In How Many Persons Does God Exist?
Host: Welcome to Press Pause. It’s the under 10-minute family worship podcast designed to help you—dads, moms, grandparents, and guardians—share big truths about Jesus with your kids. Whether the only spiritual direction you’ve given to your kids is praying before meals… or even if you’ve never done that, this podcast is for you. Just listen along with your family and be ready to press pause and talk about this week’s big truth with your kids.
I’m your host, and I’m here with my friends. How are you guys doing today?
Kevin, tell us about this week’s big question and answer.
Teacher 1: This week, we have a really big one. One of the biggest! Here it is… In how many persons does God exist? And the answer is… Three. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let’s say it again: In how many persons does God exist? [Together: Three. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]
Host: You’re right Kevin, that is a BIG question to answer. Where do we learn about this in the Bible, Kevin?
Teacher 1: We see God in three persons in lots of places in the Bible—at Creation, at Jesus’s baptism, and in the Great Commission’s command to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But one of my favorite places is the very last verse of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.
Press pause then open your Bible to 2 Corinthians 13:14 and read that verse with your family.
Host: Let’s read that verse again. 2 Corinthians 13:14 says, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Son), and the love of God (the Father), and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Jared, can you help us understand why it’s important to understand that God exists in three persons?
Teacher 2: Well, Trey, in the last episode, we learned that God is one. He is the only, unique God. But, as we’ve been saying, the Bible also teaches us that the one true God exists in three persons. That’s a truth that stretches our brains. You’ve probably learned from math class that 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. So, how can this be? How can three persons be one God?
Our belief that God is three—what Christians for centuries have called the doctrine of the Trinity—isn’t just a weird math problem. It’s terribly important.
Have you ever thought about what God was doing before he made you, and me, and the world? Did you know that the Bible tells us? In John 17:24, Jesus prays, “Father… you loved me before the creation of the world.” Before God the Father did anything else. Before he created the world, formed Adam and Eve, and called Abraham… before he rescued Israel from Egypt or made David king… from all eternity, God the Father was loving the Son.
You see, if God were just one person, he would have no one to love. But from all eternity, God the Father has been loving the Son. And not just that. When two people are in love, they’ll pair up, and they can be sort of, well, exclusive.
But God the Father didn’t just share his love by being Father to God the Son. You see, the Father and Son, from all eternity, have shared their love with the Spirit, too. The Trinity shows us that God isn’t greedy, ungenerous, or cliquish with his love. God is love through and through. Theologians say that this statement is a way of describing God’s simple essence. God is love, and because God is love, he doesn’t keep his love to himself. God loves to share.
Press pause and spend some time in prayer, praising God with your family. Tell God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit thank you for being the sort of God that doesn’t keep their love to himself. Thank God that his love is for sharing.
Host: Okay, we’re back. It’s good for us to press into these big questions about God and stretch our brains as we seek answers. It’s such good news that we worship one God in three persons! Jared, would you close out our podcast by saying thank you to God.
Teacher 2: Gladly. God, we’re so thankful for your great love. Thank you Father for demonstrating your love to us by sending the Son. Thank you, Father and Son, for pouring out your love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Over Outro: Thanks again for listening to Press Pause, the 10-minute family worship podcast. Be sure to subscribe to Press Pause in your favorite podcasting app and leave us a rating or review. Also be sure to follow Gospel-Centered Family on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Join us next week for more big truths about Jesus for your whole family.