Trinitarian Relationship

In this edition of The Baptist Witness we have been exploring the Scriptural revelation of the Trinity. The truth of the Trinity is necessary to be embraced, yet impossible to fully comprehend. The first two articles have laid out the unity, diversity and harmonious work of Father, Son and Spirit. In this article we will attempt to see what Scripture reveals about the relationships in the Godhead.

Scripture tells God has no needs (Acts 17:25). He is independent, self-sufficient, in need of nothing. Scripture also tells us that God is a relational Being. This is first displayed in the relationship between Father, Son and Spirit. Jesus gives us a glimpse of this in His prayer to the Father in John 17 when He says, “for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24). We read in John's opening two verses to his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” The Word is another name for God the Son. The expression 'with God' carries the idea of equality and intimacy/closeness. It reveals the Son in a posture face-to-face with the Father. This is fellowship, harmony, equality and togetherness. John 1:18 speaks of the Son as being “in the bosom of the Father.” There is every reason to think the Spirit joins in this love relationship because He is a Comforter “of the same kind” as Jesus (John 14:16).

To attempt to summarize this Scriptural waterfall of glory: God is a relational Being. He needs nothing outside of Himself. There has always been a satisfying and harmonious relationship between Father, Son and Spirit. We might ask what was the Trinitarian God doing before the foundation of the world? We could Scripturally answer, “He was delighting in fellowship with Himself.” This is neither a contradiction nor illogical. God is one in Being or Essence, but Three in Person. These persons are distinct, yet exist and function in harmony, love and fellowship. Before the world began, the Father delighted in and loved His Son. The Son is in face-to-face love and fellowship with the Father. The Father doesn't literally have a “bosom” since He is spirit and not flesh. But, this expression is used to communicate heart closeness and deep love. Oh, the wonder of such Divine love!

Since Scripture teaches us that Divine love involves giving, we have to conclude that in this Trinitarian relationship there is a giving and receiving among the persons of the Godhead. There is a delighting and a being delighted in. All this without the stain of human sin, impurity and darkness.

Perhaps your mind has been working hard (as mine has to!) trying to take in and process these holy truths. As you ponder the relationship between Father, Son and Spirit have you forgotten about yourself? (If so, that's probably not a bad thing!) Here is the reality: God could have chosen to go on and on and on existing in this blessed state all by Himself! God did not need to create a universe. Since God is completely satisfied in Himself and this loving fellowship, He did not need a relationship with us to make Himself full or complete. There was no gaping relationship hole within God, yet...He chose to share Himself in relationship with people like us! He chose to create a world and creatures made in His image who would rebel against Him and despise Him. He chose to, at great cost to Himself, redeem some from among these creatures in order that He might bring them into a love relationship with Himself. The Father would sacrifice the Son to make this happen. The Son would lay His life down to bring us to the Father. The Spirit would apply all that the Father purposed for us and all that the Son purchased for us and bring us into possession of these riches!

What wondrous love is this! It should leave us humbled, stunned, and full of praise and gratitude to the God of our salvation. If we know the Father through the Son and the work of the Spirit, we are deeply blessed and eternally enriched.

The pages of the New Testament give us another glimpse of this relationship in relation to Jesus' work on earth. At Jesus' baptism, He was publicly entering into His ministry. He was embracing the task given Him by the Father to bring redemption to sinners. The Father boomed from heaven with these words, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). The Spirit descended in the form of a dove and rested upon the shoulders of Jesus. The Son, in human flesh, was embracing the work. The Father's voice communicated His pleasure and approval of the Son. The Spirit's symbolic act demonstrated His support and strengthening of Jesus in His humanity for this great work.

Before Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father once again voiced these words of delight and love for Jesus (Matt. 17:5). When the Father looked on Jesus, He loved and approved of everything He saw. He saw nothing amiss. The Father has always loved the Son and He always will love the Son. He loves everything the Son did while He condescended to walk this earth in human flesh.

Do you love Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Considering the great love of the Father for the Son, the words of  John 3:35-36 should not be surprising: “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Not only do we see the Father expressing His love for the Son, but we see Jesus delighting to please the Father. Note these verses:

John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

John 8:29 “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

John 17:1,4 “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee...I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

Jesus delighted to do the Father's will and to please Him. He sought to glorify the Father in His mission here on earth. Finally, we see that the Spirit, as foretold by Jesus, would point the spotlight of men's hearts and minds to Jesus. Note these statements of Jesus about the work of the Spirit:

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”

John 16:13-14 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

The Spirit works for the glory of the Son, preserving His words and illuminating minds to those words. The Spirit glorifies and bears witness to the Son. The Father honored the Son. The Son glorified the Father and the Spirit works for the glory of the Son. When the Son is glorified, so is the Father (John 13:31-32).

Dear friend, look with awe and wonder on God the Father, Son and Spirit. Perfect love and fellowship from all eternity past yet, this self-sufficient God choosing to share Himself with us through the person and work of Jesus. As the Father loves the Son, so may we love Him. As the Son sought the glory of the Father, so may we seek it. As the Spirit honored Christ, may we do the same in His strength.