2. The Triune God
The Nature of God
There is only one[1] true and living God,[2] who is infinite in being,[3] power,[4] and perfections.[5] God is eternal,[6]independent, and self-sufficient, having life in himself with no need for anyone or anything.[7] He is spirit,[8]transcendent and invisible,[9] with no limitations or imperfections,[10] immutable,[11] and everywhere present with the fullness of his being.[12] His knowledge is exhaustive, including all things actual and possible, so that nothing—past, present, or future—is hidden from his sight.[13] God is not divided into parts, but his whole being includes all of his attributes: he is entirely holy,[14] loving,[15] wise,[16] just,[17] good,[18] merciful,[19] gracious,[20] and truthful.[21]Our God is the infinite fountain of being[22] who created all things,[23] and all things exist by him and for him.[24] He is supremely powerful to perform all his holy and perfect will, ruling over his creation with total dominion,[25]righteousness,[26] wisdom,[27] and love.[28] In his transcendence, God is incomprehensible in his being and actions, yet he reveals himself such that we can know him truly and personally.[29]
The Holy Trinity
The one true God eternally exists as three persons—Father,[30] Son,[31] and Holy Spirit[32]—infinitely excellent and all-glorious. Each person is fully God, sharing the same deity, attributes, and essential nature, yet there is but one God.[33]Each person is distinct, yet God is not by this distinction divided into three parts, natures, or gods. The Father has always existed as Father, the unbegotten fountain of all life.[34] The Son has always existed as Son, eternally begotten of the Father, uncreated and without beginning, of one essence with the Father.[35] The Holy Spirit has always existed as Spirit, eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son, and of one essence with them.[36] The Godhead thus exists in a perfect unity, indivisible as to nature and substance, yet inseparably distinguished as persons who enjoy a fullness of fellowship and love.[37]
The Relations and Actions of the Trinity
The persons of the Trinity, being one in nature, are also inseparably united in their external works,[38] such that to deal with one person is to deal with the Trinity as a whole.[39] Yet within this unity there are distinctions in the way the divine persons relate to each other and to creation,[40] although there is no difference in essence or attributes. Within the Godhead, the ordered relations among the persons are eternal yet without any inequality. In the works of creation, providence, and redemption, the persons fulfill roles consistent with their eternal relations: the Father originates, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit completes.[41] Nevertheless, the three, thus distinct, are neither divided nor mixed, are of one and the same essence, are equal from all eternity, and are worthy to be worshipped as the one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.[42]
[1] Deut 6:4; 1 Cor 8:4-6; 1 Tim 1:17.
[2] Jer 10:10; John 17:3; 1 Thess 1:9.
[3] Exod 3:14; Job 11:7-9.
[4] Ps 24:8; Matt 19:26.
[5] Matt 5:48.
[6] Ps 90:2; Rev 1:8.
[7] Ps 50:10-12; 102:25-27; Acts 17:24-25.
[8] John 4:24.
[9] Rom 1:20.
[10] Ps 18:30.
[11] Mal 3:6; James 1:17.
[12] Jer 23:23-24; Ps 139:7-10.
[13] Isa 42:8; 1 John 3:20.
[14] Ps 99:9; Rev 15:4.
[15] 1 John 4:8.
[16] Ps 104:24; Rom 16:27.
[17] Deut 32:4; Rom 3:25-26.
[18] Ps 106:1; Luke 18:19.
[19] Exod 34:6; 2 Cor 1:3.
[20] Ps 103:8; 1 Pet 5:10.
[21] Ps 12:6; Prov 30:5; Titus 1:2.
[22] Ps 36:9; John 5:26.
[23] Gen 1:1; Ps 33:6, 9; John 1:3.
[24] Rom 11:36; Col 1:16.
[25] Ps 115:3; 66:7.
[26] Ps 9:8; 36:6.
[27] Ps 104:24; Rom 16:27.
[28] Exod 34:6; Ps 119:64.
[29] Ps 145:3; 1 Cor 2:10-12; Rom 11:33; Col 1:10; Jer 9:23-24.
[30] John 6:27; Titus 1:4.
[31] John 1:1; 8:58; Col 2:9.
[32] Heb 9:14; 1 Cor 3:16; Acts 5:3-4.
[33] Deut 6:4; Isa 45:21-22.
[34] Rom 11:36; Eph 4:6.
[35] John 1:1-4; 10:30; Heb 1:3, 5.
[36] John 15:26; Gal 4:6.
[37] John 3:35; 14:31; 17:24.
[38] Gen 1:2; John 1:3; 5:19.
[39] John 10:38; 14:9-11.
[40] Gen 1:1, 2; Heb 1:2.
[41] John 3:16; 6:38; 15:26; Rom 8:13; Gal 4:4; Heb 10:5-7.
[42] Rev 5:12-14.