Evidence For God's Existence

Introductory Matters

The Nature and Purpose of This Study

No doctrine or aspect of theology is more basic than the doctrine of God,
sometimes referred to as Theology Proper. Since the term theology (the
study of God) is often used of the study of other biblical subjects like the
Bible, angels, man, salvation, and so on, Theology Proper is the designation
sometimes used for just the study of God Himself. Rather than an exhaustive
treatment, the study which follows is designed to be a general overview of
the key features of what the Bible teaches about God, His existence,
Persons, and attributes of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here
is an essential part of the foundation needed for solid spiritual growth and
insight into life in general and into the Christian life in particular.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his
wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man
boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he
understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness,
justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares
the Lord.

This study will be helpful for the new Christian or anyone who needs to get a
handle on the essential elements of the doctrine of God. It will also benefit
those looking for a review of these essentials, perhaps for Sunday school
teachers in the preparation of material for their classes, or for those training
disciples.

The Possibility of the Knowledge of God

The Bible gives witness to two facts regarding the knowledge God.

First, it teaches us that God is incomprehensible, and but then it also

declares that God is knowable. Both are true, but not in an absolute sense.
To say that God is incomprehensible simply means that finite man cannot
know everything there is to know about God who is an infinite being. To say
that God is knowable means that, though incomprehensible, God can be
known and man can grow in the knowledge of God, at least in a limited
sense and to the degree that is needed for man to trust God and have a
personal and growing relationship with Him.

God’s incomprehensibility is declared in passages like Job 11:7 and Isaiah

40:18
Job 11:7 Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of
the Almighty?
Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you
compare with Him?

The fact that God is knowable is evidenced by the very gift of the Bible as
God’s revelation of Himself to man, but note also the following passages:

John 14:7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from
now on you know Him, and have seen Him.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us
understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in
Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

False Views About God

The following are a few of the false views about God. These are either a
product of rationalization or the failure of men to accept the Word of God by
faith or both. They are the gropings of the human mind that operate on
negative volition and as unaided by faith and God’s revelation (cf. Rom.
1:18-20). These systems reveal the truth of 1 Corinthians 2:14.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they
are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually appraised.

• Atheism:
Atheism is open and positive denial of the existence of God (Ps. 14:1). The
word atheism comes from a + theos which means no God. It does not refer
to a mere ignorance of God, but applies to one who considers himself
informed on the claims and evidence for the existence of God and who
emphatically denies them.

There are three types of atheist, practically speaking:

(1) The Absolute Atheist. This is one who denies the absolute existence of
God. Here is the person who argues and says “I have examined all the facts
as to the existence of God and I deny them as proving His existence.”

(2) The Providential Atheist. This is the person who simply doubts the
existence of God, but firmly denies His providential dealings and the care of
God for the things of this world. However, this person in effect denies the
being of God for he strips Him of His omnipotence, wisdom, mercy, justice
and righteousness. Why? Because of their desire to be uncontrolled in their
lust patterns. This kind of atheist is sometimes called a Deist. In every
atheist there is a moral twist (see Ps. 14:1f). He denies God because he
wants freedom from any responsibility for his sin. He is like the person who
does not want to come to the light because his deeds are evil (John 3:19-20).

(3) The Practical Atheist. By this we refer to a secret or partial atheism

which is present in the majority of the world. These do not actually deny the
being of God, but by their actions and lifestyle, by their evil and neglect of
God, or by the denial of certain aspects and rights of His divine and
sovereign Being over them, they deny Him and act as though there were no
God.
Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him,
being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.

• Agnosticism:
This word comes from a + gnosis which means “not knowing.” This school of
thought does not deny the existence of God, only that there are no sufficient
grounds (i.e., rational proof or empirical proof) that God exists—or that if God
does exist He can be known. In reality it is an unwillingness to accept any of
the sources of the knowledge of God (innate, tradition, nature, revelation),
and an unwillingness to act in faith. Instead, it says I cannot know.

• Materialism:
This is the system which tries to explain everything by physical causes which
can be observed and understood. It denies and excludes any spiritual
causes. Materialism is closely related to empiricism.

• Polytheism:
Polytheism is a system of theology which believes in many gods. It has been
claimed by unbelievers and by many evolutionists that all men were first
polytheists and then evolved to monotheism. But the Bible shows that
polytheism is a product not of evolution but devolution and degeneration.
The idea found in evolution that monotheism, or the belief in one God, is a
refinement of polytheism is contrary to the record of the Bible and even
recent discoveries archaeologically. Scripture shows that polytheism is the
product of man turning away from God and is specifically related to the
deceptions of Satan as it is found in the false religions of the world.
Polytheism is in no way similar to the biblical doctrine of the trinity which
teaches that God is three in personality, but one in essence.

• Pantheism:
This is the belief that God is in everything and that everything is God. This
system confuses God with nature, matter with Spirit, and the creation with
the Creator. Also, pantheism must not be confused with the omnipresence of
God. The Bible teaches that God is everywhere, but not in everything. God as
Creator is independent of, distinct, and separate from the creation.

• Deism:
The term “deism” is from the Latin word deus, meaning God, and is closely
allied to the Greek word theos. This system acknowledges that there is a
God, that He is personal, infinite, holy, and the Creator of all things, but
denies that He sustains the universe. The Deist says that God just put things
into motion. He is the Creator but not the Sustainer. Deism rejects the
Scriptures, anything supernatural, and the idea that God is providentially
working in this world.

• Tritheism:
This is the doctrine that the Godhead consists of three independent Gods.
This is a false view of the doctrine of the trinity, or better, triunity. Tritheism
misses the oneness of the triunity of God.
There are many other false systems such as Positivism, Monism, Dualism,
and Pluralism, but the plethora of these false systems simply show the
futility of what the soulish mind can come up with when it tries to operate
apart from the divine revelation of God. It is inconceivable, then, that God
would leave man without a revelation of Himself.

Conclusion
The naturalistic arguments which debate the existence of God engender
various philosophies. From these inconclusive and questionable theories the
spiritual mind turns with relief to the complete, satisfying, and authoritative
revelation of God set forth in the Bible.5

The Revelation of the Existence of God(Opposed to

Atheism)

Can a person prove that God exists? No, not really, but if we believe in the
existence of God, we should be able to give reasonable evidences for why we
believe what we believe. This section is designed to help us do that as well
as aid in thinking about some of the ramifications of believing in the
existence of God.

The message of the Bible, or the gospel, is always equated with truth and it
is presented as the opposite of error. Further, the Bible teaches us that man
can know the truth and that God holds man responsible to know it. God
plainly holds men responsible for not receiving and believing the truth (Rom.
1:18; 2:8; 2 Thess 2:10-12). Such verses would be meaningless unless there
was some kind of clear and objective evidence by which men could come to
a knowledge and conviction of the truth. If such were not the case, God
would not hold man responsible for there would be no way to tell truth from
error.

Many like to make the claim there is no absolute truth or that you cannot
know the truth. They claim you really cannot know truth unless it can be
verified by observable scientific testing and data. Morally, philosophically,
and theologically, everything is simply relative. This is agnosticism, but the
agnostic’s position is really unsupported by the evidence.

Pilate’s reaction to Jesus’ statement when He was on trial may be an

illustration of this not just because of what Pilate said, but because of what
Christ first said to Pilate. Christ said, “everyone who is of the truth hears my
voice.” Pilate then replied, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38) Like all atheists,
practical, intellectual, or philosophical, or like an agnostic, Pilate thought he
could excuse himself from moral responsibility to God and humanity, or to
truth itself by claiming truth cannot be known.

But in this statement, Christ shows us that knowing truth is ultimately a

moral issue. Those who are of the truth, those who really want to know, can
and will listen to the evidence that God has given us so that men may know
the truth. The apostle Paul teaches us the exact same thing in Romans 1:18f.
The fact is there is tremendous and bonafide evidence that there is a God
out there, He exists. The problem is not one of evidence, but of rebellion and
negative volition to God (Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:21, 23, 25, 28; 3:9-18). It is a
moral problem. The moral issue always overshadows the intellectual or
evidential issues. As Paul Little writes,

It is not that man cannot believe—it is that he “will not believe.” Jesus
pointed the Pharisees to this as the root of the problem. “You refuse to come
to me,” he told them, “that you may have life” (John 5:40). He makes it
abundantly clear that moral commitment leads to a solution of the
intellectual problem. “If any man’s will is to do his will, he shall know whether
the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority”
(John 7:17). Alleged intellectual problems are often a smoke screen covering
moral rebellion.

A student once told me I had satisfactorily answered all his questions, “Are
you going to become a Christian?” I asked. “No,” he replied. Puzzled, I asked,
“Why not?” He admitted, “Frankly, because it would mess up the way I’m
living.” He realized that the real issue for him was not intellectual but moral.
The question is often asked, “If Christianity is rational and true, why is it that
most educated people don’t believe it?” The answer is simple. They don’t
believe it for the very same reason that most uneducated don’t believe it.
They don’t want to believe it. It’s not a matter of brain power, for there are
outstanding Christians in every field of the arts and sciences. It is primarily a
matter of will.
Then why do we bother with giving answers and evidence for the existence
of God or any other area that is questioned? First, because the Bible tells us
to be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account
for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet. 3:15).
The reason for this is because people do have genuine doubts and questions
and they deserve solid evidence.

John Stott struck a balance when he said, “We cannot pander to a man’s
intellectual arrogance, but we must cater to his intellectual integrity.”

Can we prove, then, that God exists? No! Not in the same way that you can
prove something by scientific method in the laboratory by observable and
repeatable experiments. However, observable data for the existence of God
does exist. It exists in such degree and clarity that to deny it, one must deny
his rational processes because of a bias against the supernatural and the
issue of the moral twist spoken of earlier.

We must be clear from the outset that it is not possible to “prove” God in the
scientific method sense of the word. But it can be said with equal emphasis
that you can’t “prove” Napoleon by the scientific method. The reason lies in
the nature of history itself and in the limitations of the scientific method, it
must be repeatable … But history in its very nature is non-repeatable. No
one can “rerun” the beginning of the universe or bring Napoleon back or
repeat the assassination of Lincoln or the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. But the
fact that these events can’t be “proved” by repetition does not disprove their
reality as events.

There are many real things outside the scope of the scientific method as a
means of verification … To insist that God be “proved” by the scientific
method is like insisting that a telephone be used to measure radioactivity. It
simply wasn’t made for that.

So what is the evidence for the existence of God?

The evidence falls into two categories:

(1) General or naturalistic evidence—reasonable evidence from the
world around us, and
(2) special or revealed evidence—the evidence from the Bible. Though
the evidence for the supernatural character of the Bible is a subject that
comes under the doctrine of bibliology (the study of the Bible), there is
tremendous evidence that the Bible is truly unique and the inerrant and
infallible Word of God. It is not a book that man would write if he could or
could write if he would (Lewis Sperry Chafer).

Ryrie writes:
General revelation includes all that God has revealed in the world around us,
including man, while special revelation includes various means He used to
communicate His message in what was codified in the Bible. General
revelation is sometimes called natural theology and special revelation is
called revealed theology. But, of course, what is revealed in nature is also
revealed in theology. Some writers use the labels prelapsarian for general
revelation and postlapsarian or soteric for special revelation. However, both
general and special revelation are (a) from God and (b) about God.

Characteristics of General (Naturalistic) Revelation

As Ryrie points out, General Revelation, as the title suggests, is simply
general and broad in the following ways:

(1) It is general in its scope in that it witnesses to all people as the following
passages suggest:
Matthew 5:45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven;
for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain
on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Acts 14:17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did
good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your
hearts with food and gladness.

(2) It is general geographically in that it encompasses the entire globe.

Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse
is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And
night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And
their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the
sun. (Emphasis mine.)

(3) It is general in its methodology since it uses a universal means, the

varied elements of God’s creation like the heat of the sun and the human
conscience, to declare the reality and glory of God (Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 2:14-
15).
Simply because it is a revelation that thus affects all people wherever they
are and whenever they have lived it can bring light and truth to all, or, if
rejected, brings condemnation.11

General or Naturalistic Arguments

The following arguments are drawn from natural revelation, from the world
around us, in contrast to the revealed or supernatural revelation of the
Scripture. This is bonafide evidence for God-consciousness as the Apostle
Paul shows in Romans 1:19-20. The basic idea of these arguments is that as
we study the world in which we live one can reasonably conclude that there
must be a God. In the final analysis, however, one only comes to this
conclusion by the perception of faith. Why? Because in spite of the evidence,
one does not see God; one sees only the evidence of God, but not God
Himself.

Illustration: When a man walking through the woods finds the tracks of a
deer that has passed there only hours before, he knows that a deer was
there because of the evidence of the tracks even though he does not see the
deer. So (as with the tracks of the deer) we may know that God exists by the
tracks He has left everywhere in the world.

The Moral Argument

Man has an intellectual and moral nature which demands God as his Creator.
Man’s conscience, which is a law to man, necessitates a Law-Giver. Man’s
free will implies a Great Will. Without God as the basis for right and wrong,
no government would be possible except on the principle, “might makes
right.”

Though it becomes defiled and seared by sin (1 Tim. 4:2; Tit. 1:15), to some
degree all men have that faculty called conscience with its constant impulse
to choose the right and leave the wrong. Society and government are based
on this recognition of virtue and truth, but where does that come from? The
only logical explanation is the existence of a God whose ways are holy, just,
and good. A material universe without God as Supreme Governor would of
necessity lack moral values and distinctions.

The Argument From Design (Teleological, telos, “end”)

The universe is a cosmos not a chaos. “Adaptation of means to an end imply
a Designer.” Paley, the philosopher, used the illustration of a man finding a
watch in the woods. If you found a watch and then found it also kept good
time, you are forced to conclude that it had a designer (Isa. 45:18). How
much more is this not true with the universe and its infinite complexity.

The earth itself is evidence of design. “If it were much smaller an

atmosphere would be impossible (e.g. Mercury and the moon); if much larger
the atmosphere would contain free hydrogen (e.g. Jupiter and Saturn). Its
distance from the sun is correct—even a small change would make it too hot
or too cold. Our moon, probably responsible for the continents and ocean
basins, is unique in our solar system and seems to have originated in a way
quite different from the other relatively much smaller moons. The tilt of the
[earth’s] axis insures the seasons, and so on.” 12

Another illustration is a stone wall. Rocks falling in a landslide never form a

properly placed, neat, uniform stone wall. Rather, such a stone wall proves
design and a designer. So the world, in all its perfection and design, must
have had a Designer. Stated in the form of syllogism the argument is as
follows:
• Major Premise: Design presupposes an intelligent architect.
• Minor Premise: The world shows evidence of design in every part.
• Therefore: The world has a designer or intelligent architect, who is
God.

The Cosmological Argument

The Greek word cosmos means “an orderly arrangement.” Every effect must
have its adequate cause. The universe is an adequate cause, and the only
sufficient cause is God. Where did the universe come from if not from God
the Creator? Reason and probability are on the side of creation, not chance
or mere force (Rom. 1:20; Acts 17:28-29). Stated in the form of syllogism the
argument is as follows:

• Major Premise: Every effect has an adequate cause.

• Minor Premise: The world is an effect.
• Therefore: The world has an adequate cause outside itself which
produced it, namely God.

The Esthetic Argument

There is beauty in the universe and human beings have a unique ability to
appreciate it. From whence comes this correspondence between the beauty
in creation and the ability of man to appreciate it? This indicates design,
intelligence, personality, and so, God.

The Ontological Argument (The idea of a supreme being)

Man not only has an idea of a God, but he pictures that God is a supreme
being, one who is perfect, independent, and infinite. Where does this idea
come from if there is no such being?

This argument is generally considered the most profound and Keyser in his
book, A System of Christian Evidences, has an excellent statement:
We can not think of the relative without also thinking of an absolute.
We can not think of the derived without also thinking of the underived. We
can not think of the dependent without also thinking of the independent. We
can not think of the imperfect without also thinking of the perfect. We can
not think of the finite without also thinking of the infinite.

Now, if these concepts are not true, and there is no perfect, absolute, infinite
Being, then man’s thinking, in its deepest constitution is null and void. If that
were true, all our thinking would be insane and futile. Can we believe that? 13
Sometimes this argument is called, The Religious or General Argument with
the argument going something like this: Since the belief in God and
supernatural beings is universal even among the most backward tribes, it
must therefore come from within man, it is something innate. The question
is, could it have come from civilization or even from education when people
all over the world possess it whether they are civilized and educated or not?
The logical answer is no.
Then, where could such an idea come from if there is no God? There is
always something to satisfy the desires which are common to the whole
human race.

There is food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, and a God for the thirsty
soul. Stated in the form of a syllogism the argument is as follows:
• Major Premise: An intuitive and universal belief among men must be
true.
• Minor Premise: The belief that there is a God is universal and
intuitive among men.
• Therefore: The belief that there is a God is true.

There are some very interesting facts regarding the universal belief in God.
(1) More than 90 percent of the religions of the world acknowledge the
existence of one supreme being and some even anticipate God’s redeeming
concern.

(2) In every case, this monotheistic belief predated other forms of worship or
beliefs and heathenistic practices. This is true the world over on every
continent.

(3) These other forms of heathenistic and polytheistic practices were

invariably the result of failing to pursue the knowledge of God. Failure to
pursue belief in the one Supreme Being created a vacuum into which false
and demonic beliefs quickly rushed. As an illustration, ancient Chinese and
Koreans had believed in a Supreme God who created all things. In China his
name was Shang Ti and in Korea it was Hananim, The Great One. This belief
predated Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. It goes back 2600 years
before Christ and worshippers throughout China and Korea seem to have
understood from the beginning that Shang Ti/Hananim must never be
represented by idols.14

Little writes:

It is very significant that recent anthropological research has indicated that

among the farthest and most remote primitive peoples, today, there is a
universal belief in God. And in the earliest histories and legends of peoples
all around the world the original concept was of one God, who was the
Creator. An original high God seems once to have been in their
consciousness even in those societies which are today polytheistic. This
research, in the last fifty years, has challenged the evolutionary concept of
the development of religion, which had suggested that monotheism—the
concept of one God—was the apex of a gradual development that began with
polytheistic concepts. It is increasingly clear that the oldest traditions
everywhere were of one supreme God.

Biblical Evidence for the Existence of God

• The Existence of God Is Assumed by Scripture

Perhaps because it is so evident everywhere, no writer of Scripture, Old or
New Testament, attempts to set down arguments for the existence of God. It
is a fact taken for granted. The Bible simply begins with “In the beginning
God” (Gen. 1:1), and nowhere is His existence argued. Why? Because of the
abundant evidence in the universe for the existence of God (Psalm 19:1-4),
and because they that come to God must believe that He is. God is perceived
primarily by faith as a result of positive volition (see John 18:37; 7:17; Jer.
29:13).
Heb. 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes
to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek
Him.

• Biblical Theism
Biblical theism refers to what the Bible has to say about the reality, essence,
and works of God, and it draws upon the marvelous revelation of God as it is
found in the Holy Bible.

Biblical theism confirms the legitimate conclusions of naturalistic theism and

also adds to it so much that is revealed only in the Bible. Though reason and
revelation combine in any systematic theology, in approaching biblical
theism certain assumptions are necessary.
Problems of interpretation of the Bible are recognized in systematic theology,
but within orthodoxy there is no problem of the trustworthiness of Scripture
…

The Bible clearly reveals the existence of God who has all the attributes
properly recognized in Deity.

Regarding biblical theism Robert Lightner writes:

Since God did not seek to prove and defend His existence in His own
Word, perhaps that is not man’s task either. We have been given the Bible
which, while it does not seek to defend God’s existence before the skeptic or
the unbeliever, does assume God’s existence and presents irrefutable
evidence that He is, that He has worked in the past and is working today. In
the Old Testament, for example, God’s existence and presence in the world
is established by appeal to historical evidence (i.e., Ex. 4:1ff; 14:30f; Num.
14:11; Josh. 2:8-11, etc.). Also, in the Word of God we are told of His Son who
came to reveal God to men (John 1:18). Surely, no one can read God’s Word
with any degree of seriousness and go on denying the reality of God’s
existence. Either God is all that Scripture makes Him out to be or the Bible is
the biggest and most deceptive hoax ever compiled …

No doubt the strongest evidence for God’s existence in the Bible comes from
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Let it be stated clearly again here by way of
introduction, to deny the existence of the God of the Bible is to repudiate the
Christ of Scripture.

The Son of God was the great Revealer of God. God also revealed Himself in
the words of Scripture and in the miraculous deeds recorded there. Added to
these evidences of His revelation it must also be said He reveals Himself to
the believing heart through the personal experience of the Holy Spirit who
“beareth witness with our spirits” (Rom. 8:16).

The revelation of God in the Bible reveals His infinite love and grace. But like
His revelation in nature, apart from the illuminating ministry of the Holy
Spirit the message will not be believed or understood. 17

Conclusion

The big question is what does the fact of the existence of God means to us
as human beings?

First, the knowledge of the existence of God means that man is put
here by design. It means that while all God’s creatures have purpose, due
to man’s particular uniqueness among the creatures of God, man has special
purpose and meaning. We are not merely the product of time plus chance or
some impersonal force. We are each the result of a personal God who
created us for Himself with meaning and purpose. But the details of this
purpose are found only in the Bible, God’s special revelation of Himself.
Creation of course cannot and does not reveal this. Creation’s primary role is
to give man the evidence and basis for God-consciousness (Ps. 19:1-6; Rom.
1:18-20).

Second, the knowledge of God means responsibility. The fact that

there is a supreme and perfect being, a divine sovereign who created us for
His purposes, means that we are each responsible to Him for the way we live
and for what we do with the life He has given us.

Third, the knowledge of God’s existence means that we have the

responsibility to search and seek to know God personally and intimately,
to be thankful, and to worship Him accordingly (Rom. 1:18-23). The facts are,
however, that man in his fallen state does not search for God, at least not on
his own (Rom. 3:11). But in His grace, God constantly works to draw men to
Himself (see John 1:9; 6:44; 7:17; 12:32; Acts 17:27-28; Rom. 2:4; Jer. 29:13;
2 Chron. 15:2, 4).

Sadly, most people, even with the conviction that God exists, live like
practical atheists, as though God does not exist or as though He is indifferent
to man. One of the reasons for this is the principle found in two passages:
the principle of God’s patience and slowness to act against man’s sin.

Psalm 50:21 These things you have done, and I kept silence; You thought
that I was just like you; I will reprove you, and state the case in order before
your eyes.

TRINITY

INTRODUCTION

So far we have learned that there is one God- the Creator of the world.
But a careful study of the Scriptures will show that God exists in three
Persons, that is, a Godhead manifested in three Persons.

I - BASIS OF THE DOCTRINE OF TRINITY

1. In the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3: 13-17, we see the Trinity at work.

God the Father spoke from
heaven, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." God the Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ was being baptized. God the Holy Spirit descended like
a dove and alighted on the Savior.

2. The baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the
Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

3. The benediction in 2 Corinthian 13:14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and
the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen."

4. The creation of man uses plural terms: Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us
make man in Our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion."

II - ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE

TRINITY
1. SHAMROCK - A three leaved plant said to have been used by St. Patrick to
illustrate this doctrine. It is
but one leaf but it has distinct sections.

2. WATER - Revealed in three forms - liquid, ice and steam yet all three have
the same chemical formula,
H2O.

3. LIGHT - Red heat rays that are invisible, picturing the Father, yellow light
rays that are seen picturing
the Son, blue chemical rays that are seen by their effects, picturing the
Spirit.

It must be emphasized that the Trinity remains a mystery and that no single
illustration can possibly explain everything. God is infinite and we are finite.
To attempt a philosophical explanation of the tri-unity of God is an attempt
to put the facts of the infinite in finite terms.

III - THE TRINITY ACTING IN UNITY

1. IN CREATION - God the Father spoke, Genesis 1:3 "And God said, Let there
be light. God the Son
was the Word spoken, John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word." God the
Holy Spirit moved upon the face
of the waters, Genesis 1:2.

2. IN THE INCARNATION - God the Father gave His only Son, John 3:16.
God the Son was born into the world, Luke 2:11.
God the Spirit came upon Mary to cause conception. Luke 1:35.

3. IN REDEMPTION - God the Father accepted the sacrifice of Calvary,

Hebrews 9:14.
God the Son offered Himself as our substitute, Hebrews 9:14
God the Spirit - Jesus offered Himself "through the eternal Spirit." Hebrews
9:14.

4. IN SALVATION - God the Father received the prodigal from the far country,
Luke 15:22. The Father
welcomes the sinner, forgives him, supplies robe, ring and a feast.
God the Son is the Shepherd that goes to seek the lost sheep, Luke 15:4.
God the Spirit seals the new convert, Ephesian 1:13.

5. IN COMMUNION - God the Father invites us to come to Him for fellowship,

Ephesians 2:18.
God the Son is the reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:19.
God the Spirit effects this union and communion, Ephesians 2:18.

6. IN PRAYER - God the Father is the One who receives the requests, John
16:23.
God the Son is the One in whose Name we pray, John 16:23.
God the Spirit directs us in our request, Romans 8:26.

CONCLUSION

Do not be troubled if you cannot understand this perplexing doctrine.

"He who would try to understand the Trinity fully will lose his mind. But he
who would deny the Trinity will lose his soul." - Lindsell and Woodbridge.
It is a mystery and will remain a mystery until we meet the Lord in glory.
However this does not mean that we cannot believe it. We must believe it.
God is so different from us; He is a Spirit and we are human beings.
Let us worship this great God - this One who is so superior to us. Let us thank
each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, for that
which they have personally done for us.

Additional Resources on the study of Trinity

https://carm.org/what-is-the-trinity

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/bowman_robert/trinity/trinity.cfm