Systematic Theology: A 7-Day Crash CourseSample

Attributes of God: Triune

The one living and true God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Paul reminds believers of their wretched spiritual condition before salvation (v. 3). His reminder fosters gratitude and provides a backdrop against which God’s deliverance gleams: “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy” (vv. 4–5). Paul uses the word “Savior” to refer to both the Father and the Son in the Pastoral Letters. When he refers to the Son, he always adds his name, as in verse 6: “Jesus Christ our Savior. When “Savior” appears without Jesus’ name, it refers to God the Father, as in verse 4.

The Father’s role is to rescue sinners out of his generosity, compassion, and mercy. The Holy Spirit also plays a part, for the Father saves us “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly” (vv. 5–6). The Spirit cleanses us, brings us from spiritual death to life, and renews us spiritually. The Son’s role here is not dying and rising again to deliver us, as often in the NT. Rather, his death and resurrection are assumed, along with his ascension to the Father’s right hand. The Father pours out the Spirit on us “through Jesus Christ our Savior,” who at Pentecost poured out the Spirit in newness and power. The result of this great salvation from the Holy Trinity is that believers are right with God; he accepts them “so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (v. 7).

Theology for Life—We worship the Holy Trinity for the marvelous and free salvation he gives us. All three persons together play roles in rescuing us, and we will praise them forever for it