As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV)

 

The doctrine of the Trinity is central to the Christian faith.

Yet, many Christians are not grounded enough to recognise its significance and the necessity to understand the theological themes connected to it. There is no doctrine we hold that excludes the Persons and work of the Trinity. All the mighty works of God—from creation to salvation, from reconciliation to resurrection and from sanctification to glorification—are done by the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit.

Without the doctrine of the Trinity, we will conclude that death of Jesus was to appease an angry God rather than to cleanse and heal us of our sinful guilt and unrighteousness. We will also treat the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force rather than the personal being who dwells within us and guides us.

Even though there is mystery around the Trinity—one God consisting of three distinct Persons—each of their roles in our lives has practical implications. We are perfectly loved by the Father, and through the Son, we have received and will continue to receive His love, and the Spirit then transforms us into God's beloved sons and daughters.

Enjoying the blessings of being so deeply loved by God heals our orphan spirit and restores our true identity as children of God. Jesus was able to be perfectly faithful and truthful all the way to the cross because He knew who He was and what He was meant to do. Likewise, when we stay grounded in our identity and life in God, we get to do great things—not just for God—but with God on our side.