The ancient people of God, the Israelites, the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were chosen to receive a special message from God revealing to them who He was, how they could have a relationship with Him, and what His plan was for His chosen people.  

In an age filled with paganism and idol worship, God impressed upon Moses and his people that He was God, the Great “I Am”, the One and only God.  He is the God who raised Abraham to birth a nation.  He is the God who raised up Moses to rescue a nation.  He is the God who raised up David to defend a nation.  This truth that there is but one God and only one God was deeply impressed upon the Israelites.  Moses shared the words God wanted them to hear and they adopted the Shema prayer.  It became, as it were, their Confession of Faith. It is recorded in the 4th chapter of Deuteronomy:

“Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.” - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

For over 3,000 years, the Jewish people have said this prayer twice daily.  “Listen, O Israel:  The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”  The concept of One God was rooted deeply into their minds and souls.

There were hints in the Old Testament regarding the Triune nature of God but this concept was not fully understood.  Then, in fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”  (Luke 2:52 )  He then taught them truth and performed signs and wonders and claimed to be one with the Father.  He claimed the ability to forgive sins (Mark 2) and permitted His followers to worship Him. (Matthew 28)  He identified Himself in the same way the Father identified Himself by claiming to be “I AM”. (John 8)  Finally, He claimed to be equal to God. (John 5)

True believers accepted Christ as the “One and only begotten” Son of God.  Imagine how confused many were as they tried to comprehend God the Father and His relationship with God the Son.  Those who were well-learned in the scriptures were aware of references in the Old Testament to a coming Savior and had learned of the Christophanies in times past.  

They had been looking through a glass darkly but now they were face to face with the One who had been prophesied to come by many prophets of old.  They had known only in part, but now they knew Him more fully.

This revelation of the trinity became more clearly understood when Jesus promised His disciples a Counselor:  This “Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”  (John 14:26)  Before Christ ascended from the earth He promised them an anointing and an empowering through the Holy Spirit.  “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit,”  Jesus promised.  (Acts 1:5) 

In Acts chapter 2 His disciples experienced first hand a personal and intimate outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Now, they knew “The LORD our God is one, the only One” and they had spent three years witnessing Jesus Christ manifest Himself in His humanity and in His divine nature and they had witnessed the power and infilling of the Holy Spirit.  

They had to conclude that:

• There is only one God
• However, there are three persons
• And each of the three persons is fully God.

It was a mystery.  We will try to unfold that mystery in subsequent articles and videos.

How can three distinct persons of the Trinity be fully God?  If I put cream and sugar in my coffee it is not fully coffee, nor is it fully sugar or cream.  There is no human or earthly analogy that can adequately demonstrate this supernatural Being who is one God but also three distinct persons.  Each person performs separate functional activities and yet, each is not an addition to God, but each is fully God.

The Shema Prayer instructs us to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”  Jesus would later refer to this as the greatest commandment.

Are we to love the essence of the one true God or are we to love the Triune God?  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

Who are we to pray to?  The Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit?

We love God the Father.  If you are fortunate enough to have had a good and godly earthly father, then you can relate to God as your Father.  We love Him because He brought us into existence.  We love Him because He has provided all that is necessary for us to thrive.  We love Him because He is our protector and defender against an enemy we cannot defeat but He has already defeated.

We love God the Son.  He is our creator, by Him all things were made and He is our sustainer.  He left the heavenlies to descend to the earth and take on human form…forever.  Imagine God willing to become human.  Such love!  He made the long trek to the cross, tortured and beaten the whole way.  Even though He could have called a legion of warrior angels to rescue Him, He submitted to the cross and there He bore all of our sin.  Such love!  With His own blood He purchased our salvation for all who would repent and believe.  And for good measure, He threw in eternal life.  “Oh, How I Love Jesus.”  How can those who truly love Him take His name in vain?  We must not desecrate His name because “His Name is Wonderful.”  His name is holy.

We love the Holy Spirit.  We feel uncomfortable when He (please, the Holy Spirit is a person, we must never refer to Him as an “it”), convicts us of sin.  He provides the tough love that brings the hungry soul to Christ.  Have you ever felt the peace and the warmth when comforted by the Holy Spirit?  In times when you are overwhelmed with sorrow because a loved one has died, He comforts you.  When you must choose a direction that will have a lifetime impact on you and your family, He counsels you.  When the enemy comes in like a flood and you feel overwhelmed, even crushed by the hardships of life, He strengthens you.

We love God because He first loved us and we love Him distinctively through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.