The Essence of God
Hi. I’m Wade. I’m a Husband, a father, a son, a pastor, a DJ and a friend. Depending on your relationship to me, I take on one of those roles. I am the same person, when I take on each of those roles, yet I am unique in how I carry out the duties required by each one of those roles.
It is easy for us to understand this because all of us take on different roles in our lives, yet we continue to be the same physical person for each role. When we think about God and the Trinity, we often get confused because He doesn’t operate in the same way.
Jesus’ last instructions to his disciples are found in Matthew 28:19. He 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.” What Jesus was establishing to his disciples, was the concept of the Trinity—One God in three persons. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Each has a role, each is a distinct person, each is fully divine—they share one essence; they are all on the same level. Yet together, they make up one God.
The Trinity has a very significant application to prayer. The general pattern of prayer in the Bible is to pray to the Father through the Son and in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Our fellowship with God should be enhanced by consciously knowing that we are relating to each member of the Trinity!
So, the next time you pray, I’d like to challenge you to acknowledge all three persons in the Trinity by name. Ask the Father to protect you, the Son to lead you and the Holy Spirit to guide you. And thank God for looking out for you.
Discussion Question:
As you consider that, what are some ways that you plan to get to know God better during this season?