The God who is three and one.

How can Christianity believe in 'One' God in 'Three' persons?
Do Christians worship one God or three Gods?

Firstly what does God as the trinity actually mean?

1. God is three persons
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” 2 Corinthians 13v14
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28v19

We see in these verses and many others throughout scripture that God has three distinct persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. Each person is equal and all are fully God
Firstly from the above section where all three of the persons of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – are mentioned we get a picture of equality. If for example Jesus was only a man then it would be an abhorrent Blasphemy to group him in verses with God the father.

“Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."”
John 20v28-29
After Jesus resurrection he affirms the disciple Thomas declaration that he[Jesus] is God.

“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” John 3v16
Jesus is speaking here about how God (the father) sent his son [himself] into the world. God the father is clearly divine.

“The Peter said “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit......You have no lied to men but to God”” Acts 5v3-4
God the Holy spirit is fully equal in the Godhead.

3. There is one God
“Hear, O Israel:The LORD is God, the LORD is one.” Deuteronomy 6v4
“There is only one God” Romans 3v30

Despite the Bible clearly defining 3 persons in the Godhead it also describes God as being one.

How can God be both three and yet still one?

Understanding the nature of God is hard. There have been thousands of books trying to understand the nature of the trinity and personally I still struggle to get my head round a God who is both three and one. But I understand that in a number of ways a relational Godhead is the only kind of God that makes sense:-

1. Humans were created relational beings
'No man [or women] is an island' goes the well known cliché and its true. As human beings we live and seek out relationships whether in family, friendship groups or more intimate 1-1 relationships. (almost every film has a romantic sub-plot!)

“So God created man in his own image” Genesis 1v27

We were created in the image of God. If God is just One with no relationship within the Godhead then why are we created as relational beings? How could God create human beings, which revolve there lifes around relationships, unless he too is relational in nature.

2. Gods Character does not make sense unless God is relational.
"God is love” 1 John 4v8

One part of Gods character is love. We believe in an eternal unchanging God who has no beginning and no end. He existed before anything was created. So how can God be 'love' unless he is relational. The triune God is three persons held together in perfect unity in love as one. If God is just one then how can God be love, a Godhead with no relationship cannot be loving in character.

3. The Gospel – Gods rescue plan - revolves around relationships.
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3)

Jesus Christ died on the cross to take away our sin that separates us from God. Through Jesus sacrifice we have a way open to us – eternal life.

What is eternal life?
What is the point of the Gospel?
To Know God.

Gods plan for salvation is focused around opening a way to an eternal relationship personally between each of his people and God himself. Only a relational God could have a great rescue plan which revolves around his desire to know us and to allow us to get to know him for all eternity.

4. God is a trinity because it is hard to understand!
What kind of crackpot would make up a religion about a God who is three and yet one? He'd be laughed and ridiculed. That is why Christianity must be true.

If I could understand everything about God with no questions then it would be a God dreamt up in someone's imagination. I worship the infinite God who is there, who is infinitely greater than I can imagine. If I could understand the whole character of God then the God I imagine is too small to be my creator.