Have You Struggled to Understand the Trinity, Holy Spirit & Salvation?

in

"E-Bible.com"

"Is The Trinity Biblical?"

"The Trinity" by Edward Henry Bickersteth

"The Forgotten Trinity" by James White

By Ed Williams


Trinity:

The Trinity is one of the hardest concepts for many

people to understand and it is not surprising that this

view of God is

 VERY

confusing to many of us who were born and raised

in the Two-by-Two's!

  • It was especially hard for us to grasp because we were taught that Jesus was just a man that worked hard to become perfect. This heresy was ingrained deep in our DNA......it was a struggle to unlearn this indoctrination and journey on to learn that Jesus IS God!
  • Many of us were taught that God is mean and angry, ready to strike us at any time, we felt fear, and ultimately, many wanted nothing to do with such a God, let alone trying to understand a Triune God.
  • We mere mortals are limited to our mortal three-dimensional state, we cannot fully comprehend. This does not mean we cannot understand the idea, just that we will never be able to grasp the entirety of what it means to be a triune being.
  • The traditional view of God that has been held by Christians for the last 2,000 years is that "HE" exists as three persons,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

..........not that there are three separate Gods, nor that he is one God wearing three different hats (traditionally called Modalism) - but that there is only one God who exists as three distinct Persons.

How Do We Explain the  

Trinity??

When one reads the Bible, it's easy and almost automatic that we read it within the understandings we have as to what certain words mean and just how we would use them in the vernacular of today's use of English... Especially if it is in the "Authorized" King James version... So, let's state just a couple of examples for clarification purposes:

In Genesis 1:26, etc.) where it speaks of  "Let US make man in OUR image...", note the plural pronouns... In the Old testament, the use of plural in a passage, meant THREE or more (There was singular identification, and a special word for Two, something like we would say "Couple" today... Plural started at Three...)

So even in Genesis, Three are understood....Today, THREE referred to as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit... The Three collectively, as One God...

In Genesis 18, the "LORD" (Note capitalization of the text) that appeared to Abraham, was indeed, the pre incarnate Christ Himself... (And elsewhere in the OT where LORD is capitalized, this is also applicable....)

There are several places in the New Testament where Three are included as one...

(Even the Workers Baptize "In the name of

The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit..!")  

Also, the Workers avoid any in-depth discussion about the

Trinity, by simply saying that

"The word isn't in the Bible!"

And the few that might acknowledge its existence, think of

it as

"Vertical" (The Holy Spirit is under the Son, who's in turn,

under the Father!),

rather than as Equals to each other.

(This is probably in part because Jesus while here on earth, willingly submitted Himself to the will and authority of The Father, and then He in turn sent the Holy Spirit when He'd ascended back to Heaven.)....


Born Again

A great deal of discussion has been given to this all-important subject of how one becomes a Christian. Yet many of us Ex-2x2's do not have a clear grasp of the subject, resulting in many simply walking away from God.

  • At what point can a person say they are now a Christian?
  • What are the steps involved?
  • Is it an event or a process?
  • Is it totally reliant upon the work of God, or does it also depend upon our human efforts?

Opinions, no matter how strongly we feel about them, are not as valid as the ultimate truth God has presented in the pages of the inspired Scriptures.

  • Do you feel that there must be something more?", and asked yourself, "What is it?"

  • Do you want to become a Christian but don't know how.

  • Could it be that you are like this or know someone who is?

  • How do we enter the life-changing experience of being converted or born again.

What does it Mean to be Born Again?

Because natural birth is coming OUT of the womb, it's easy to think that this applies Spiritually as well... However, Spiritual birth is us accepting Jesus to dwell IN our heart and mind and reign as Lord over our life....

Nothing that is ever "Born", can in any way, become "UNborn", and as if it never existed.

Furthermore, understand that Spiritual LIFE is a Free GIFT from God that's available to all, and nothing anyone can do humanly, will ever be able to buy it... (But our "Works" will show evidence of it!)

God's GIFTS are irrevocable...........

See these verses, especially in the newer translations: John 10:27-29 and 5:24, Romans 11:29, Hebrews 11:21, Revelation 3:5, and?... These quite clearly say the if we indeed accepted His GIFT of eternal LIFE, under no circumstances will He ever take it away from us... And it's a Free GIFT - already paid in full for through the redemption of His blood - that needs NO "Man" (such as a Worker) as an intermediary in order for it to pass from Him directly into our hearts and very being!

Remember too, Jesus (In our hearts) will share HIS place with no man....

As long as we have human life, there will be "Failures" on our part.... But remember, Jesus paid the price for ALL of our sins, long before any of us were even born, naturally!

One born of His Spirit, WILL show forth evidence by their (Spiritual) "Fruit" (See Galatians 5:22-25 for the many characteristics that comprise the Single Fruit of the Spirit of God in us.)....

All are Spiritually Dead until we're Born Again of His Spirit....

And remember, there are no DEAD people in Heaven.........

Here are some Biblical Examples of how the "Holy Spirit" is constantly spoken of in Personal Terms:


Salvation:

Is Freely GIVEN to all those who are Born Again of His Spirit....

Father, Son and Holy Spirit collectively....

and PROMISED a place in the "Many mansions" in Heaven!!!

  • Do NOT confuse the word "Salvation" (Getting there!) with the word "Reward" (How much is in our account when we arrive!)....

Workers often use these two words interchangeably, and therefore INCORRECTLY:

(Example: Although it is possible to lose heavenly reward because of human failings, this does NOT equate to losing your Salvation, any more than a loss of natural fortune by ones own human judgment and failings would mean that you also automatically became a Dead person!)..

The ONLY sin that leads to a lost Eternity, is the Rejection - or in more likely terms, the simple non-acceptance - of Jesus as lord of your life... This is because although you have had natural birth you had never accepted and received HIM Spiritually, so you are therefore Spiritually still DEAD, and in Heaven, there is NO death! 

  • Be comforted though too, that once you have received the GIFT of His Spirit, He will NEVER take it away.

(See references about Gifts, above.)

  • Still doubt that God can and will "Bury your Past" under the Blood of Christ because of the perceived magnitude of your sins? 

Then think of David in the Old Testament about whom God himself said that he was "a man after God's own heart".... This is the same David that was:

  • A man of war, a murderer,
  • An adulterer,
  • A leader of some unsavory people,
  • And who defied God in numbering Israel as King (Etc.!)...

(Things much worse than most any of us today, would ever even think about doing!) 

On the 'other' side of David, we see a genuinely repentant spirit, and we often read of him actually Going After the "Heart of God" many times, as well, something that No Worker EVER openly Teaches by way of Their own Example....

Through it all, did David lose any of his "Reward"? ....Absolutely, as God would not let him build the Temple that he so much wanted to do (which became known - even today - as Solomon's Temple), although David was behind it all, right down to the very details of its design and as much advanced preparation as he could possibly accomplish... But did he lose his Salvation?

Not at All, as he's listed in "God's Honor Roll" in Hebrews 11!!!


SUMMARY:

The Trinity, being Born Again, and Salvation are all intertwined...

The "Cost" of Salvation is in TRULY being BORN AGAIN by inviting Jesus into the innermost being of our heart and life, where the rest of our lives will be then directed accordingly.

The same Jesus that was part of the Triune God of creation itself.... Be reminded too, that whatever Jesus GIVES, He NEVER takes back, any more than a person that is born naturally can ever become "Unborn" as if they never existed... 

Although in our natural human lives we will be far from perfect, remember that ALL of our sins were forgiven nearly 2000 years ago, by accepting His FREE GIFT, and that our acceptance of it will be manifested by the Fruit of the Spirit Itself in us (NOT of ourselves!) becoming evident in our life before others....   

In another vein (And to leave you with a question for your own research!), notice that when Jesus was on the cross that he said to the thief: "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

He did not say that he'd be with Him in Heaven!!! There's a very easily understood explanation to this, but it'd be interesting to present this to a Worker and get their 'take' on it.

I doubt that there are many that could

- or would -

provide an accurate answer.....

Edward K. Williams......   (Updated: July 2008)