FOUR MYSTERIES – Part 1 | THE MYSTERY OF GOD [1 Tim. 3:16]
I - GOD THE FATHER:
1st Person of the Godhead: Matt. 28:19
“God is more truly imagined than expressed, and He exists more truly than He is imagined.”—Augustine
1. His Nature:
He is Eternal - Ps. 90:2; Is. 40:28; Deut. 33:27
He is Spiritual - John 4:24
He is Perfect - Matt. 5:48; Ps. 90:9
“He whose treasure house is God; his earth is Paradise.”—Angelus Silesius
2. His Attributes:
He is Omniscient - Rom. 6:20; Matt. 6:8 Nothing is too little in which to see His Hand
He is Omnipresent - Gen. 21:22; Prov. 15:3 Nothing which touches us is unnoticed by Him
He is Omnipotent - Job 36:26; Ps. 121:8 Nothing is too little to be done by Him.
3. His Characteristics:
He is Faithful - 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13
He is Merciful - Ps. 103:8-13
He is Impartial - Acts 10:34
He is Just - Rev. 15:3; Is. 45:21
He is Love - 1 John 4:15, 18
“God so loved the world that He gave His
Only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
Perish, but have
Everlasting
Life.” - John 3:16 [Hence the “Gospel” = Good News]
4. His Activity:
His anticipating activity is seen in 3 ways –
(1) His Initiative in Creation: Gen. 1:1. He makes.
(2) His Initiative in Revelation: Heb. 1:1, 2. He Speaks.
(3) His Initiative in Salvation: Luke 1:68. He Acts.
“Christianity is a religion of salvation, and there is nothing in other religions of the world to compare with this message of God who loved, and came after, and died for lost sinners.”—John R. W. Stott
II - GOD THE SON:
2nd Person of the Godhead: Matt. 28:19
“I say, the acknowledgment of God in Christ accepted by reason, solves for thee all questions in the earth and out of it.” —Robert Browning
1. JESUS exercises all functions, which properly belong to God
He forgives sin - Mark 2:1-12; 1 John 1:9
He bestows life - John 17:2; 5:21
He teaches truth - Mark 6:3; John 7:15, 17, 18, 46
He judges the world - John 5:28, 29
2. JESUS pre-existed and is one with God the Father - John 10:30; 14:10, 11; Matt. 11:27
He is co-existent, co-eternal, and co-equal with the Father - John 1:1, 2; Col. 2:9
Thus: To know Him is to know God - John 8:19
To see Him is to see God - John 12:45; 14:9
To believe in Him is to believe in God - John 12:44
To receive Him is to receive God - Mark 9:37
To hate Him is to hate God - John 15:23
To honor Him is to honor God - John 5:23
He claimed eternity and divinity - John 8:51-58 cf. Ex. 3:14 (The divine title “I am” declares an eternal existence)
3. JESUS’ ministry and activities were salvific
He is the Son of Man by Incarnation - Phil. 2:5-8; Matt. 1:21, 23
He is Savior - John 3:16,17; Acts 4:12
He died a substitutionary death - Mark 10:45; Rom. 3:24-26; 1 Tim. 2:6; cf. Is. 53:6; Heb. 9:28
The moral magnetism of the Cross
Sin caused an estrangement; the cross has accomplished an atonement.
Sin bred enmity; the cross has brought peace.
Sin created a gulf between man and God; the cross has bridged it.
Sin broke the fellowship; the cross has restored it.
He was raised and is alive - 1 Cor. 15:20-21; John. 1:25-26; Heb. 6:2; 1 Pet. 3:21
He ascended to heaven - Acts 3:21; 2:22-32; Eph. 4:8-10
He is now a mediator and advocate - 1 Tim. 2:5; Gal. 2:19, 20
He is the Coming King - John 14:1-3; Titus 2:13; Rev. 22:7
4. JESUS’ character is the exemplar for His followers
He possessed a keen moral character - Heb. 4:12; John 2:25
He possessed a self-conscious purity - 1 Pet. 1:19; 2:22;
1 John 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26
JESUS had a “conscience unclouded by the memory of any sins.”—D. Strauss
He invites His followers to follow “in his steps” - 1 Pet. 2:21
“All His glory and beauty come from within and there He delights to dwell.His visits there are frequent; His conversation sweet; His comfort refreshing; His peace passing all understanding.” —Thomas à Kempis
III - GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT:
3rd Person of the Godhead: Matt. 28:19
The Holy Spirit is defined in the Westminster Confession of Faith as one of the three persons of the Godhead “of one substance, power, and eternity” with the Father and Son. (A.D. 1648)
“The same Oneness that exists between the Son and the Father (Jn.10:30) also exists between the Son and the Spirit. Oneness, however, should never be confused with sameness. As the Son is not the Father, the Spirit is not the Son.”—Wilson Paroschi
1. The HOLY SPIRIT is a divine person; not an impersonal power
He hears and speaks - John 16:13; 1 Tim. 4:1
He feels - Is. 67:10
He prays - Rom. 8:26
He grieves over our sins - Eph. 4:30; cf. 1 Thess. 3:19
He has a mind and a will - Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 12:11
2. The HOLY SPIRIT possesses divine attributes
He is omnipresent - Ps. 139:7-12; John 14:18
He is omnipotent - Rom. 15:19; Zech. 4:6
He is omniscient - 1 Cor. 2:10
3. The HOLY SPIRIT functions supernaturally
His work can be traced in:
The revelation in Scripture - 2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16 cf. 2 Sam. 23:2; Mic. 3:18
The writing of Scripture - Is. 59:21; Matt. 22:42, 43; cf. Ps. 110.1; Mark 12:26
The origin of all prophecy - 2 Pet. 1:21
The agent [Paraclete] who comes to replace Jesus: John 14:26; 10:30; 14:9,18
“The Paraclete is the presence of Jesus when Jesus is absent.” —Raymond E. Brown
4. The HOLY SPIRIT ministers to man for salvation
The indwelling of the Spirit - Rom. 8:9; Jude 19; Eph. 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22
The baptism of the Spirit - Acts 1:5 cf. 11:15-17; 1 Cor. 12:13
Every soul that is saved is born of the Spirit - John 3:7
Every revival is the work of the Spirit - Zech. 4:6; cf. Hab. 3:2
Every spiritual truth is taught by the Spirit - John 16:13
Every holy character is sanctified by the Spirit - John 16:8, 10
The filling of the Spirit, (Gal. 5:16) for:
sanctifying - Rom. 15:16 guiding - Rom. 8:14
giving assurance - Rom. 8:16
leading in prayer - Rom. 8:26
Empowering for service - John 7:27, 28
The fruit of the Spirit - Gal. 5:22, 23
It is the sacred vocation of all Christians to be the instruments through which the Spirit advances Jesus’ work in the world. - John 14:12; 15:26, 27
“O God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not able to please Thee, mercifully grant, that Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts.”—Book of Common Prayer
Rex D. Edwards is a former General Conference Associate Ministerial Secretary
