2. THE ONE TRUE
GOD
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Deuteronomy 6:4 [KJV/NIV]
• Isaiah 43:10,11 [KJV/NIV]
• Matthew 28:19 [KJV/NIV]
• Luke 3:22 [KJV/NIV]
THE ADORABLE GODHEAD
A. Terms Defined
The terms “Trinity” and “persons,” as they relate to the Godhead, though not found in the Bible, are in harmony with it. They help us express, in an immediate way, our understanding of the doctrine of Christ regarding the Being of God, as distinguished from "many gods and many lords." Therefore, we may properly speak of the Lord our God, who is one Lord, as a Trinity or as a Being of three persons, without departing from the biblical teaching.
• Matthew 28:19 [KJV/NIV]
• 2 Corinthians 13:14 [KJV/NIV]
• John 14:16-17 [KJV/NIV]
B. Distinction and Relationship in the Godhead
Christ taught a distinction of persons in the Godhead that He expressed in specific terms of relationship as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This distinction and relationship, however, as to its mode, is inscrutable and incomprehensible, because the Bible does not explain it.
• Luke 1:35 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 Corinthians 1:24 [KJV/NIV]
• Matthew 11:25-27 [KJV/NIV]
• Matthew 28:19 [KJV/NIV]
• 2 Corinthians 13:14 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 John 1:3-4 [KJV/NIV]
C. Unity of the One Being of Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Therefore, in the same way, there is something in the Father which constitutes Him the Father and not the Son; something in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; and something in the Holy Spirit which constitutes Him the Holy Spirit and not the Father or the Son. Thus, the Father is the Begetter; the Son is the Begotten; and the Holy Spirit is the One proceeding from the Father and the Son. Therefore, since these three persons of the Godhead are in a state of unity, there is one Lord God Almighty and His name is one.
• John 1:18 [KJV/NIV]
• John 15:26 [KJV/NIV]
• John 17:11 [KJV/NIV]
• John 17:21 [KJV/NIV]
• Zechariah 14:9 [KJV/NIV]
D. Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are never identical as to person; nor confused in their relationship; nor divided in the Godhead; nor opposed in cooperation. The Son is in the Father and the Father is in the Son as to relationship. The Son is with the Father and the Father is with the Son as to fellowship. The Father does not proceed from the Son, but the Son proceeds from the Father in terms of authority. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son in terms of nature, relationship, cooperation, and authority. Hence, no person in the Godhead either exists or works separately or independently of the others.
• John 5:17-30 [KJV/NIV]
• John 5:32 [KJV/NIV]
• John 5:37 [KJV/NIV]
• John 8:17,18 [KJV/NIV]
E. The Title, Lord Jesus Christ
The title “Lord Jesus Christ” is a proper name and in the New Testament it is never applied to the Father or to the Holy Spirit. It therefore belongs exclusively to the Son of God.
• Romans 1:1-3,7 [KJV/NIV]
• 2 John 3 [KJV/NIV]
F. The Lord Jesus Christ, God with Us
The Lord Jesus Christ, as to His divine and eternal nature, is the true and only begotten Son of the Father; but as to His human nature, He is the true Son of Man. Therefore, He is acknowledged to be both God and man; who, because He is God and man, is “Emmanuel,” God with us.
• Matthew 1:23 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 John 4:2 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 John 4:10 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 John 4:14 [KJV/NIV]
• Revelation 1:13 [KJV/NIV]
• Revelation 1:17 [KJV/NIV]
G. The Title, Son of God
Since the name Emmanuel embraces both the divine and the human in one person, our Lord Jesus Christ, the title “Son of God” describes His proper deity, and the title “Son of Man” His proper humanity. Thus, the title “Son of God” belongs to the order of eternity, and the title “Son of Man” to the order of time.
• Matthew 1:21-23 [KJV/NIV]
• 2 John 1:3 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 John 3:8 [KJV/NIV]
• Hebrews 7:3 [KJV/NIV]
• Hebrews 1:1-13 [KJV/NIV]
H. Transgression of the Doctrine of Christ
Therefore, it is a transgression of the doctrine of Christ to say that the Lord Jesus derived the title “Son of God” solely from the fact of the incarnation, or because of His relation to the economy of redemption. To deny that the Father is a true and eternal Father, and that the Son is a true and eternal Son, is to deny the distinction and relationship in the Being of God; a denial of the Father and the Son; and a substitution of the truth that Jesus Christ was made flesh.
• 2 John 9 [KJV/NIV]
• John 1:1 [KJV/NIV]
• John 1:2 [KJV/NIV]
• John 1:14 [KJV/NIV]
• John 1:18 [KJV/NIV]
• John 1:29 [KJV/NIV]
• John 1:49 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 John 2:22,23 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 John 4:1-5 [KJV/NIV]
• Hebrews 12:2 [KJV/NIV]
I. Exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord
The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, after cleansing us from sin by His own blood, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having been made Lord and Christ. Angels, principalities, and powers are subject to Him. After His exaltation, He sent the Holy Spirit so that every knee would bow in His name and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, until the end, when the Son will be subject to the Father, so that God may be all in all.
• Hebrews 1:3 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 Peter 3:22 [KJV/NIV]
• Acts 2:32-36 [KJV/NIV]
• Romans 14:11 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 [KJV/NIV]
J. Equal Honor to the Father and to the Son
Since the Father has given all judgment to the Son, it is not only a duty of all in heaven and on earth to bow before Him, but also an unspeakable joy in the Holy Spirit to ascribe to the Son all the attributes of deity and to render Him all the honor and glory contained in all the names and titles of the Godhead—except those which refer to relationship (see B, C, and D above)—thus honoring the Son as the Father is honored.
• John 5:22,23 [KJV/NIV]
• 1 Peter 1:8 [KJV/NIV]
• Revelation 5:6-14 [KJV/NIV]
• Philippians 2:8,9 [KJV/NIV]
• Revelation 7:9-10 [KJV/NIV]
• Revelation 4:8-11 [KJV/NIV]