Who is God? Father, Son, and Spirit
One God in three Persons. Not three gods, and not one God wearing three masks.
One God
The Bible insists there is only one true God. He is eternal, holy, all-powerful, and good. He didn't need to create us; He made the world out of the overflow of His own goodness.
Three Persons
Yet Scripture also shows the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each as fully God, distinct from one another, sharing one divine nature. Christians call this the Trinity. The word isn't in the Bible, but the teaching is everywhere in it, from Jesus' baptism to the Great Commission.
We hold this as the historic church has always held it, as summarized in the Nicene Creed.
Why it matters for you
The Father planned your salvation, the Son accomplished it at the cross, and the Spirit applies it to your heart. You are not just forgiven by a distant God. You are brought into the love the Father, Son, and Spirit have shared forever.
From Scripture
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
Put it into practice
- Read the Nicene Creed slowly and look up one line in Scripture.
- When you pray, notice you're praying to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.
These notes are pastoral commentary. Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible.