Trinity/Family – Unity and Diversity

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Lesson Seven of “the Truth Project” dealt with “the Divine Imprint” in relationships by the triune structure stamped upon social order and truth. Dr R.C. Sproul explains that “When the Christian faces the doctrine of the trinity. There is one of the most puzzling problems for the mind to grasp. Indeed, it is a mystery, not a contradiction. How can we have a being who is one in essence and three in person? Notice, He is not one in essence and three in essence; that would be contradictory. But, rather, our God has unity and diversity within His own being. Now, the beauty of that is, one of the oldest questions of philosophical investigation is resolved in God Himself, and that is the question of “the One in the Many”. The oldest philosophers looked around the world in which they lived and they saw trees, and flowers, and animals, and rain, and sunshine … all this diversity … and they said: “We have all these many things. How do we make sense of them? Is there anything that unifies this diversity?” That is where we get the word “universe” and “University”, trying to find some transcendent unity that will bring coherence and meaning to all of the wide ranging diversities that we encounter that is found in God Himself, who in His very being is unity and diversity.

John 14:15-17, 26 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, became and remains influential within churches worldwide.  It states; “In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Holy Ghost eternally preceding the Father and the Son.” The triune God is perfect in Unity, Relationships, Equality, Roles, Authority and Submission. The triune Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) mirrors the human family (Husband, Wife and Children). The Father and Son are one (John 10:30), as the Husband and Wife are one flesh (Genesis 2:24). The Son is in submission to the Father (John 5:30), and the wife is in submission to her husband (Eph. 5:22-24). The Holy Spirit is in submission to the Father and the Son, and Children are in submission to their father and mother (Eph. 6:1-2). The post-modern secular world views “authority” and “submission” as negative, but the Bible views these as glorious. We must submit to the authority of God when society turns ugly. The nature of God exhibits perfect order in relationships. We cannot redefine the family; it is not ours to manipulate. God has given the structure and the social order for family. If we go against God’s design, we go against His nature.

Malachi 2:15 “Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.”

What a glorious thing God has given us in “Family” – unity, intimacy, fellowship, honor, love, and respect within the diversity of family as designed by God. We were created for relationship with God and family.

In Christ, Brian