Personal Application for the Doctrine of the Trinity
Worship in Greater Awe
The believer who begins to comprehend the incomparable nature of the triune God soon realizes his extreme unworthiness to approach the supreme majesty of God. Like Isaiah in the presence of the Godhead, he must bow down to worship in humility and awe (Isa 6:1-8). Sharing this perspective, one theologian properly exclaims:
One cannot reflect upon the nature and uniqueness of our God without being filled with awe and praise. We shall forever ponder these sacred mysteries and learn of this infinite Being. Meanwhile, it is our joy to fellowship with the Members of the Trinity and to express our love for Them by our trust and obedience (Mark 12:30; John 14:15, 21, 23). 1
Embrace Your Mission
The believer must also embrace God’s mission to speak to people on his behalf (Isa 6:9-10). Though believers today do not share Isaiah’s prophetic mission of exclusively proclaiming judgment, they share a more glorious mission of proclaiming deliverance through Christ and teaching obedience to his will. As with Isaiah, a proper response to the reality, authority, and presence of the triune God undergirds this mission to all the peoples of the world (Matt 28:18-20).
Study Your Bible with Greater Awareness
Preparing to answer questions about the Trinity should motivate the believer to read and study the Bible with greater awareness (1 Pet 3:15). Sometimes God reveals truth about himself through Scripture in obvious ways, and other times he does so through the details, both difficult and obscure (2 Pet 3:16). In either case, Scripture contains far more evidence for the Trinity than this Bible study provides. Any believer may read the Bible with a keen and eager eye for these additional clues (Luke 16:29; 24:25-27).
Pray to the Members of the Godhead
Increased knowledge of the triune God should foster a greater familiarity and confidence in approaching the Godhead through prayer. The believer should learn what it means to engage the Trinity by praying “to the Father (Matt 6:6) in the name of the Son (John 16:24) through or in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20).” 2
Sing Hymns to the Triune God
Furthermore, he should learn to sing hymns to God with greater devotion and understanding (1 Cor 4:15; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). This should be especially true regarding hymns that convey truth about the triune God. Scholars believe that the early church sang such hymns, some of which appear to be recorded in the New Testament (Phil 2:5-11; Col 1:15-20; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 1:1-3). 3] Modern examples include “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Come, Thou Almighty King, and “Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow.” An attentive worshipper will soon realize that many hymns extol the glories of the triune God.
Build Stronger Relationships
Finally, believers who reflect upon the triune nature of God will learn how to relate with other people in a more meaningful way. From the beginning, God created people after his own image and likeness, saying, “Let us make man in our image” (Gen 1:26-27). Therefore, the believer should seek to learn from God how to best relate to the people he places into his life (Eph 5:22-6:9; Col 3:18-4:1; Phil 2:1-8). This pursuit answers the heart-cry of Jesus when he prayed for believers to share a similar kind of unity as the Trinity: “That they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one” (John 17:21-22).
Thomas Overmiller serves as pastor for Faith Baptist Church in Corona, NY and blogs at Shepherd Thoughts. This article first appeared at Shepherd Thoughts, used here with permission.
For more on the Trinity, see pastor Overmiller’s articles that lay the foundation for this one. They are listed below:
The Three Members of the Godhead are Equally Divine
The Three Members of the Godhead are Distinct Persons
A Basic Definition of the Trinity