The Trinity – Part 3
The Mysterious Person
Is it the Holy Spirit? He is not supposed to be. We are supposed to walk with Him everyday. Did you know that He is our only connection to God in this lifetime. Jesus is ascended. He is gone right now. Jesus is not here. The Holy Spirit should be the most well known of the manifestations of God. He lives within the believer. That should make Him the Person we are the most acquainted with. If we were functioning as the Body of Christ in a practical way, He would be vital and recognizable in our every day life. Sadly, we do not know Him this way, for the most part. Although we do not know all His ways, I would like to suggest that the Spirit of God is not the most mysterious person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit should be the most well known Person of God on a daily basis.
The Word becoming flesh in the person of Jesus is the most well known Person of God, historically, and through the narratives of the Gospels.
However, the Father is the mysterious person of the Trinity. We know what the Father is like because of the Scriptures, which are the written record of the living Word. Jesus said if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father (John 14:9).
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Heb 1:3)
The Word and the Father are in such perfect union (which we cannot begin to fathom) that Jesus acts and thinks and speaks just like the Father. He is His perfect expression. Why make any distinction, then? Because the Scriptures laboriously do so.
Though we may know a little of what the Father is like, he seems to be hidden. We have the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. We have so much in the New Testament about the Person and work of Jesus. In the Old Testament we see Jesus as YHWH interacting with so many people. Do you remember the Biblical section about The Adventures of the Father? Of course not. We do not see very much about the Father's activities and dialogue. I think this is hidden for later.
Jesus talked much about the Father. He seemed to be enthralled and enamored with Him. At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus mentioned a place but He was not consumed with going to a place. He was passionate about going to a Person. He was conscious about going to the Father, not about going to heaven. Today we are often excited about the things of heaven. Few seem to be consumed with the King of heaven.
I believe there is something tremendous that awaits us. Heaven will be great. A new resurrected body will be great. To be in the total absence of sin will be great. However, something awaits us that we can hardly anticipate.
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, ...(1Pet 3:18)
Jesus did the great work of removing the sin barrier for one purpose: That He might bring us to God.
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:7)
God saved us through the person and work of Jesus. This is essential but this is only the doorway into something wonderful. The Father has something planned for us that is hidden in this lifetime. The amazing thing about this unexpected surprise is that it is ongoing. God is going to show us manifestations of His person and kindness in an unending, never ceasing unfolding of unimagined revelations of Himself. The wonder of the Father will be constantly revealed to us only to be outdone by the next amazing thing that could never be dreamed of. When we think that the glory of God cannot possibly be any greater, He will show us that His goodness never ends. Through eternity God will surpass Himself trillions of times, taking the collective breath away from the Redeemed. We had better start cultivating the enjoyment of Him now.
The mysterious Father, Whom we know but whom we don't know yet. He is not different than how Jesus displayed Him, but He is so wonderful that you have to meet Him! Jesus suffered and died for this. He thought it was important.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)
To know the Father and Jesus is to have the never ending, never beginning, uncreated life of God.
Jesus said,
For the Father himself loveth you, … (John 16:27)
It is as if He can't wait for the entire family to be home with Him.
July 17, 2023