The prophet Jeremiah conveyed the Lord’s sentiment concerning Jerusalem’s population. The Lord desired to locate even one person who lived and dealt honestly:

Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem
look around and consider
search through her square.

If you can find just one person
who deals honestly and seeks the truth,
I will forgive the city. (Jer. 5:1-2).¹

Such concern should be shown whatever lack of honesty and concern surrounds us. There is always a need for social and moral justice, for which we ourselves can seek and enjoy. Indeed, honest, righteous living in society is always a natural necessity. For when such is the case, people are not only honest but quick to obey the Lord. Thus, King David says to the Lord:

You have delivered me from the attack of the people;
you have made me the head of nations;
people I did not know are subject to me.

As soon as they hear me, they obey me;
foreigners cringe before me. (Ps. 18:43-44)

In an alphabetic psalm, he again reminds the people not to fear evil people: ”For like the grass it will soon whither, like green plants they will soon die away.” (Ps. 37:2; cf. vv. 35-36). In addition, he advises them to live whole-heartedly for the Lord (vv. 3-7). Here David emphasizes that one’s entire personality should be committed to the Lord: intellect (v. 3), emotions (v. 4), and will (vv.5-6). He then goes on to point out that whatever success evil doers may seem to have had, it will soon end for, evil men will “soon be cut off” (vv. 8-9).

In a later psalm, the psalmist praises God for his support amidst his troubles:

Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your love, O LORD, supported me.

When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought joy to my soul. (Ps. 94:17-19)

As Futato remarks, “Even though our minds are deeply agitated with all sorts of disturbing thoughts, God has a way of coming to comfort us and bring us joy in the middle of sorrows”.² Indeed, believers should remind themselves that the Lord is on their side to support and help them, however difficult the situation might be. Unlike the Israelites who soon forgot God’s gracious deliverance from Egypt (cf. Ps. 106:13), today’s believers should live faithfully to the Lord.

In a negative fashion one is reminded of King Rehoboam who rather than honestly trusting the Lord for deliverance, bought off Hazael, king of Aram, (cf. 2 Kings 12:17-18). On a positive note, the author of Proverbs speaks of a reward that an honest answer earns (cf. Prov. 24:26). Even:

The lips of the king speak as an oracle.
and his mouth should not betray justice.

Honest scales and balances are from the LORD;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.

Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.

Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth. (Prov. 16:10-13).

Surely,

“A truthful witness gives honest testimony”. (Prov. 12:17)

May all of us, then, resolve to make honesty a solid way of life, remembering that the Lord Jesus himself spoke of the high value of honesty, not only in the matter of speech, but our conduct (cf. Jn. 16:7). May we also remember that the promised Holy Spirit, who lives within the believer, is H e who will guide us “unto all truth” (Jn. 16:13).

As Thanksgiving Day arrives, may we find ourselves submissive to his teaching and living our life in full honesty and thankfulness. This is especially true as we look forward with hopefulness to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the hymn writer says:

Jesus is coming to earth again –
What if it were today?
Coming in power and love to reign –
What if it were today?

…….

Faithful and true will He find us here
If He should come today?
Watching in gladness and not in fear
If He should come today?
Signs of His coming multiply,
Morning light breaks in eastern sky;
Watch, for the time is drawing nigh –
What if it were today?³

---

¹ All scripture references from the NIV.

² Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms”, in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, eds. Philip W. Comfort (Carol Stream, Il., Tyndale House, 2009), VII:305.

³ Lelia N. Morris, “What If It Were Today?”.

What is the doctrine of the Trinity? It should be noted that the word Trinity is never given in the Bible; it was originally used by the church father Tertullian (ad 155–220).”¹ “The word trinity means ‘tri-unity’ or ‘three-in-oneness.’ It is used to summarize the teaching of Scripture that God is three persons yet one God.”² Essentially, the doctrine of the Trinity teaches these three things:

1. There is one God
2. God is three individual persons and each is fully God.
3. God is a unity (three-in-oneness)

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) summarizes these statements this way: “In the unity of the God-head there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.”³

These truths seem to contradict one another. How can there be one God and, yet, three individual persons that are also fully God? It is not something that we necessarily fully understand, but it is something that the Bible teaches. J. I. Packer said this:

The historic formulation of the Trinity...seeks to circumscribe and safeguard this mystery (not explain it; that is beyond us), and it confronts us with perhaps the most difficult thought that the human mind has ever been asked to handle. It is not easy; but it is true.⁴

Let’s investigate each of these statements regarding the doctrine of the Trinity.

One God

Where do we see the teaching that we have one God? We see it throughout the Old Testament. In fact, this was the teaching that at that time separated Judaism from other religions. Monotheism during ancient times was unique, as most nations accepted many gods.

We see this in Deuteronomy 6:4–5: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (emphasis mine).

The great declaration of the Jewish religion was that God was one Lord, and on that basis, he should be loved with all one’s heart, soul, and might. He was the only one worthy of worship because he was the only God. In fact, we see this reiterated by implication in the Ten Commandments through the prohibition against idols.

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. (emphasis mine)
Exodus 20:2–5

The implication is that God is the only God, and therefore, the Israelites should not worship other gods or make any idols before him. God is one.

We also see this teaching throughout the New Testament. James declares this in James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (emphasis mine).

James says even demons believe in monotheism. Paul similarly teaches this in 1 Corinthians 8:4: “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: ‘We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one’” (emphasis mine).

Paul teaches that there is only one God and that all other deities or idols are nothing at all. They are false. There is only one God in the world.

The teaching of the entire Scripture is very clear; there is only one God, and therefore, we should not worship any other. And because he is the only God, the Creator, we should love him with all our heart, soul, and might. Nobody else deserves our devotion and the best of our affections except God.

Three Individual Persons

But that is not the only thing the Scripture teaches about the Trinity. It also teaches that God is three separate persons.

Where do we see this?

We have seen this in every place that speaks of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as uniquely and fully God. We will consider a few Scriptures that teach this.

God the Father Is Fully God

Typically, when the term “God” is used in Scripture, it is referring to God the Father. We, obviously, see numerous verses about God, and therefore, there really is no discussion about whether or not God the Father is God. Genesis 1:1 says: “In the beginning God created heaven and earth.” Jesus taught the disciples to pray to the Father in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9). God the Father is uniquely and fully God.

Jesus Is Fully God

We also see throughout the Scriptures that Jesus is God. One of the initial prophecies about Jesus was that he would be called Mighty God. Isaiah 9:6 says this:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (emphasis mine)

In the book of Titus, Paul called Jesus God as well. He said: “While we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (emphasis mine)” (Titus 2:13).

It should be noted that not only does the Bible teach that Jesus is God, but that he is fully God. He is not fifty percent man and fifty percent God, but one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man, even though we may not be able to fully comprehend how this is possible. Listen to what Colossians 2:9 says about Jesus: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”

Christ is fully God. In addition, Hebrews 1:3 says this:

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (emphasis mine)

Christ being fully God is an important doctrine that has been constantly attacked throughout the centuries. Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses both teach that Jesus is a created being. Mormons believe he originally was an angel, and Jehovah’s Witnesses see him as only the Son of God, a created being, and not God.

These interpretations do not agree with sound doctrine; the Son of God is fully God. When Jesus was born, it was his humanity that came into being but he has always eternally existed as God (John 1:1, 8:58).

The Holy Spirit Is Fully God

Not only are the Son and Father fully God, but the Holy Spirit is fully God as well. This boggles the mind. However, Scripture clearly declares this reality. Look at Acts 5:3–4:

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” (emphasis mine)

Peter equates lying to the Holy Spirit as lying to God. Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul calls the church the “temple of God”, and, then, he says the Holy Spirit indwells us, equating the Holy Spirit to God. Listen to the text, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (emphasis mine)

It is very clear that even though the Scripture says that we have only one God, it also says that the Holy Spirit is God, the Father is God, and that Jesus is God.

Distinct

The Bible also teaches that the three persons of the God-head are distinct. Look at Matthew 3:15–17 at Jesus’ baptism:

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 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 lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (emphasis mine)

In this verse, we see the Trinity’s distinctness. Jesus comes out of the water from his baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon him like a dove, and God speaks saying, “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” Though they are one, we see them clearly operating individually and separately.

This is also an important doctrine of the Trinity to understand for there are many false teachings concerning it. One such false teaching is called modalism. Instead of God being three distinct persons that are unified, God is seen as being one person showing up or revealing himself in different modes. In the Old Testament, God revealed himself as God the Father. In the Gospels, God revealed himself as Jesus. In the book of Acts till now, God has revealed himself through the Spirit. It would be similar to me saying I am a husband at home, a pastor at church, and a professor in the classroom. I am the same person, but I wear three different hats.

But that is not what Scripture teaches. In Matthew 3:15-17, Christ is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends, and God speaks. They are all God but independent and distinct.

Unity of God

We have seen that we have only one God and that this God manifests himself in three unique and separate persons: Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. But we also see clear teaching that they are unified, that they are three in one. This is especially important in order to protect us from the false understanding of the Trinity called tritheism. Tritheism does not err in teaching the independence and distinct nature of the God-head. It errs in teaching that there is no unity at all. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct powerful gods that are not unified. However, Scripture clearly contradicts this. We have one God that is three separate persons that are fully God and are yet somehow unified. How do we see this throughout the Scripture?

Unity in the New Testament

John 10:29-30 says this: “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (emphasis mine).

Christ clearly declares to his disciples that he and the Father are one. Similarly, John 14:9–10 says this:

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. (emphasis mine)

Jesus said to Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (v. 9). Christ was in the Father and the Father was in him. There is unity within the God-head. They are separate and distinct, but they are also unified.

How else do we see this unity in Scripture?

Great Commission

We also see this unity in the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19–20 says this:

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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (emphasis mine)

What is interesting about the Great Commission is that Christ gave God a singular “name” (v.19), but then gave the three persons of God-head next: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He gives a singular name to refer to three distinct persons. This is a great evidence of their unity—their three in oneness.

Close Relationship

We also see some evidence for their unity in how they are often closely put together in many of the blessings or descriptions given in the epistles. We see this often in the writings of Paul. In 2 Corinthians 13:14, he says this: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” In this passage, Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are associated with one another and seen ministering with one another. Jesus gives grace, God gives love, and the Holy Spirit brings fellowship. This hints at the unity of their relationship in the Trinity. We see this also with Peter’s greeting in 1 Peter 1:1–2:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (emphasis mine)

God knows every believer intimately through his foreknowledge, the Spirit sanctifies believers by making them holy, and Christ cleanses them through his blood. Their close ministry together also hints at their unity.

Where else do we see this unity?

Unity in Works

We see this unity in statements that declare that Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are doing the same works. We will consider several examples of this.

Creation

Scripture teaches that God the Father created the earth: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

But it also teaches that Christ created all things. Listen to this: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him (emphasis mine)” (Colossians 1:16).

John says the same thing: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made (emphasis mine)” (John 1:1–3).

Not only do we see the distinctness of Christ as he was “with God,” but also the unity as he “was God” and made all things. God made all things, and yet, Christ made all things. Christ, the Word, is the Creator.

Similarly, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit was a part of the creation process, especially in the creation of humanity.

We see the Holy Spirit’s involvement from the very beginning of creation as it speaks of him “hovering over the waters” (Gen 1:2). We also can discern his involvement as God breathed the breath of life into man’s lifeless body (Gen 2:7). The word for breath in the Hebrew can also be translated Spirit. The Spirit was involved in creation. We see further evidence of this in how wisdom literature speaks of the Spirit’s current work in creating. Job 33:4 says; “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

Job claims that the Spirit of God created him. This would mean that not only was the Spirit involved in the initial creation of man, but also that the Spirit is necessary for the creation of every human today.

The Psalmist said the same thing about the creatures of the earth (cf. Psalm 104:25, 30). “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth” (Psalm 104:30).

How can God and Jesus have created all things, and yet, as Job said, the Spirit of God created him and David said the Holy Spirit creates animals? This can only be true if they are unified, if they are all equally God.

Dwelling in Our Hearts

We also see the same works ascribed to them in their indwelling of the hearts of believers. The Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son are said to indwell the hearts of believers. Look at these verses: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (emphasis mine), who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Paul calls believers the temple of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 6:19, but in 1 Corinthians 3:16, he calls them the temple of God. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple (emphasis mine) and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). God the Father and God the Holy Spirit both indwell the believer.

In Ephesians 3:16–17, we also see the Bible teaching that Christ indwells believers. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (emphasis mine).

What other works do we see shared amongst the God-head?

Protecting Salvation

We see all three persons working to keep the salvation of the believer. Listen to this text:

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
John 10:28–30

We see here that Jesus has the believers in his hand in order to keep them from perishing (v. 28). But God also has the believers in his hand as well for the same purpose (v. 29). Jesus then declares this is possible because they are one (v. 30).

We also see the Holy Spirit working to keep the salvation of believers. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (emphasis mine)” (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit seals every believer until the day of redemption. He is protecting them so they will not be lost and eternally condemned. We are in God’s hand, Jesus’ hand, and also in the grip of the Holy Spirit.

We see the unity of God in his works.

Unity in the Old Testament

Do we also see the unity of God in the Old Testament? Are there any ways that we see the doctrine of the Trinity?

In the Old Testament, the doctrine of the Trinity is never clearly taught, but there are many passages that suggest or imply Trinitarian doctrine.

What are these passages?

Plurality in Hebrew Words for God

As mentioned before, we may see an implication of the Trinity in the name Elohim. Elohim, which can be translated as God, is a plural noun that is typically used with a singular verb. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created (emphasis mine) the heavens and the earth.” Here, God (Elohim) is plural while the word created (bara) is singular, representing both God’s plurality and oneness.

Similarly, the Hebrew word “Adonai” (Lord) is also a plural noun that receives a singular verb. The Hebrew God is plural yet singular, as shown in the use of the names Elohim and Adonai.

Plurality in the Creation of Mankind

It should also be noted that when God made mankind, he did not make one human. He made two, which says something about God since man was made in his “image”. The image of God is seen in a plurality. Genesis 1:27 says this: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (emphasis mine).

When he says, “in the image of God he created him”, “him” is referring to man as a collective (mankind). He then describes how he created mankind as both “male and female.” We may see the plural nature of God hidden in the fact that he made mankind, “male and female.”

The singularity of the plural God may also be discerned in that the male and female would come together and be “one flesh,” a plural becoming singular. Listen to Genesis 2:24, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (emphasis mine).

What other ways is the Trinity implied in the Old Testament?

Plurality in the Plural Pronouns

We also see an implication of the Trinity in the plural pronouns used for God. Genesis 1:26 says this:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. (emphasis mine)

God says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” Who could he be referring to when he says “us” and “our”?

It does not seem to be referring to angels, as Scripture never clearly teaches that angels are made in the image of God. It must be himself that God is referring to by the plural pronouns. In the beginning there was a conversation amongst the members of the God-head about the creation of man.

This plural language is also seen in other sections of Scripture. Genesis 11:5–7 says:

But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other. (emphasis mine)

When God came down to the tower of Babel and confused the language of the people, he again referred to himself in plurality. “Let us go down and confuse their language.” It doesn’t say the Lord came down with his angels. It only says “the Lord” came down and said, “Let us.”

We see this also in Isaiah 6:8. It says, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (emphasis mine).

Right before commissioning Isaiah to prophesy to the nation of Israel, God refers to himself first in singular, “Whom shall I send” and then in plural “And who will go for us?”. Again this is probably an implication of the Trinity—God’s plurality, and yet, oneness.

God Distinguished from God in Passages

There are also passages in the Old Testament where one person is called God or Lord, and yet, distinguished from another person called God or Lord in the same scenario. This shows the distinctness of the individual persons in the God-head. Psalm 110:1 says this, “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” (emphasis mine).

Psalm 110:1 has messianic expectations. The Jews believed that David, who was the author of this passage, was talking about a conversation between God (LORD) and the messiah (Lord). God told the messiah to come and sit at his right hand till all his enemies were made a “footstool” for his feet. But what is interesting is that David calls them both, Lord. Jesus uses this passage to try to help the Pharisees recognize that the messiah would also be God. Consider their discussion in Matthew 22:41–46:

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”‘ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

It is clear from this text that David believed in the plurality of God. He declared that not only was God, LORD (Yahweh), but the messiah was also Lord (Adonai). A father or grandfather in the Hebrew context would never call a son, ‘Lord’. It was a patriarchal culture, and therefore, that would never happen. David, the grandfather of the coming messiah, only did this because he believed that the messiah was God and at the same time separate from God. The Pharisees could not explain this, and it is impossible for a Jewish person to explain it today unless he or she recognizes the plurality of God (cf. Isaiah 9:6).

We see the same thing happen in Malachi. The Lord God refers to the coming messiah as Lord. Malachi 3:1 says this, ‘“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty” (emphasis mine).

Yahweh (the LORD) distinguishes himself from the messiah in this passage by saying the “Lord” is coming to his temple. Malachi prophesied that the messiah was God but, at the same time, distinct from God. There are many implications of the Trinity in the Old Testament, even though they are not explicitly explained.

Therefore, the Bible teaches that there is only “one” God, but also teaches that God is three distinct persons. It also clearly teaches that these three distinct persons are a unity (three-in-oneness). Scripture teaches Trinitarian doctrine.

Roles in the Trinity

Another aspect of Trinitarian doctrine is the fact that there are roles within the Trinity. This is even implied by the familial names in the God-head. God is called God the Father (Matt 6:9) and Jesus is called God the Son (1 John 4:15). Scripture teaches that a son should submit to his father (Colossians 3:20), and this happens in the God-head as well. This submission is clearly seen throughout Scripture. John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (emphasis mine).God sends his Son into the world, and the Son obeys.

We also see Christ’s submission to the Father. Christ said this, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). He obeys the father throughout his life and gives his life in obedience to him. Listen to Christ’s prayer to the Father right before his crucifixion: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

We even see that Christ’s purpose in redemption is to bring glory to Father eternally. First Corinthians 15:24–28 says:

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. (emphasis mine)

Finally, Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit submits both to the Father (John 14:26) and to the Son (John 16:7, 15:26). Jesus told the disciples I will send you the Holy Spirit and also that the Father would send him. John 14:26 says: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (emphasis mine).

John 15:26 says: “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (emphasis mine).

There is perfect submission in the God-head. Jesus obeys and submits to the Father and seeks to bring glory to him (cf. John 17:4). The Holy Spirit seeks to bring glory to both the Son and to the Father (cf. John 16:14, 1 Cor 2:12). There is a perfect unity in their oneness.

It should also be added that there is perfect love in the Trinity. First John 4:8 says this: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (emphasis mine).

What did God do before the creation of man and angels? He lived in a perfect loving relationship with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And in this perfect loving relationship, there was submission and authority.

It is, therefore, no surprise that human relationships, which are meant to reflect the image of God, are built both on love and submission. Children love their parents and submit to their authority (cf. Eph 6:1). Wives love their husbands and also submit to them (cf. Eph 5:22). All human relationships should be built on love and submission as seen in the God-head. It is when there is a lack of love or a lack of submission that human relationships fall apart. This is true of the husband and wife relationship, the child and parent relationship, and also in work relationships.

We were made in the image of God, and therefore, we are called to reflect both love and submission.

Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity

Why is the doctrine of the Trinity important? Wayne Grudem gives six reasons.

First, the atonement is at stake. If Jesus is merely a created being, and not fully God, then it is hard to see how he, a creature, could bear the full wrath of God against all of our sins. Could any creature, no matter how great, really save us? Second, justification by faith alone is threatened if we deny the full deity of the Son. (This is seen today in the teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who do not believe in justification by faith alone.) If Jesus is not fully God, we would rightly doubt whether we can really trust him to save us completely. Could we really depend on any creature fully for our salvation? Third, if Jesus is not infinite God, should we pray to him or worship him? Who but an infinite, omniscient God could hear and respond to all the prayers of all God’s people? And who but God himself is worthy of worship? Indeed, if Jesus is merely a creature, no matter how great, it would be idolatry to worship him—yet the New Testament commands us to do so (Phil. 2:9–11; Rev. 5:12–14). Fourth, if someone teaches that Christ was a created being but nonetheless one who saved us, then this teaching wrongly begins to attribute credit for salvation to a creature and not to God himself. But this wrongfully exalts the creature rather than the Creator, something Scripture never allows us to do. Fifth, the independence and personal nature of God are at stake: If there is no Trinity, then there were no interpersonal relationships within the being of God before creation, and, without personal relationships, it is difficult to see how God could be genuinely personal or be without the need for a creation to relate to. Sixth, the unity of the universe is at stake: If there is not perfect plurality and perfect unity in God himself, then we have no basis for thinking there can be any ultimate unity among the diverse elements of the universe either. Clearly, in the doctrine of the Trinity, the heart of the Christian faith is at stake. Herman Bavinck says that “Athanasius understood better than any of his contemporaries that Christianity stands or falls with the confession of the deity of Christ and of the Trinity.” He adds, “In the confession of the Trinity throbs the heart of the Christian religion: every error results from, or upon deeper reflection may be traced to, a wrong view of this doctrine.”⁵

Certainly, we can see why this is such an important doctrine—one worth teaching and defending.

Applications

What are applications one can take from the doctrine of the Trinity?

1. The Trinity reminds us of why we should not make any idols of God.

There is nothing in the world like the God of the Bible. There is nothing that can accurately demonstrate the doctrine of the Trinity. It is a paradox. How can we make an idol of something that cannot be fully comprehended or demonstrated? There is nothing like the God of Scripture. He is the one and only God, and therefore, he deserves all our love and worship.

2. The Trinity reminds us of our need for community.

If God is a Trinity that has forever lived in communion, and humans are made in his image, how much more do we need continual fellowship? When God made man he did not make him to be alone; he made two which would become “one flesh.” Man was never meant to be independent. We need friends, family, church members, etc., for we were meant to grow and develop in community. This comes from being made in the image of God.

3. The Trinity reminds us of the order that should be seen in human relationships.

There is order in the Trinitarian relationship. The Son submits to the Father, the Spirit submits to both the Son and the Father, and all this is done in love (1 John 4:8). Therefore, we see the need for this order in our human relationships. We see this order in various ways.

This order is seen in citizens submitting to the government and its officials. Romans 13:1 says:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

This order is seen in employees submitting to employers. Colossians 3:22 says, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”

This order is also seen in congregants submitting to the leadership of the church. Hebrews 13:17 says:

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

This order is seen in children obeying their parents. Colossians 3:20 says, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

This order is seen in wives submitting to their husbands. “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18).

In fact, Paul uses the authority in the God-head as a reflection of the roles between a husband and wife. First Corinthians 11:3 says this: “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (emphasis mine).

It should be noted that the word “woman” should probably be translated “wife”. Women are not called to submit to every man, but only to their husbands (Col 3:18). Paul teaches the husband’s headship over the wife by comparing the husband to God and the wife to Christ. The wife is meant to submit to her husband in the same way that Christ submits to God.

Now, this may sound chauvinist and sexist and some have declared it so. However, it is not chauvinist or sexist because God created the sexes, and he made the husband and wife relationship to reflect the order in the Trinity. Christ is not less than God the Father. They are coequal, but there is order in their relationship. In the same way, the husband and wife are coequal, but there is order in their relationship as it reflects the image of God.

As we consider all these areas of authority given by God, which reflect the Trinity, it also must be remembered that all these relationships must be centered in love (1 John 4:8). Submission in the God-head happens in a loving relationship. It should be the same for citizens and government officials, employees and employers, church members and leadership, children and parents, and husbands and wives. Without love and submission, society will fall apart.

What else does the Trinity teach us?

4. The Trinity reminds us that the authorship of Scripture is divine.

Paradoxical doctrines in the Bible, such as the Trinity, are a form of evidence for its divine origin. Man would never make up doctrines such as this. They would make up doctrines one could fully understand and comprehend; however, the Bible is full of paradoxes.

How can Jesus be one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man? That doesn’t make any sense. How can God be in control of everything, yet man still have free-will? How can God be three in one? These are mysteries.

However, they make perfect sense if the Bible has been written by an infinite God. A finite mind could never fully comprehend something “infinite” such as God. Therefore, if Scripture is truly divine, then one should expect to find such mysteries as the Trinity in it. We should expect to not “fully comprehend” an infinite God.

Review Questions

1. What are three essential statements about the Trinity?
2. What ways do we see the doctrine of the Trinity throughout Scripture? What implications of the Trinity do we see in the Old Testament?
3. What are some false ways of looking at the Trinity that have been taught throughout church history?
4. What are some applications we can take from the “authority” and “love” seen in the Trinity? Where is God calling you to model the God-head in demonstrating these characteristics better?
5. Why do you think paradoxes like the Trinity are so common in the Scripture? What are some other seemingly doctrinal paradoxes? How do you reconcile this with your faith?

Prayer Prompts

• Pray that we would experience the unity, fellowship, and love of the Trinity within our small groups and churches (John 17:21–23). Ask for the removal of all division and the reconciliation of people who are estranged.
• Pray that the church would demonstrate the order of the Trinity in all of our affairs: as children submit to parents, wives to husbands, members to church leaders, and citizens to leaders of government, so that God will be glorified (Romans 13:1).
• Pray that we may experience the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” in our homes, churches, and individual lives (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Copyright 2014 Gregory Brown

The primary Scriptures used are New International Version (1984) unless otherwise noted. Other versions include English Standard Version, New Living Translation, and King James Version.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ® (ESV ®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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¹ Mark Driscoll; Gerry Breshears. Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2010), 12. 

² Wayne A. Grudem. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 226.

³ Mark Driscoll; Gerry Breshears. Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2010), 12.

⁴ Mark Driscoll; Gerry Breshears. Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2010), 12.

⁵ Wayne A. Grudem. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 247-248.

December 2, 2018

In February, 1977, just shy of my 30th birthday, I began to serve as the pastor of a small church in a Southern California mountain community. To say that I was unsure of whether I could fulfill the demands of the job is a gross understatement! I told the Lord that I’d try it for three years and then see where things were at. By His grace alone, I served that church for just over 15 years before moving to Flagstaff, where I’ve served for over 26 years.

You might think that the longer you serve the Lord, the more confident and competent you become, but the longer I’ve served, the more inadequate I feel. But that’s good, because it forces you to realize that you have to depend on the Lord for His blessing. If He doesn’t work far beyond your inadequacy, everything will bomb. Even the apostle Paul, who was more gifted and more zealous than all of us, exclaimed (2 Cor. 2:16), “Who is adequate for these things?” A few verses later (2 Cor. 3:5), he explained, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.”

If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, He wants you to serve Him in some way in line with the gifts He has given you. Peter wrote (1 Pet. 4:10-11):

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This church will be healthy only to the extent that every member uses his or her gifts in dependence on the Lord, seeking Him constantly for His blessing on His church. Serving the Lord is more of a mindset and way of life than a particular job or role. It’s who you are if Jesus has saved you. If He bought you with His blood, then you are not your own. You’re His slave and you serve however, wherever, and whenever He wants you to serve.

But perhaps you want to serve the Lord, but you feel paralyzed by inadequacy. Remember, in Jesus’ parable of the talents, it was the guy with only one talent who buried it, but then got chewed out by his master (Matt. 25:14-30). So if you think you’re an inadequate, “one-talent” Christian, be careful not to bury what the Lord entrusted to you. He expects you to use your one talent for His kingdom purposes. I want to talk about how to serve the Lord when you feel inadequate to do so.

No passage of Scripture has had a more profound impact on my service for Christ than the accounts of the feeding of the 5,000. You could argue that it’s the most significant miracle Jesus performed, since it’s the only miracle reported in all four gospels. The Lord used this incident to train the twelve. We see this in His pointed challenge (Luke 9:13), “You give them something to eat!” John 6:6 tells us that Jesus was testing them (especially Philip), knowing what He was about to do. The miracle itself is almost passed over. We’re never told exactly how Jesus did it. The focus is not on the spectacular nature of the miracle, but on what it teaches those who serve Jesus about how He meets the overwhelming needs of others through them.

Christ gives us His adequacy to meet the overwhelming needs of people when we yield our inadequacy to Him.

Three things stand out in this story: the needy people; the inadequate disciples; and the adequate Lord Jesus.

1. People are needy.

The apostles returned from their first preaching tour (Luke 9:1-6) and gave an account to Jesus of all that they had done (v. 10). Jesus withdrew with them near to Bethsaida, on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee. Mark 6:31 tells us that the purpose of the getaway was rest. Mark also states that there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and the disciples didn’t even have time to eat. So they got in the boat and started off across the lake for a short “vacation.”

But the five-mile trip across the lake was the only vacation they got! The people saw them going and ran there from all the cities and got there ahead of them. When the disciples saw that crowd of needy people waiting for them on the shore, they must have thought, “Oh, no! Lord, how can we escape?”

The fact that this many people would go to this effort to be with Jesus shows how needy they were. If you had asked around the crowd, many would have said that their greatest need was for physical healing. There were blind, deaf, lame, diseased and dying people there. By the end of the day, others would have said that their greatest need was for food. There was no food in that desolate place. Others had other needs. But whether anyone recognized it or not, every person’s greatest need was spiritual. Jesus could heal their bodies and fill their stomachs, but that was only a stopgap measure if they perished in their sins. So Jesus taught them about the kingdom of God, how they could rightly be related to Jesus the King (Luke 9:11).

I’ve seen a bumper sticker that reads, “Life is tough; then you die!” If a person does not know Christ and have the hope of eternal life, that bumper sticker is really true! Sin has taken a terrible toll on the human race. Often the problems people have can be the entry point for us to serve them, not only physically or emotionally, but also spiritually, which is their greatest need. But that’s where we encounter our own problem:

2. We are inadequate to meet people’s overwhelming needs.

Note the contrast between Jesus’ attitude toward the multitude and that of the disciples: Jesus welcomed them (Luke 9:11), but the disciples said to Jesus (Luke 9:12), “Send the crowd away.” Maybe the disciples were just being practical about how to provide food for this huge crowd, but given the situation, I think it’s legitimate to assume that they were exhausted. They wanted a break from the needy people.

Then Jesus said something utterly ridiculous (Luke 9:13): “You give them something to eat!” “Say again, Lord?” “You give them something to eat!” There were 5,000 men, plus women and children. Assuming two children per couple, there were 20,000 mouths to feed! The only food the disciples could come up with was a boy’s meager lunch (John 6:9), five loaves and two fish. So we see the complete inadequacy of the disciples to meet this overwhelming need that Jesus commands them to meet.

The manner in which Jesus performed this miracle is significant. He could have called down manna from heaven. This miracle took place in the wilderness and having the people sit in groups of fifty pictures Israel in the wilderness under Moses, camped by tribes. Calling down manna would have shown Jesus to be the new Moses. But He didn’t do it that way.

Or, Jesus could have spoken the word and a loaf of bread would have appeared miraculously in each person’s hand. It would have been much more impressive than the quiet way He did this miracle. And it would have been much more efficient than having the 12 disciples distribute the bread and fish to this huge crowd. Each disciple would have had to serve over 1,600 people, which must have taken a long time.

Or Jesus could have called angels who could have taken the bread from His hand and flown directly to each group and given them the food. People would have been amazed. They would have talked about it for the rest of their lives.

But how did Jesus do it? He used the weary, inadequate disciples to distribute the bread and fish to the people. I’m convinced that the Lord did the miracle that way to teach the disciples that His method for meeting the overwhelming needs of a lost world is through His people. But not just any kind of people. He uses inadequate people!

Jesus uses tired, emotionally drained people. The disciples had just returned from their first preaching tour. Jesus knew that they were tired and needed a rest. But their only rest had been the short trip across the lake. True, Jesus let them rest all day as He taught and healed the multitude. But we see their tiredness and emotional weariness in their request, “Send them away.”

Jesus uses busy people. They didn’t even have time to eat because of all the people coming and going (Mark 6:31). I thought that our hectic schedules were unique to our culture, but apparently not! I’ve worked as a banquet waiter, so I know that once they started handing out the food to this huge crowd, the people were making demands: “Over here! We need more bread here!” They were busy men! But invariably the Lord doesn’t use people with extra time on their hands. He uses people who are already busy. The disciples didn’t have time to eat until that entire crowd had been served.

Jesus uses people who lack resources. The disciples’ comment (v. 13) about buying enough food for all these people was probably said with some sarcasm. They didn’t have nearly enough money to do that. Philip did a quick calculation and told Jesus that 200 denarii (seven to eight months’ wages) would not be enough to give each person just a little bread (John 6:7). Obviously, the disciples didn’t have anywhere near that much cash in hand. Besides, they were in a desolate place. Even if they went to Bethsaida to buy bread, the town wouldn’t have had enough bread to feed this crowd. They were hopelessly lacking in the resources to feed this multitude.

Some people say, “I’ll serve the Lord someday, but I’m too busy to get involved right now.” Or, they think, “I plan to give generously to the Lord’s work after I get my finances in better shape. But right now I can’t give much.” But they’re making the mistake of thinking that serving Christ is something we volunteer to do when we have adequate time, energy, and financial resources. Then they’ll volunteer to serve Him.

But Jesus doesn’t work through volunteers. He works through His servants (the Greek word means, “slaves”; see John MacArthur, Slave [Thomas Nelson]). Slaves don’t volunteer to serve. They don’t tell their masters, “I’ll clean your house and fix dinner tomorrow, but I’m too tired and busy today!” Slaves serve when they’re tired, wiped out, busy, and lacking in resources. Slaves serve because they’re under obligation to their master (Luke 17:7-10).

How do we do it? By yielding our inadequacy to the adequate Master to use as He pleases. Five small loaves and two fish, a boy’s lunch—not much to feed such a crowd. In Matthew 14:18, Jesus says, “Bring them here to Me!” That’s the key! Give your inadequate resources and abilities to Jesus. The insufficient becomes more than sufficient when surrendered to Christ! That points us to the third prominent feature of this story. We see the needy people; the inadequate disciples; and, the adequate Lord:

3. Christ gives us His adequacy when we yield our inadequacy to Him to use as He pleases.

Two thoughts:

A. Yield what you have, not what you don’t have.

That sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But so often we make up excuses about what we don’t have and we fail to offer to Jesus what we do have: “If I just had more time, I’d serve the Lord!” “If I just had more money, I’d give regularly to the Lord’s work!” “If I just had the ability that others have, I’d serve the Lord.” “If I just ...”! But Jesus didn’t use the 200 denarii and all the bread in Bethsaida, which the disciples didn’t have. He used the five loaves and two fish that they did have. Jesus doesn’t ask you to give Him what you don’t have. He asks you to give Him what you do have.

A country preacher went to a farmer in his church and asked, “If you had two farms, would you be willing to give one farm to God?” “Yes,” replied the farmer. “I only wish I were in a position to do it.” The preacher persisted, “If you had $20,000, would you give $10,000 to the Lord’s work?” The farmer replied, “Yes, I’d love to have that kind of money! I’d gladly give $10,000 to the Lord’s work.” Then the preacher sprang his trap: “If you had two pigs, would you give one to the Lord’s work?” The farmer blurted out, “That’s not fair! You know I’ve got two pigs!”

The Lord doesn’t use what you don’t have. He uses the inadequate things you do have when you yield them to Him.

B. Yield your inadequacy to Him to use as He pleases.

The disciples weren’t giving the orders here. They were following Jesus’ orders (Luke 9:14): “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” “Eat what, Lord?” “It won’t work, Lord!” “This is crazy, Lord!” No, they did what Jesus commanded. Yield yourself to Him and let Him do as He sees fit. What Jesus did with this boy’s lunch is what He does with us when we yield our inadequate abilities and resources to Him:

• Jesus blesses.

Without His blessing, we’re wasting our time. Psalm 127:1: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” Do you covet God’s blessing in your life and service for Him? Decades ago, Watchman Nee’s chapter, “Expecting the Lord’s Blessing” (Twelve Baskets Full [Hong Kong Church Book Room], 2:48-64) deeply affected me. I’ve read it many times. Nee argues that everything in God’s work depends on His blessing. If it is there, even an insufficient amount is sufficient; if it is lacking, the greatest resources and efforts in the world will not be enough.

By God’s blessing, Nee means a working of God that is far in excess of human calculations. If you scrape together 200 denarii and buy enough bread to give everyone a little, that is not God’s blessing. But if there is no human way to explain the results by the gifts or the efforts of those involved, that is God’s blessing. It’s not that we’re sloppy about our work and expect God to cover for our laziness or incompetence. We ought to work hard and be skilled in what we do for the Lord. But to have God’s blessing is not to expect results in proportion to my hard work or my talents, but for God to do “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).

So often we’re just like the disciples. We see the need and start calculating with what we don’t have. Pastors think, “If I just had Bill Gates in my congregation as a tither!” But as Nee points out (ibid., p. 63),

If we have to accumulate sufficient wages to buy bread for the needy multitudes, years and years will elapse before their need is met. We must expect God to work beyond all that man can conceive.

Without the Lord’s blessing, five loaves and two fish were ridiculously inadequate. With His blessing, it was more than enough. However you serve, seek God’s blessing and make sure that nothing in your life hinders it!

• Jesus breaks.

After blessing the bread, Jesus broke it. Blessing and brokenness go together. You won’t find God’s blessing apart from God’s breaking. You can see it in the lives of every person God has used. Abraham and Sarah had to be past their ability to produce a child before God gave them Isaac. Jacob had to be crippled in his hip before he prevailed with God. Moses had to fail in his own strength and spend forty years tending sheep in the desert before God used him to deliver Israel. David wrote (Ps. 51:17), “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Vance Havner observed (source unknown),

God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.

Most of us aren’t too weak to serve the Lord. We’re too strong, or at least we think we are. The Lord does not want our adequacy; He wants our inadequacy so that we trust Him to supply what we lack. When we’re weak, then we’re strong (2 Cor. 12:10). His strength is made perfect in our weakness when we yield ourselves to Him and allow Him to bless, break, multiply, and distribute our few loaves and fish to meet the needs of others. Jesus blesses; He breaks. Then,

• Jesus satisfies.

Luke 9:16b-17a: He “kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. And they all ate and were satisfied.” The “all” included the boy who generously gave up his lunch! Everyone had enough. No one went hungry.

Don’t miss the end of verse 17: “The broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.” How many disciples? Twelve! How many full leftover baskets? Twelve! A basket full for each disciple! But the disciples had to serve the hungry multitude first; only after that did they each collect their basket full. Sometimes we worry, “If I give my time and energy and money to serve the Lord, I’ll be drained and burned out!” But as Jesus goes on to explain (Luke 9:24), “Whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Lose yourself serving Jesus and He will make sure you get a basket full for yourself! You may be tired, but you’ll be full of joy in Jesus!

Conclusion

The bread in this miracle is symbolic of Christ. After performing this miracle, He said (John 6:35), “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” The Lord is teaching that if we will surrender ourselves to Him to use as He pleases in meeting the needs of others, then He will satisfy us with a full measure of Himself.

We hear a lot about “burnout.” While we all need adequate rest and time off, we can test our labors for the Lord by this: If we’re burned out, probably we’ve been trying to meet others’ needs with our inadequate abilities and resources. But if we come away tired, yes, but with the satisfaction of the fulness of Christ left over in our souls, then the Lord’s blessing was on us.

Do you feel inadequate to serve the Lord? Hudson Taylor, the great 19th century founder of The China Inland Mission, said that when God decided to open inland China to the gospel He looked around to find a man who was weak enough for the purpose (E. H. Broadbent, The Pilgrim Church, p. 40). He also said (Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission; The Growth of a Work of God [China Inland Mission], p. 279), “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.”

Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China (we stood by his grave in Macao in 1987), was asked, “Do you really expect to make an impact on that great land?” “No, sir,” he replied, “but I expect God to.”

A. T. Pierson said of George Muller, who supported thousands of orphans without ever making their needs known (George Muller of Bristol [Revell], p. 112), “Nothing is more marked in George Muller, to the very day of his death, than this, that he so looked to God and leaned on God that he felt himself to be nothing, and God everything.”

We’re inadequate to meet the overwhelming needs in this world. But when we yield ourselves to our adequate Savior, He blesses, He breaks, and He satisfies.

Application Questions

1. Since there are so many needs in the world, how do we know where to devote our time, effort, and money?
2. Is it ever right to say “no” to the needs and demands of people? How can you know when to say “no”?
3. Sometimes you should refuse to serve because you know that you are not so gifted. How do you know if God wants you to trust Him to serve in a situation that threatens you?
4. Are there conditions we must meet to experience God’s blessing? What are they?

Copyright Steven J. Cole, 2018, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

The Hebrew word “indeed” can certainly stand emphatically for that which is to be especially emphasized. Associated with this thought is an emphasis on that which is trustworthy and/or faithful, hence properly rendered at times as “indeed”. Several psalms utilize the word “indeed”. For example, in Psalm 58 David defends the righteousness of the Lord in the face of the unrighteous (cf. vv. 10-11). As the psalm begins, however, David addresses unjust rulers. He begins by citing their injustice:

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge uprightly among men?

No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth. (vv. 1-2)¹

As Van Gemeren remarks, “The wicked judges do not render a judgment characterized by righteousness … and equity. … The Lord’s rule, on the other hand, is characterized by ‘righteousness’ and ‘equity’”.² Futato suggests also that not only political rulers, but church leaders also have been known to make unjust decisions.³

Although we live in a world that too often is suppressed by unjust leadership, such does not mean that anyone of its residents is entitled to behave in the same manner. The scriptural teaching remains true that, “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov. 14:34).

Moreover, the Lord is He who gives “what is good … righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps” (Ps. 85:12-13). Kenneth L. Barker remarks that God’s “blessings result in the enjoyment of ‘what is good’”⁴ Although Barker appears to intend his remarks to apply to the Israelites, nevertheless the principle remains applicable to today’s world: “Those who fear him will enjoy the benefits of his kingdom of “righteousness”.⁵

Indeed, it may surely be said that God is well deserving of our praise for all we are we owe to the Lord, including our protection. For God himself is our shield even as Ethan the Ezrahite wrote:

Blessed are those who have acclaimed you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

They rejoice in your name all day long;
they exult in your righteousness,

For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exult our horn.

Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the holy one of Israel. (Ps. 89:15-18)

Another example may be seen in a later psalm which records that at one time the Israelites, “were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it (i.e., that is, as Israel approached the land of Canaan)” (Ps. 105:11). In this psalm it is recalled that even in their wilderness wanderings, and despite their own actions, and even though they were few in number, God’s protective hand was over them (vv. 13-14).

So also, the psalmist, who wrote Psalm 121, speaks of God’s protective hand extending and watching over his people. As Perowne remarks, “the Creator of the Universe, the Keeper of the nation, is also the Keeper of the individual.”⁶ Not only was this true for Israel as a nation but for all of God’s people.

Truly the Lord watches over God’s people. His protection is ever near. Even as the psalmist expresses it:

He will not let your foot slip –
he who watches over you will not slumber;

Indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep (Ps. 121:3-4).

As the psalmist says what was true for Israel (cf. Ps 87:5) is still certainly true for all God’s people (Ps. 121:5-8). Thus, the hymn writer wrote:

I trust in God wherever I may be …
Upon the land or on the rolling sea,
For come what may, from day to day,
My Heav’nly Father watches over me.
I trust in God – I know He cares for me.
On mountain bleak or on the stormy seas;
Tho’ billows roll, He keeps my soul,
My Heav’nly Father watches over me,⁷

Moreover, God is the believer’s true source of strength as it says in Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”. As I have written elsewhere, “Even in times of testing a committed believer can be assured of God’s presence and strength, including the need for necessary physical strength (Ps. 18:1-2). For in our weakness we can find God’s strength to be our sufficiency for each day’s challenges (2 Cor. 12:9-11).”⁸

Therefore, as we read/study the Scriptures we can “indeed” be assured that God indeed is a righteous God who wants us to experience His righteousness, His protection, His faithfulness, and His guidance in our life. May we, then, “indeed” be ready and eager to look to him for all of life’s actions and adventures.

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¹ All scripture references are from the NIV.

² Willem A. Van Gemeren, “Psalms”, in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), V:466.

³ Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms, in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, eds. Philip W. Comfort (Carol Stream, Il., Tyndale House, 2009), VII:201.

⁴ Kenneth L. Barker, “Psalms”, in Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), I:886.

⁵ IBID.

⁶ J.J. Stewart Perowne, “The Book of Psalms”, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), 2: 373.

⁷ W.C. Martin and Charles H. Gabriel, “My Father Watches Over Me.”.

⁸ Richard D. Patterson, “Source of True Strength” in Bible. Org, 2013, 10.