This post is going to be a combination of two of what are generally considered essential doctrines within the circle of orthodoxy. These are also the biggest, as they are directly about the nature of God Himself.
From my list on Essential Christian Doctrines pt 1 I listed as 2 - God exists eternally as three equal persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And for 3 - Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. I'm going to do these two essentials in one post for obvious reasons; if I'm going to talk about the triune nature of God, then the deity of our Saviour will come up.
** I want to, before I go further, mention again that according the Scriptures, to receive salvation from God He does not necessitate believing that He exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or even believe that Jesus is God, but rather that you repent of your sins, and put your faith in Jesus Christ as the one and only Saviour. The Holy Spirit will then guide you into true knowledge of God.**
The teaching that Yahweh is one and yet exists eternally as three personages is by far the most incomprehensible doctrine of God's nature. How do we understand this? We don't. Nor is it possible for us to really understand how it is that Jesus Christ can be fully man and fully God at the same time.
Throughout the history of the Church, these have been the most debated and attacked truths of the revelation of God. Scripture is so clear on these issues.
Let us first concern ourselves with the Tri-unity of God. When God spoke to Moses, God told Moses that His name is "I AM WHO I AM", or YAHWEH (Ex 3:14). God's name essentially means, "the self-existant one. God also declared to the Jews at Sinai; "Hear O Israel, Yahweh is God, Yahweh is one." (Duet 6:4) Also, the first commandment of Yahweh's law is; “You shall have no other gods before me." (Ex 20:3)
So it is that if we worship a plurality of gods, we are guilty of idolatry, or if we should worship a single god, but one of our own imaginations, we are guilty of idolatry. We are to worship the one and true God as He is.
We see though that in the Scriptures, God has revealed Himself as one God who exists in the form of three persons. (Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; ... & Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit...)
So if we deny this then we deny the full revelation of God and Jesus said that, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (Jn 4:24)
How could it be said then that you are worshiping God if you do not worship Him as He is. God's very name is I AM WHO I AM. Notice how His name is not I AM WHO YOU THINK I AM.
Now, I understand the complexity (that's an understatement) of the triune nature of God. Trust me I understand completely. How can God be one God and yet three persons? Well a simple yet totally insufficient analogy might be my family. We are one family yet 4 persons. This analogy doesn't begin to bring us any greater understanding, but should we really be able to understand God's nature? As I said before, it's not up to us to fully comprehend, but rather to obey the truth. Yahweh exists eternally as one God in three personages.
One of the greatest revelation that leads to the conclusion that God is three is that the Scriptures clearly reveal that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. Not only that but Jesus is fully God, yet fully man. Such is why it is even so important to believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit. If you deny this then you instantly wonder off into heresy land.
Jesus declared Himself as God and the Apostles did so as well.
So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." (emphasize added)
Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:57-59)
Here we see the Jews were trying to stone Jesus to death. For what? That he was alive before Abraham? Hardly legal for them to do so according to the Laws of Moses, but legal for them to do if Jesus were calling Himself God and wasn't thereby committing the sin of blasphemy (Lev 24:16).
It was also clear to the Jews that Jesus was calling Himself God when they said He was as is found in John 5:17-18 "But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God."
One more example of Jesus' divinty is found in Heb 1:1-3 and His nature of being fully man in Luke 24:37-43
All of this is really important to believe. In 2 John 1:9 we read this; Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
If we are to be in a right relationship with God or the Son, we must know truly who it is we are putting our faith in. We must believe rightly.
I mentioned at the beginning that believing these things are not a pre-requisite to salvation (although Jesus did say in John 8:23-24 "And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." This is clearly another declaration of Jesus' divinty as Yahweh said this often of Himself (Deut 32:39, Is 41:4, Jer 29:23) So maybe it is true that we MUST believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh as God has always declared that He is the only Saviour.)
The importance of believing the true doctrines as taught in the Scriptures is so imperative.
The Apostle John says, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." (2 John 1:10-11)
Doctrines contrary to Scripture are sin. What's more is that if you dig deep enough into the teachings of those who hold false doctrines contrary to these, you will inevitably find that these religions are a works righteous religion. Meaning that you have to earn your way to Heaven by performing certain requirements or by being a good enough person, because apparently Jesus' sacrifice was not enough to atone for our sins. This thinking even more so is great wickedness.
God has so graciously revealed Himself to us. I can understand someone having questions or confusion about the complexity of God's nature, and I think we can be assured that God is most gracious to those who are seeking to know the Truth, after all He did say that when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come (Jn 16:13).
To those however, who deny what is clearly written in the very word of God, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
(Romans 1:18-25)
Let us cast away from us all forms of false teachings of who God is. Let us stand firm in the truth, for the glory of God.
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