Theology Proper: God as Tri-unity
God as Tri-unity
I believe in the one and only Creator God, who has always existed in three Persons, revealed to us as Father, Son and Spirit. The three are co-equal and eternal, one in essence. They are one God (‘what’) yet three persons (‘who’). Each of the three Persons possesses the entire essence of their relation is communal dependence, a mutual interpenetration of personality and being, showing love and joy reciprocally (John 1:1-2).[1] The three share divine activity while revealing themselves as having separate primary roles in the program of God (Ephesians 1:3-14; 2 Corinthians 13:14). For example, when the Son became incarnate as a Man known to us as Jesus, He did not then come into being, for He has always been even as the Father and the Spirit have always existed. The Spirit came to indwell the people of God permanently while always existing as God in eternity past.
God is God-centered while at the same time being others-centered. God seeks His own glory, for all things exist for that express purpose (Romans 11:33-36; Ephesians 1:6; Habakkuk 2:14). His self-seeking is not selfish, for to be God He must seek the highest good of the great One in the entire universe, namely Himself. God is not an idolater, for He has no gods beside or before Himself (Exodus 20:3). To say God is ‘others-centered’ is to note that within the Godhead each member gives preference to the other, and shows infinite love and affection towards one another. God is not centered on us, but rather in Himself. The Father, Son and Spirit enjoy one another infinitely, and seek the glory of one another, publicly displaying the infinite worth of God’s total being. God is happy to be God.
[1] Also see the Augustinian conception of the Trinity
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