The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one true God—not three. This doesn’t just mean that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit agree with each other or share the same mission. It means that, in their very nature, they are one. God is one being, not three separate gods.
The Old Testament declares there is one God.
This is made clear in Deuteronomy 6:4–5, a foundational verse for Israel:
“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, NLT)
God’s people declare there is one God.
Solomon’s prayer, when dedicating the Temple, declares that only one God exists.
Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other. (1 Kings 8:60, NLT)
The LORD Himself declares He is the only God.
In Isaiah, God says,
I am the Lord;
there is no other God.
I have equipped you for battle,
though you don’t even know me,
6 so all the world from east to west
will know there is no other God.
I am the Lord, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:5-6, NLT)
A few verses later, in Isaiah 45:21–22, He invites the whole world to turn to Him because He alone is God and Savior. These are not the words of one God among three; this is the voice of the only true God.
The New Testament declares there is one God.
The New Testament affirms this too. Paul writes,
For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5, NLT)
Paul also says, “God is one” (Romans 3:30) and describes God the Father as the one “from whom are all things and for whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6). James adds that even demons know there is only one God—but that kind of belief, without faith, still leads to fear (James 2:19).
So, how is God one and three?
God is three in who He is but one in what He is. Over the last several weeks, we have covered God’s attributes. These attributes are what God is, and each member of the Trinity has all of them fully. Each member of the Trinity is equal in power and glory. Everything that God does is the work of the Trinity, and the Trinity works together in perfect harmony and purpose.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our mini-series, Understanding the Trinity. Perhaps our time together has helped clarify this essential belief of Christianity. Perhaps you have more questions than answers I’ve provided in these three posts, leaving you more confounded because your mind, like mine, can’t fully wrap itself around this attribute of God. In either case, I’d like to leave you with this thought from Michael Reeves, found in his book Delighting in the Trinity.
“The Trinity is not a problem to be solved, but a God to be enjoyed.”
Allow this mystery of God to draw you ever more into His revelation of Himself, the Bible, as you seek to know more about Him. And as He reveals more of Himself to you, I pray that you find yourself enjoying Him, our Triune God, more and more!
Do you want to ensure you never miss a resource to help you grow in your faith more than on Sunday mornings? Subscribe today!
Leave a Reply