Tag Archives: with You

Practical presence of the Trinity

 

Holy, Holy, Holy – Audrey Assad

 

John 14 is a wonderful portrayal of what happens when the Father and the Son and the Spirit come to live in us. I want to count on the practical presence of the Trinity.

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask me[e] anything in my name, I will do it. – John 14:8-14  ESV

Imagine having your last meal with Jesus and there are many questions. Jesus answers them all. Philip’s question is not so much a question but rather more like a challenge. Is Philip wanting to know God? Does he have a hunger to know God because we are made to know Him and live in right relationship with Him? I know I do, just glad I do not have the need to see God.

“Man is one of your creatures, Lord, and his instinct is to praise you….The thought of you stirs him so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.” –—Augustine, Confessions, trans. R. S. Pine-Coffin (New York: Barnes & Noble, 1992), bk. 1, 1.

There seems to be many who would want to join Philip in seeing God.

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.

For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.

We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God. – A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1978), 1.

My question is more along the lines of – what is God like? It is one thing to know about God and say all the right words and expressions. It is another thing, more important and more vital – knowing God and being in relationship with Him.

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. – John 14:25-26  ESV

The Counselor will teach me everything I need to know as a disciple of Jesus. He will also remind me of things that Jesus has taught me. He will lead me into relationship with the Trinity.

 

 

 

 

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Be one

 

It is not an accident that Jesus prays for us to be one, because that oneness, that community, is God’s signature. It is not about being a great apologetic, or great at changing culture and it definitely is not about really cool worship services. Trinitarian fellowship is the foundation of the existence of that which is real. That is why there is so much cost related to our invitation. That is where we rest.

 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. – John 17:23  ESV

It is a serious prayer, a solemn admonition and supplication that revealed just how important this union would be. He compared the union to the most perfect union of all – between the Father and Himself. That acceptance into this union would change the world. Our spiritual warfare on earth looks great, but in accepting the invitation to join the union between the Father and Jesus, all we need to do is rest in them – showing the world that the Father loves us as much as He loves His Son.

We have not rested in that invitation very well have we? I know I have seen our expression – the world has not declared that God had sent Jesus. In fact, most of what we do is show the world exactly who God is not. Love is rarely seen.

I do not beat myself up too much. I mean Pentecost is really the only time we see the Church revealing to the world that indeed God sent Jesus and that He loved the world and loved His Son. After that we mess up. We show a difference to one nationality of widows over another and we show that Gentiles needed to become Jews in order for them to be Christians. Messy stuff for sure.

If I am going to be praying a new prayer today – it will be – Lord Jesus, fill me with You, may the Holy Spirit allow me to accept the invitation to be with You and the Father. It is the only way the world will see You in me. It is the only way they will believe the Father has sent Jesus and that He loves the world so much because He gave them Jesus. The gift was a painful one for the Father and Jesus were separated for the very first time. May I know that the Father loves me as much as He loves Jesus for in doing so, I am one with them.

 

 

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