THE TRINITY AND YOU

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21).

These words have often been regarded as one of the highest expressions of what the life of a believer may be on earth. Yet this view is not without its dangers, if it fosters the idea that the attainment of such an experience is something exceptional and distant. Rather, this truth is meant to be the certain and immediate inheritance of every child of God. Every morning, each believer has the right to say:

My Father will strengthen me today with His power. He is strengthening me even now in the inner man through His Spirit. Each day, we are to be content with nothing less than the indwelling of Christ by faith, a life rooted in love, and made strong to know the love of Christ. Each day, we must believe that the blessed work of being filled with all the fullness of God is being accomplished in us. Each day, we must be strong in the faith of God's power and give Him glory in Christ. We must believe He is able to do above what we ask and think, according to the power of the Spirit working in us.

The Trinity In Daily Life

The text from Ephesians presents the truth of the Holy Trinity in relation to our practical life.

Many Christians understand that it is necessary at different times in the Christian life to give special attention to the three persons of the blessed Trinity. They often feel it difficult to combine the various truths into one and to know how to worship the three in one. Our text reveals this wonderful relationship and the perfect unity.

We have the Spirit within us as the power of God, and yet He does not work according to our will or His own. It is the Father who grants us to be strengthened "through the Spirit in the inner man." It is the Father who does exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, "according to the power that worketh in us." The Spirit within us makes us more dependent on the Father. The Spirit can only work as the Father works through Him. We need to combine trusting awareness of the Holy Spirit indwelling us with a dependent waiting on the Father to work through Him.

This combined work is also necessary in our relationship with Christ. We bow our knees to God as Father in the name of the Son. We ask Him to strengthen us through the Spirit so that Christ may dwell in our heart. The Son leads to the Father, and the Father again reveals the Son in us. Then, as the Son dwells in the heart and is rooted and grounded in love, we are led on to be filled with all the fullness of God. Our heart becomes the scene of the interchange of the operation of the Holy Three. As our hearts believe this, we give glory through Christ to Him who is able to do more than we can think by His Holy Spirit.

Our heart becomes the scene of a wonderful performance: the Father breathing His Spirit into us and making our heart the home of Christ; the Holy Spirit revealing and forming Christ within US, so that His very nature and character become ours; the Son imparting His life of love and leading us on to be filled with all the fullness of God.

Let us worship the three-in-one God in the fullness of faith every day. In whatever direction our Bible study and our prayer lead us, let this ever be the center from which we go out and to which we return. We were created in the image of the three-in-one God. The salvation by which God restores us is an inward salvation of our heart. The God who saves us can do it in no other way than as the indwelling God, filling us with all His fullness. Let us worship and wait. Let us believe and give Him the glory.

Trinity In Ephesians

Have you ever noticed in Ephesians how the three persons of the Trinity are always mentioned together?

(1:3) The Father, Jesus Christ, spiritual (or Holy Ghost) blessings.

(1:12,13) The Father, to the praise of His glory, in Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit.

(1:17) The Father, our Lord Jesus, the Spirit of Wisdom.

(2:18) Access through Christ, by one Spirit, to the Father.

(2:22) In Christ, a habitation of God, through the Spirit.

(3:4-9) The mystery of Christ, hid in God, preached by the Grace of God, revealed by the Spirit.

(4:4-6) One Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father.

(5:18-20) Filled with the Spirit, giving thanks to God, in the name of Christ.

(6:10-18) Strong in the Lord, the whole armor of God, the sword of the Spirit, praying in the Spirit.

As you study and compare these passages, notice especially how practical this truth of the Holy is. Scripture teaches little about its mystery of the divine nature, but refers only to God's work in us and our faith and experience of His salvation.

True faith in the Trinity will make us strong, alert, God-possessed Christians. The divine Spirit will make Himself one with our life and inner being. The Blessed Son will dwell in us as the way to perfect fellowship with God. The Father, through the Spirit and the Son, will work His purpose so that we are filled with all the fullness of God.

Let us bow our knees unto the Father! Then the mystery of the Trinity will be known and experienced.