God and the Holy Trinity

pilcrow·February 24, 2025·0 comments

The Lord, our God, is one, the only living and true God.1 He exists in and of himself;2 he is infinite in being and perfection; his essence cannot be comprehended by anyone but himself;3 he is a perfectly pure spirit,4 invisible, without body, parts, or passions. He alone has immortality, dwelling in the light no one can approach.5 He is immutable,6 immense,7 eternal,8 incomprehensible, almighty,9 entirely infinite, completely holy,10 fully wise, totally free, and absolute. He works all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and perfectly righteous will11 for his glory.12 He is most loving, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering. He is abundant in goodness and truth and forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin. He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him13 and is entirely just and to be feared in his judgments.14 He hates all sin15 and will by no means clear the guilty.16

Having all life,17 glory,18 goodness,19 blessedness, in and of himself, God alone is all-sufficient. He does not need any creature that he has made, nor does his glory come from them, but he demonstrates his glory in what he does in them, by them, to them, and for them.20 He alone is the fountain of all being; all things are of him, through him, and to him.21 He has absolute sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or to them whatever he pleases.22 He sees all things so that nothing is hidden from him.23 His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent of all created things, so that nothing is contingent or uncertain to him.24 He is absolutely holy in all his counsels, in all his works,25 and in all his commands. He is due all worship,26 service, and obedience that creatures owe to their Creator, and whatever else he is pleased to require of them.

In this divine and infinite Being, there are three persons: the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit.27 They are of one substance, power, and eternity. Each has the whole divine essence, yet the essence is not divided.28 The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father.29 The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son.30 Yet, all are infinite, without beginning, and are, therefore, one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations. This doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence on him.

  1. 1 Corinthians 8:4–6 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ↩︎
  2. Jeremiah 10:10 But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. Isaiah 48:12 Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. ↩︎
  3. Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” ↩︎
  4. John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. ↩︎
  5. 1 Timothy 1:17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Deuteronomy 4:15–16 “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female.” 1 Timothy 6:15–16 He… is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. ↩︎
  6. Malachi 3:6 For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. ↩︎
  7. 1 Kings 8:27 “Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” Jeremiah 23:23 Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? ↩︎
  8. Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. ↩︎
  9. Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” ↩︎
  10. Isaiah 6:3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” ↩︎
  11. Psalm 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. Isaiah 46:9–10 I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” ↩︎
  12. Proverbs 16:4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. ↩︎
  13. Exodus 34:6–7 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Hebrews11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ↩︎
  14. Nehemiah 9:32–33 Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. ↩︎
  15. Psalm 5:5–6 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. ↩︎
  16. Exodus 34:6–7 The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation. Nahum 1:2–3 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. ↩︎
  17. John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ↩︎
  18. Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. ↩︎
  19. Psalm 119:68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. ↩︎
  20. Job 22:2–3 Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? ↩︎
  21. Romans 11:34–36 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. ↩︎
  22. Daniel 4:24–25 It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. Daniel 4:34–35 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” ↩︎
  23. Hebrews 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. ↩︎
  24. Ezekiel 11:5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the Lord: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind.” Acts 15:16–18 “After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.” ↩︎
  25. Psalm 145:17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. ↩︎
  26. Revelation 5:12–14 “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. ↩︎
  27. Matthew 28:19–20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. 2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. ↩︎
  28. Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 1 Corinthians 8:5–6 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. ↩︎
  29. John 1:14, 18 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. ↩︎
  30. John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. Galatians 4:6–7 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. ↩︎

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