The Trinity: Three in One

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19‐20, NASB

It seems that the Holy Spirit (also known as the Holy Ghost) is the least talked about and most misunderstood part of the Trinity. How would you explain the attributes of the Holy Spirit if asked by a co‐worker who is honestly seeking to know more about Him? As a starting point of explaining the full potential Christians have in living by the Spirit, here’s the basics you need to know about the Trinity.

  • We worship one God (Deut. 6:4, 1 Tim. 2:5, and John 10:30), who reveals Himself as three distinct persons (Matt. 3:16‐17). Thus He is called a Triune God.
  • The three identities of God are (see Matt. 28:19 and 2 Cor. 13:14): God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
  • One of the simplest ways to explain the complex theology of the Trinity is to think of the different roles you play as one person. A woman may be a wife, mother, sister, and daughter, each with uniquely different roles yet she is still just one being. (Though this is still a flawed illustration, hopefully it helps.)

The Holy Spirit’s Attributes

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying,
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.’” Zechariah 4:6, NASB

So how do we get the Holy Spirit and what does He do? Before Jesus was glorified (raised from the dead and ascended to Heaven), the Holy Spirit is only seen in Scripture working through the lives of certain faithful Believers. Starting on the day of Pentecost (John 7:38‐39 and Acts 2:1‐4), the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Church on an unprecedented scale. The Helper had come, just as Jesus promised (John 14:16‐17), and now all Believers receive the Holy Spirit when they get saved (Acts 2:38).

These are the roles the Holy Spirit plays in a Believer’s life:

  • He gives liberty/freedom from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1‐2, Rom. 8:15‐16, 2 Cor. 3:17‐18, and Titus 3:5)
  • He seals our salvation (Eph. 1:13 and 4:30; John 3:5; Romans 8:9 and 15‐16; and 2 Cor. 1:21‐22)
  • He dwells in Believers; we are a temple of God (I Cor. 3:16 and 6:19‐20)
  • He is omnipresent/always with you (Ps. 139:7, Joshua 1:9, Haggai 2:5, and John 14:17)
  • Our Comforter (Acts 9:31, John 14:16 in KJV)
  • Our Guide (John 16:13, Ps. 143:10, and Rom. 8:14)
  • Our Helper (John 14:16‐17, 14:26, 15:26, and 16:7)
  • Our Teacher, instructs us and reminds us of the teachings of Christ (John 14:26, 1 Cor. 2:10‐16, Nehemiah 9:20, and Ezekiel 36:27)
  • Spirit of Truth, guides us into truth (John 14:17, 15:26, and 16:13)
  • Spirit of Wisdom (Isaiah 11:2, Eph. 1:17, Mark 13:11, and 1 Cor. 12:8)
  • Spirit of Power (Acts 1:8)
  • Spirit of Grace (Heb. 10:29 and Zech. 12:10)
  • He gives us rest (Isaiah 63:14)
  • He gives us joy (I Thess. 1:6, Luke 10:21, and Acts 13:52)
  • He gives us hope (Romans 15:13)
  • He gives us life and peace (Romans 8:6, 2 Cor. 3:6, and John 6:63)
  • He gives spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:8‐11, 28; Romans 12:6‐8; Eph. 4:11‐12; and 1 Peter 4:10)
  • He intercedes for us in prayer (Romans 8:26‐27)
  • He admonishes us and convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (Neh. 9:30 and John 16:7‐11)

The first thing that probably comes to mind when considering the Holy Spirit working in Believers’ lives is the fruit (character traits) that flows from them when they are “living by the Spirit”. Remember those? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‐control (Galatians 5: 22‐23). Travis Agnew states, “If you desire to see the fruit of the Spirit in your life, then release control of every area. Allow the Spirit of God to guide your steps, thoughts, habits, and actions, and you will begin to see His fruit.” 1

Examples in the Bible

We see many examples in God’s Word of lives being impacted by the Holy Spirit. God’s people were given extra protection, they prophesied, did signs and wonders, and were delivered in ways that no man could ever accomplish in his own strength.

As David Platt says in his book Radical, “God delights in using ordinary Christians who come to the end of themselves and choose to trust in His extraordinary provision. He stands ready to allocate His power to all who are radically dependent on Him and radically devoted to making much of Him”. 2

Let’s look back at some of those who were touched by God’s Spirit:

  • Bezalel, in order to do craftsmanship for God’s tabernacle (Ex. 31:1‐5)
  • 70 elders, who prophesied to the people of Israel (Numbers 11:25)
  • Joshua, in succeeding Moses as leader of Israel (Numbers 27:18)
  • Gideon, in preparation to deliver Israel (Judges 6:34)
  • Jephthah, given protection in time of war (Judges 11:29)
  • Samson, who delivered Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:25 and 14:19)
  • Saul, at various times before and after becoming king of Israel (1 Samuel 10:10, 11:6, and 16:14)
  • David, anointed as king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:13)
  • Mary, in her conception of Jesus (Matt. 1:19‐20)
  • Zacharias, prophesized about his son John (Luke 1:67‐79)
  • John the Baptist, to prepare the people for the Lord’s coming (Luke 1:15‐17)
  • Simeon, in prophesying to Jesus’ earthly parents (Luke 2:25‐33)
  • Saul, missionary of the Gospel (Acts 9:17‐18 and 13:2)
  • The Early Church, doing signs, wonders, and miracles (Heb. 2:4)
  • Writers of the Bible, moved/inspired to write the words of God (2 Peter 1:20‐21 and Acts 1:16, 20/Ps. 109:8)
  • And, most importantly, Jesus Christ (Luke 3:21‐23, Luke 4:1, Matthew 3:16‐17, Matthew 4:1, and Isaiah 11:2)

Our Response: Being Filled with the Spirit

“…we were created for a purpose much greater than ourselves, the kind of purpose
that can only be accomplished in the power of His Spirit.” ~David Platt 2

As in the lives of the Bible characters above, we too can live an abundant life, when filled with the Spirit. When Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit in John 7:37‐39, He says Believers will have “rivers of living water” flowing from within them. It’s not enough to just get saved and receive the Holy Spirit, there should be evidence that we are daily walking in, living by, and being led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25 and Romans 8:14). Travis Agnew explains, “In reality, Spirit‐led people are not those who have more of the Spirit, the Spirit simply has more of them.” 1

This means that we are to allow the Spirit to take control of every area of our life and to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices, in order to please God (Romans 12:1). And what are the things that please God? Resisting temptation, obeying His commands, helping those in need, sharing the Gospel, and many other things that characterize the Christian life. The Holy Spirit is the Helper that enables us to do these things. Even though our society praises self‐sufficiency, we cannot accomplish these things on our own.

Here are a few more things that the Spirit enables us to do:

  • Walk in the statutes of the Lord and observe His ordinances (Ezekiel 36:26‐27 and John 14:15‐16)
  • Have “thoughts and intentions of the heart” that are pleasing to God (Heb. 4:12)
  • Live without fear (Haggai 2:5)
  • Glorify God in our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19‐20 and Romans 8:12‐14)
  • Abstain from every form of evil and fleshly desire, if we don’t quench/resist the Spirit’s leading (1 Thess. 5:19‐22, Acts 7:51‐53, Eph. 4:17‐32, Heb. 4:7, and Gal. 5:16‐26)
  • Boldly share the Gospel with others (Isaiah 61:1‐2, Acts 1:8, and Acts 4:31)
  • Serve others with our spiritual gifts (I Peter 4:10‐11 and 1 Cor. 12:8‐11, 28)
  • Endure persecution (Luke 12:11‐12 and I Thess. 1:6)
  • Make the most of our time here on earth (Eph. 5:15‐18)

Will you keep your “mind set on the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5‐6) and the things of God today? David Platt gives us this challenge, “His power is so superior to ours. Why do we not desperately seek it?” 2

Spend some time in prayer, asking God for a heart that desires and desperately seeks to do His will and for the Spirit to help you glorify God in all that you do. May we all be known by the fruit that others see flowing out from our lives (Matt. 7:16‐20)!

Digging Deeper

If you want to learn more about the Holy Spirit, reading chapter three of the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream by David Platt 2, is a great start. It discusses the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit in a powerful and insightful way.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13, NIV 1984

1 An emailed devotional written by Travis Agnew, distributed by LifeWay in 2010.

2 Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream, written by David Platt and published by Multnomah Books.