go into all the world and baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." In many letters of Paul and other writings, we find references to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The word "Trinity" did not come into being until about 300 years after Christ. In 325, the Nicene Creed was formulated. The Emperor Constantine, who was the Emperor of Rome at the time, gathered all the known bishops at the Council of Nicaea. In 325 A.D., they formulated the foundation of our faith, including the concept of the Triune God, the Trinity. This is still prayed in the Nicene Creed on certain Sundays in many churches, regardless of denomination. In 381 AD, another significant council was called in Constantinople, where they added the prayer of the Holy Spirit to the Creed. They stated that God the Father and Jesus Christ are of one substance, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.
It may be difficult to understand that Jesus is begotten of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. These concepts are hard to comprehend, but we must accept them. We accept many things we do not understand in our everyday lives. For example, we do not fully understand time, the origin of the universe, or many scientific theories like evolution and the Big Bang, yet we accept them. Similarly, the doctrines of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit are mysteries that are hard to understand but essential to our faith.
The Trinity is the heartbeat of the Christian religion. That is why pastors and churches use the benediction of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit every Sunday. It is a fundamental part of our faith, even though it may be challenging to understand. Scripture tells us that God is great and His greatness is unsearchable. We cannot fully comprehend God, much like we cannot fathom the depths of an ocean. At best, we are like children splashing in the shallows of that ocean.
Rather than thinking of God as three separate persons, we should think of God as one, revealed in three distinct relationships or personalities. God is about relationships—God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit are united in love.
General Revelation of God
God is revealed in many ways if we open our eyes. The general revelation of God is evident in creation and our own lives. We did not choose to be here; it was God's choice. Each of us is a unique revelation of God's creation. Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Nature and the universe reveal God's glory.
Personal Revelation of God
There is also personal revelation, where God reveals Himself to us in our experiences, especially in difficult times. When we face sickness or despair, God reveals His presence and gives us direction and comfort. This personal revelation is a profound part of our faith. God reveals Himself to each of us personally in our experiences of life. God calls us in many places and reveals His presence to us. That's the personal revelation of God. Many times, we find God revealing Himself to us when we go through tough times. When you don't know where to turn, God will come and reveal Himself to you, speak to you, and give you direction. When we find ourselves grappling with sickness and the doctors tell us there is no cure and no hope left, that is when God reveals Himself to you and says, "My child, do not be afraid, do not be alarmed. I am here with you." That's the personal revelation of God. I know many of you, if not all of you, have experienced this personal revelation at one point or another. This is the personal revelation of God in our lives.
Special Revelation of God
The special revelation of God is through Jesus Christ, who came into this world to reveal God to us. Jesus, though He was God, became human to relate to us, suffered, and died for our sins. He rose from the dead, giving us eternal life. This special revelation leads us to understand the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "There is no way to the Father except through me." He also promised to send the Holy Spirit to be with us. The Father created us, the Son redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit sustains us.
Our relationship as children of God is like Jesus' relationship to His Father. When we talk about God the Father and God the Son, it is not a generational relationship that we are familiar with. We are familiar with generational relationships: I have my father, and I have my son. My son becomes another father when he has children. That is not the sonship of Jesus Christ. God doesn’t have grandchildren. Right? He has only children. It’s a positional relationship. God the Father has been eternally God the Father. God the Son has been eternally God the Son. Yes, and He will be eternally God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will be eternally God the Holy Spirit.
Some people, especially from other religions, might try to confuse you about this, saying Jesus Christ is a creation of God. No, He is not a creation. He is one with God, He is the Creator. He was there even before the creation of the world. He is the God of the universe. So, God does not have grandchildren. The relationship of the Son of God is positional, not generational.
He is the Son of God who became man so that those who believe in Him will be called children of God. That means you and I are children of God, just like Jesus is the Son of God. We have a positional relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When Jesus called "Our Father who art in Heaven," He taught us the prayer. When He prayed that prayer, He called God "My Father." We are also given the privilege to pray just like Jesus, to go to the Father and call Him our Father: "Our Father who art in Heaven."
These are things we need to understand. Even though it may be a little difficult, we have to be convinced and rooted in our faith. We must be strong in our faith and not be confused about the Holy Spirit or the Trinity. We believe in one God, revealed in three persons. This concept is foundational to Christianity. The relationship within the Trinity is about love and unity. When people question or challenge our belief in the Trinity, we must be confident and rooted in our faith. The relationship between God the Father and God the Son is not generational, as in human families, but positional. God has no grandchildren; He has only children. Jesus is eternally the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit is eternally the Holy Spirit. This relationship is about our position as children of God through Jesus Christ.
Many religions have issues with the Trinity. Christians believe in one living and true God in three persons. There are three choices we have regarding our faith and belief. Just like our belief in the resurrection and the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, we have three choices when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity.
First, we can accept it. This means understanding God as a personal God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It means recognizing the God who made us, the God who saved us, and the God who stays with us all the time.
Second, we can ignore the doctrine of the Trinity. This means we will fully miss out on the challenge and the wonder of human faith. Frankly, we are more likely to misunderstand the Bible if we don't believe in the Trinity.
Third, we can deny the doctrine of the Trinity, just as we might reject and deny other mysteries we believe. If you remove the Trinity from the Christian faith, you are removing the fabric of the Christian life. The Christian life gets reduced to just moralism, a set of rules to follow. We become people who simply follow a set of rules, with no place for relationship, forgiveness, or mediation between God and man. There is no place for the relationship of love.
The Trinity brings us a relationship of love and unity, which gives our faith significance in this world. Our faith is not a cold faith; it is a warm faith that we can practice. Without this warmth, our life becomes cold. We don’t want to be cold believers. We want to be believers who bring warmth to this world and our relationships.
Many modern theologians try to limit their preaching and teaching to one thing only: the love of Jesus. Yes, Jesus is love. This was the focus of our church before disaffiliation. When we talked about Jesus, it was all about love: God's love for everyone. Yes, God loves everyone, but we don’t just talk about love. God is also forgiving, gracious, and holy. We need to understand God as a whole Supreme Being, encompassing all these attributes.God loves us. God redeems us. God sustains us: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an identification grounded in relationship. He is God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit, symbols and undivided parts of the Trinity that we need to be rooted in.
There are three choices we have regarding our faith and belief. Just like our belief in the resurrection and the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, we have three choices when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity.
First, we can accept it. This means understanding God as a personal God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It means recognizing the God who made us, the God who saved us, and the God who stays with us all the time.
Second, we can ignore the doctrine of the Trinity. This means we will fully miss out on the challenge and the wonder of human faith. Frankly, we are more likely to misunderstand the Bible if we don't believe in the Trinity.
Third, we can deny the doctrine of the Trinity, just as we might reject and deny other mysteries we believe. If you remove the Trinity from the Christian faith, you are removing the fabric of the Christian life. The Christian life gets reduced to just moralism, a set of rules to follow. We become people who simply follow a set of rules, with no place for relationship, forgiveness, or mediation between God and man. There is no place for the relationship of love.
The Trinity brings us a relationship of love and unity, which gives our faith significance in this world. Our faith is not a cold faith; it is a warm faith that we can practice. Without this warmth, our life becomes cold. We don’t want to be cold believers. We want to be believers who bring warmth to this world and our relationships.
Many modern theologians try to limit their preaching and teaching to one thing only: the love of Jesus. Yes, Jesus is love. This was the focus of our church before disaffiliation. When we talked about Jesus, it was all about love: God's love for everyone. Yes, God loves everyone, but we don’t just talk about love. God is also forgiving, gracious, and holy. We need to understand God as a whole Supreme Being, encompassing all these attributes.
God loves us. God redeems us. God sustains us: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an identification grounded in relationship. He is God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit, symbols and undivided parts of the Trinity that we need to be rooted in.
Our faith in the Trinity brings warmth and significance to our lives. It is not just about rules; it is about relationships and love. We must be strong in our faith and teach our children to be rooted in it. When others try to confuse us about the Trinity, we must remember that we believe in one God, revealed in three persons.
Somebody once said, "When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing." This means that they don't just stop believing altogether; instead, they become capable of believing in anything. It is true regarding the mystery of Trinity. We want to believe in what God wants us to believe. God calls us to be Christians, living with faith in the Living God. Our faith is anchored in the truth and love of God, providing us with a clear direction and purpose. When we put our faith in God, we are grounded in His word and His presence. We are not swayed by every new idea or philosophy that comes our way. Instead, we stand firm in our belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This faith brings stability, clarity, and strength to our lives.
Living as believers in the Living God means embracing a faith that is active and alive. It's a faith that guides us, sustains us, and fills our lives with meaning and purpose. We don't drift aimlessly, believing anything that comes our way. We have a solid foundation in Christ, and that makes all the difference.
So, let's choose to believe in the Living God. Let's anchor our lives in His truth and love, and let our faith guide us in all that we do. This is the path that God wants us to follow, and it's a path that leads to a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Living as Christians means believing in the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are called to be messengers of this Triune God, bringing love, unity, and peace to the world. May God bless us with these words and help us experience the power of the Triune God in our lives, becoming agents of peace and love in the world.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Blessings 
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