"Just as if you were to make from one and the same gold three similar rings, although connected with each other, they are mutually referred to each other, because they are similar. For everything similar is similar to something, and there is a trinity of rings, and one gold. But if they are blended with each other, and each mingled with the other through the whole of their own bulk, then that trinity will fall through, and it will not exist at all; and not only will it be called one gold, as it was called in the case of those three rings, but now it will not be called three things of gold at all." – Augustine.
I decided to take a short detour from my study on John Owen and was reading Augustine’s famous treatise De Trinitate when I came across this analogy.
Usually when I talk about the doctrine of the Trinity I find that analogies really don’t get the point across in a manner that upholds the theological integrity of the doctrine.However, I find that this analogy used by Augustine is successful in its use of metaphors to explain the concept of the Trinity without jeopardizing the veracity of the theology.
Augustine goes in to great detail explaining the Doctrine of the Trinity, far too much to cover in a single blog.I would definitely recommend reading De Trinitate (translated: On the Holy Trinity) to anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the doctrine.It is actually quite easy to read and only 230 pages (Volume 3 of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers).
I have always found it difficult to explain, in simple terms, the nature of the Trinity to others. There are so many analogies that circulate among Christians that are used to explain the concept of the Trinity in terms of God being three persons yet one essence. The problem I have always had is that most of these analogies really are not very accurate in terms of theology and if they are taken to their logical extremes they can actually lead to heretical understandings of the Trinity. Although Owen does not offer any analogies to help understand the Trinity, he does provide a detailed and exhaustive treatise on the doctrine.
In the first of his four affirmations on the Doctrine of the Trinity, John Owen focuses exclusively on how scripture supports the belief that there is only one God. In other words, he is affirming that the essence of the triune God is a single essence (God is one).
God’s essence can be defined by virtues that cannot be possessed by any person or thing, but only by God himself. Owen lists a few of these virtues as being: “eternity, immensity, omnipotence, life, infinite holiness, goodness, and the like.” A few virtues that Owen does not list but are generally accepted by theologians would be: omnipresence, omniscience, self-existence, and absolute necessity.
My experience has shown me that perhaps the single biggest error most Christians make when dealing with the virtues of God is that they apply these virtues to the individual persons rather than to the collective essence of the trinity. Owen’s experience must have shown him this trend as well and he answers it by saying, “This one nature, substance, or essence, being the nature, substance, or essence of God, as God, is the nature, essence, and substance of the Father, Son, and Spirit; one and the same absolutely in and unto each of them.”
“The first thing which we affirm to be delivered unto us by divine revelation as the object of our faith, is, that God is one. I know that this may be uncontrollably evinced by the light of reason itself, unto as good and quiet an assurance as the mind of man is capable of in any of its apprehensions whatever; but I speak of it now as it is confirmed unto us by divine revelation. How this assertion of one God respects the nature, essence, or divine being of God, shall be declared afterward. At present it is enough to represent the testimonies that he is one, — only one. And because we have no difference with our adversaries distinctly about this matter, I shall only name few of them. Deut. vi. 4, “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” A most pregnant testimony; and yet, notwithstanding, as I shall elsewhere manifest, the Trinity itself, in that one divine essence, is here asserted. Isa. xliv. 6, 8, “Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.” In which also we may manifest that a plurality of persons is included and expressed. And although there be no more absolute and sacred truth than this, that God is one, yet it may be evinced that it is nowhere mentioned in the Scripture, but that, either in the words themselves or the context of the place, a plurality of persons in that one sense is intimated. […] That God is one, was declared and proved. Now this oneness can respect nothing but the nature, being, substance, or essence of God. God is one in this respect. Some of these words, indeed, are not used in the Scripture; but whereas they are of the same importance and signification, and none of them include any thing of imperfection, they are properly used in the declaration of the unity of the Godhead. There is mention in the Scripture of the Godhead of God, Rom. i. 20, “His eternal power and Godhead;” and of his nature, by excluding them from being objects of our worship who are not God by nature, Gal. iv. 8. Now, this natural godhead of God is his substance or essence, with all the holy, divine excellencies which naturally and necessarily appertain whereunto. Such are eternity, immensity, omnipotence, life, infinite holiness, goodness, and the like. This one nature, substance, or essence, being the nature, substance, or essence of God, as God, is the nature, essence, and substance of the Father, Son, and Spirit; one and the same absolutely in and unto each of them: for none can be God, as they are revealed to be, but by virtue of this divine nature or being. Herein consists the unity of the Godhead.” – John Owen
"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35
There is no doubt that there are those around each and every one of us who are in need, but how many of us are truly opening our hands wide and offering gifts to those less fortunate. With the struggling economy less and less Christians are giving much needed help to those in need. In Seattle, food shelters are having to turn people in need away because not enough food has been donated. Toy drives have received a record low amount of donated toys for low income families to give to their children for Christmas. These are the times when Christians need to step up and give to those in need. There are so many ways Christians can help those in need. As Luke says in Acts 20 it requires working hard. Helping those in need is not something that always comes easy, especially in the society in which we live. But the fact remains, there are those in need, there are those who help, and there are those who can help yet choose to do nothing.
Let your actions speak louder than your words. Show your love to those in need not only through words, but through your actions as well.
"But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—" Romans 9:20-23
The scriptures make clear the fact that God is the creator of all things. Thus, nothing comes into existence outside of the will of God. Because God is the creator of all, He is by all means the owner and ruler over all that exists. Being the ruler over all that exists empowers God to exercise His authority as He wills. From his book on Systematic Theology, Charles Hodge writes "If God be a Spirit, and therefore a person, infinite, eternal, and immutable in his being and perfection, the Creator and Preserver of the universe, He is of right its absolute sovereign....This sovereignty of God is the ground of peace and confidence to all his people. They rejoice that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; that neither necessity, nor chance, nor the folly of man, nor the malice of Satan controls the sequence of events and all their issues."
God has sovereignty of all things, he is not answerable to anyone or anything. He is holy and just, and we need to always have confidence and faith that His sovereign will is perfect. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are not in the position to question God's motives, He is the sovereign and we are the creation under His rule. In His infinite knowledge He knows what is best for His creation. Not only are the scriptures clear that God sustains and preserves what he has created, but He, through His divine providence, exercises sovereign control over it.
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." John 6:44
Mankind is in a state of pure sinfulness. Utterly helpless and completely incapable of achieving salvation through any merit of their own. As a result of the fall the entire human race has been and forever will be separated from the glory of God. However, God is a merciful God. Through pure mercy he has bestowed grace onto select individuals so that their eyes would no longer be blinded by sin. It is through this grace of God that Christians receive their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus himself explains this in the simplest terms possible, No one can come to have faith in Him (Jesus) unless the Father first bestows grace upon him. Without God's grace man is completely unable to respond to the offer of salvation because he is spiritually dead as a direct result of his sinful nature. In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul writes "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived inthe passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that mankind is sinful by nature and completely incapable of responding to the offer of salvation apart from the grace of God. Jesus makes it clear that Christians are called to him by the Father. Likewise, Paul is adamant that our call to faith and ultimately to salvation is the result of the grace of God.
"For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil." 1 Peter 3:17
Suffering is a part of living. There is no mystery, everyone who has ever lived has suffered to some degree. It is the result of our sinful nature. Even Jesus himself suffered, both emotionally and physically, not because of his own sin but because of the sins of the world. Jesus, as well as the apostles, suffered for doing good because it was the will of God. Likewise, many Christians today suffer. It is important to remember that not all suffering a direct result of some unrepentant sin as we see from the example of Job. It is possible to suffer from doing what is right in the eye's of the Lord. Many look to God in an effort to ease their pain and suffering. However, we should not be discomforted if we continue to suffer. There are times that God's sovereign will requires us to suffer for reasons we cannot understand. The hope that we have as Christians, however, gives us comfort within our souls that the time will come when all of our suffering will come to an end (1 Peter 1:6). On the other hand, those who suffer for doing evil do not share the same hope as we do. Their suffering will become dramatically worse when ours will be completely relieved. When we suffer we should look to the cross and seek Christ's ever-flowing love.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
The Christian life is comprised of two dimension: the first dimension is faith in Jesus Christ, the second is doing good works. It can be difficult for a Christian to establish a comfortable balance between these two dimensions in their everyday lives. However difficult it may be, it is immensely important for Christians to constantly keep this balance in check. The world adores good works, and it is because of this that many place a higher sense of importance on the good deeds they do. Now, it is important for Christians to be doing good works. Good works are a part of the Christian life and Christians need to respect the importance of doing good in the world. However, good works should never be elevated over our faith in Jesus Christ. Faith will always be more important than the works we do and should never become secondary. Christians should never value their good works so much that they overlook their faith in Christ.
Works without faith are ultimately meaningless. From the words of Martin Luther, "Faith should be first. After faith is preached, then we should teach about good works. It is faith - without good works and prior to good works - that takes us to heaven. We come to God through faith alone."
