1.21 blog

This Sunday I mentioned that the God of Christianity is the God who has eternally existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three Persons, One God. This truth distinguishes Christianity from every other religion in the world. Many people believe in “God,” but we want to promote belief in the Trinitarian God, and no other. Not only does this teaching distinguish Christianity from other faiths, it also shows, in part, why the world needs Christianity.

We live in a violent world (this includes both physical and cultural violence), where those who are different are feared, distrusted, maligned, etc. This is just a natural part of how we live, and most systems of thought believe that this is an inescapable and fundamental part of the universe. The doctrine of the Trinity, however, teaches us that God, the Ultimate Reality behind the Universe, exists in peaceful, harmonious community. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all distinct Personalities (and, therefore, different than each other). And yet, they love, enjoy, and share with one another. The Trinity shows us the possibility of valuing, loving, and serving those who are different. Not only that, but because the Trinity is the Fundamental Reality, we see that such love is the way things are supposed to be.

Not only that, but the God who is Triune has taken it upon himself to include us in this loving community. God the Son became human and lived a life of perfect peace and community with his Father. And then he died the death that we deserve. In that moment, he was separated from his Father so that we could be included in their relationship. Now, by resting in him by faith, we are able to enjoy peaceful relations with the Triune God. And by having this peace with God, we are both shown the necessity of, and enabled to persue peaceful relations with our fellow man. The only place that this can truly happen is in Christ, because only in Christ is access granted to God.

So, this week, pursue peace and community with others. This is both your responsibility, and a priviledge purchased for you by Jesus himself. In our community groups, we are able to come around those who are different and to share life with one another. When we do this, we are displaying before a watching world the way things ought to be. We are demonstrating what kind of God we worship.

Posted by: Gene Schlesinger