We Believe Session 4

Matthew 16:15-17 “But what about you?' he asked. “Who do you say I am?”16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

God in Three Persons Blessed Trinity.

Today, we continue to examine the phrase “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”. Our emphasis is on God the FATHER.

The creed presents a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith: God exists as three persons known as the Trinity. He is not three gods, but one God in three persons.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed trinity!

We believe in the mystery of God. Colossians 2:2-3 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

A mystery is a divine secret or truth that is hidden from human understanding but revealed by God through His Spirit.

Matthew 16:15-17 “But what about you?’ he asked. “Who do you say I am?”16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

We find this mystery in Colossians 1:24-27 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The nature of God is displayed in Christ, and in Him lies the foundation of our true identity and relationship with God, our Father.

Other scriptural support of this doctrine is Deuteronomy 6:4, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is ONE. Our God is expressed to creation in the persons of FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT. In Christ, the mystery of Deity is presented to all of creation.

Colossians 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.

2 Corinthians 5:19-21 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Hebrews 1:1-3 Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently, He spoke to us directly through His Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what He says—powerful words!

In the earlier part of Corinthians, it states that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. A mystery is something that can only be understood through revelation, as it is revealed by God. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will teach us about the Fatherhood of God. We have a Father—the Father of our spirits—and in Christ, we are His. The nature of God is displayed in Christ, and in Him lies the foundation of our true identity and relationship with God, our Father.

our thoughts about God define us; they influence how we think, speak, and act.

In John 14:6, Jesus told him, “I am the Way—yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me.

John 14:6 Jesus: I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14: 6 6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

We are learning about the nature of God – having the right knowledge of Him enhances our relationship with Him. Today, we are discovering that righteousness is a person, and in Him, we can become that righteousness. We are also exploring our relationship with God as represented in Three Persons! Our God is relational, and we are asking Him to help us perfect our relationships. While some mystery remains, we are recognizing LOVE. There is no competition and no isolation. As Tozer says, our thoughts about God define us; they influence how we think, speak, and act. Recently, I have been reflecting on Jesus’ prayer.

John 17:21 says that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me.

There are attitudes that foster unity in a world and even within a church that can feel so divided. We truly need a mindset of love, honor, humility, and a sense of safety and security. May we be immersed in the nature of our God, enabling us to enjoy Him, appreciate one another, and glorify God our Father! This embodies the foundation of a community that reflects the essence of the Triune God.