How Can I Better Understand the Trinity

How Can I Better Understand the Trinity?

If you’ve been attending church for quite some time now, hearing the phrase “In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” is not new to you.

Perhaps, the first word to come up on your mind upon hearing this is simply, the Trinity.

This seven-letter word is a concept most would have difficulty understanding. However, despite the mystery surrounding the word, it also reveals the astounding character of God.

To help you understand more about this theological mystery, here are some Biblical truths that explain the Trinity as our one, true God.

How Can I Better Understand the Trinity?

One God

When discussing the Trinity, a typical question always comes up: Why do Christian believers utter these three names: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet say they only worship one God?

God is one, not three. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the three Divine Persons of the one and only God. Each of the three has their equal and undivided activity within the only God.

It is important to note that these three Divine Persons are not mere representations of God’s function in three, but the identities of the one and only God.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV)

How Can I Better Understand the Trinity?

Three-in-one God

The Bible recognizes these three Divine Persons many times. Look at these events from the scripture.

First, God as the Father – the Creator of heaven and earth – is the one who sent His Son to save the sins of the world. This character of God as a Father acts as the One who created a way for all things to be revealed according to the divine plan.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

Second, God as the Son is “the way, the truth, and the life”. The person of God here is the savior of the world.

Jesus Christ became man as a way for you to be redeemed from the consequences of sin. He spoke the truth as a spokesman of God, and He is the way for you to have eternal life.

Jesus Christ became 100% man-holy and without sin. At the same time, Jesus is also 100% God. He is the representation of the invisible God.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15)

Lastly, God as the Holy Spirit though commonly least understood among the three, is the One who helps you in your walking in faith.

The Holy Spirit is not another God or less of a God. The Holy Spirit is God.

Jesus Christ emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit as your Helper before He ascended to heaven.

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.” (John 14:26 AMP)

How Can I Better Understand the Trinity?

Equal Power of the Trinity

After understanding each of the individual activities of the three personas of God, it is important to keep in mind that there is no hierarchy of power among the three.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have each of their functions and identity but with equal power.

Paul uttered the benediction emphasizing the Divine Persons of Trinity in 2 Corinthians 13, in which he identified the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, the amazing love of the Father lavished through His Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to be with the people, forever.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV)

The concept of the Trinity is considered to always be one of the great theological mysteries. It is important to understand that each of the Divine Persons is fully God that act a significant role in the Christian faith.

There is only one God with three coeternal personas – the Trinity.

How Can I Better Understand the Trinity?

Do you want to experience the full extent of God’s moving in your life?

Visit this page to begin your journey of faith today!

If you want to know more about God, the CBN Asia Prayer Center can connect you to a church that can help you grow in faith. Call us at 8-737-0-700 or email [email protected].

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Who is the Holy Spirit and What is His Role in Your Life?

You’ve probably encountered the term Holy Spirit many times as part of the scriptures you read, or prayers and songs you heard.  

Most of the time, the ideas about the Holy Spirit are boxed in the image of a dove, smoke, or even of a ghost.  

But who really is the Holy Spirit? What are the roles of the Holy Spirit in your life as a follower of Jesus Christ?  

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Who is the Holy Spirit?  

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity with the coeternal Father and His son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not another God or less than God. The Holy Spirit is God.  

This truth is emphasized in the great commission when Jesus stressed the equal importance of the Trinity as the disciples proclaim the Good News of salvation among the people of the earth.  

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19 NIV)   

But you may be wondering, who then is the person referred to as the Holy Ghost, Spirit of God, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of Christ, or Spirit in the Bible?   

All these terms are interchangeable and still point to the Holy Spirit which can be observed in Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”  

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 What is the role of the Holy Spirit in your life?  

Knowing the Holy Spirit means understanding that the Lord is always with you and present in your life. The Holy Spirit acts as an ever-present representative of God within you in your walk with Him.  

But 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 that I have said to you.” (John 14:26 ESV)  

Jesus emphasized before He ascended to heaven, that the Holy Spirit will be with you to help you do things according to the will of God.   

But there’s more to that.  

The Holy Spirit is giving you not only the ability to deny sin but also the gift to live holy lives. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)  

The fruits of the Holy Spirit will guide you to have a life that mirrors the values of Jesus Christ.  

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How do you encounter the Holy Spirit?  

The Holy Spirit, indeed, offers to bear great fruits in you. But these fruits will never be possible if you have not personally encountered the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus said in John 3:5, “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”  

On top of all the good things that the Holy Spirit has to give is the greatest gift you could ever receive – the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is the gift of salvation.  

This is a promised gift to those who are willing to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

“Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14 NLT)  

The power of the Holy Spirit will enable you to live as a new creation with a new identity, free from sin and shame, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the grace of God, the Father. 

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Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit today? 

As Acts 2:38 says, “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit is always with you – guiding and leading you to the unending grace of God, displayed on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  

May you commit your life to the guidance of the Holy Spirit not just today, but forever!  

Do you want to live a life that is filled by the Holy Spirit? Don’t hesitate to call the CBN Asia Prayer Center at 8-737-0-700 and we would love to pray with you. 

Who is Your Real Enemy?

When faced with conflicting beliefs and opinions, people can have the tendency to pit against each other and treat neighbors as enemies.

It can also become easy for a man to hate others when faced with overwhelming struggles.

Likewise, you can be really frustrated when you encounter barriers in sharing the Word of God to other people. It’s like someone is preventing you from sharing God’s love, isn’t it?

Have you ever wondered where all these originate from? Are you just surrounded by bad things and bad people?

The Bible uncovers that people and situations are not your real enemies.

Who, then, is the real enemy?

 

Knowing your real enemy

Ephesians 6:12 says that the battle is beyond what the physical eyes can see. Your battle is not with people who are made up of flesh and blood. The real battle is against the evil and unseen enemy named Satan.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 NLT)

Satan does not want you to live an abundant and purposeful life. That is why he works hard to steal, kill, and destroy you (John 10:10, ESV) and every beautiful thing God has made.

His agenda is to steal your joy, kill your hope, and destroy your relationship with your Heavenly Father. He creates conflict and chaos.

Your ultimate victory

1 John 5:19 ESV says that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, but it also says that we are from God. And no evil is more powerful than God!

God’s love for you has already paved way for victory over evil schemes. As a result of the sacrifice Jesus did at the cross, no death nor demon can now separate you from His saving love.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39 NIV)

How to overcome the schemes of enemy?

Because God loves you, He will help you open your eyes and win the battle between good and evil. Most importantly, He wants you to participate in fighting the battle against the real enemy!

You can overcome Satan’s deceitful schemes by praying at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18) and by putting on the whole armor of God, as said in Ephesians 6:13-17 ESV:

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

The next time you find yourself in conflict with others or whenever you are caught in a tough situation, take a moment to step back and remember who your real enemy is.

Stay close to God through prayers, resist the devil and it will flee.

Discover more truths about the real enemy.

Subscribe to CBN Asia’s YouTube channel and watch The Seat of Satan, an in-depth documentary about the ancient Pergamum’s Altar of Zeus that was taken to Germany and inspired Adolf Hitler – one of the greatest dictators of all time.

 

What is Baptism and Is It Really Necessary?

“Baptism.”

You might have heard of it since you were young, and now you ask, “What does baptism really mean? Do I have to be baptized to be saved? Is water baptism the same as baptism in the Holy Spirit?”



What is baptism?

Baptism came from the Greek word ‘baptizō,’ which literally means to dip, immerse, or wash – according to Bible.org. As the Word of God points out, baptism expresses union with Christ in His death and resurrection.

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4 ESV)

Baptism has meaning and importance because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. His finished work on the cross gives you the opportunity to walk in newness of life.

Do I need to be baptized?

To be baptized and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18 NLT) is God’s commandment.

Jesus also said in Matthew 28:19 ESV, “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.”

Baptism is more than just a religious tradition. It is more than just submerging in the water, but immersing in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The question is, is there a difference between water baptism and baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Water Baptism

Baptism – as per the example of Jesus and other believers in the Bible – involves immersion in water.

Just as how Jesus died and resurrected, water baptism symbolizes a person’s dying to his old ways of life – and beginning a new one with Him. This symbolic gesture is a public declaration of your faith in Jesus.

On the other hand, Acts 2:38 NLT says, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” – highlighting the importance of baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Water baptism is not the only way of saying that you have received Jesus in your life.

Even though you have not undergone water baptism yet, it doesn’t change the fact that Jesus already died for your sins and saved you. Ultimately, it is by His grace that you have been saved, through your faith (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

How to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

While baptism in the Holy Spirit is a free gift, surrendering your life to God is the way to receive it.

First, you must accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for (Luke 11:9).

Second, believe that you have already received baptism from God. Galatians 3:2 NLT says that you received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. Faith in Jesus is a prerequisite to baptism. It is about believing that you have been saved and that you have received baptism in the Holy Spirit.

In Mark 1:5 ESV, baptism is tied to repentance, “And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” It implies that baptism and repentance go hand-in-hand.

Experiencing baptism – by water, and more importantly, in the Holy Spirit – is a beautiful gift from God. It is a union between you and your Heavenly father, a union that must be enjoyed and lived out on a daily basis.

Do you want to accept Jesus in your life and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Allow us pray for you as you embark on this journey of knowing Jesus. You may call the call the CBN Asia Prayer Center at 8737-0700 or reach us through our Facebook page.

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