Subtle References to the Trinity of God
Text: Isaiah 48:12-16
I. Often I find people making statements, such “the Holy Spirit is never said to be Deity, Divine in any way.” Or, statements that Jesus is the first of creation and thus is not fully God (or divine).
A. The problem is that proof or denial often requires a complete knowledge of the Scriptures.
B. It would be nice if we could find a verse that plainly answers every question that we could come up with, but often we must reason from what is presented to us to determine the truth.
C. In Isaiah 48:12-16
1. When you start reading you would think you are listening to declaration by God.
a. He calls Himself “I am.”
b. He states He has created the earth.
c. He claims authority over the future and the nations.
2. Yet, when we get to verse 16 we find that the “I” was sent by the Lord God.
a. The Lord God has also sent the Spirit.
b. The “Me” must be Jesus Christ
(1) Jesus has not spoken in secret - John 18:20
(2) Jesus was sent by God - John 5:36-38
c. The Father sent the Spirit - John 14:16-17
3. In other words, Isaiah 12-16 refers to the trinity of God, yet the reference is easily overlooked.
D. What I would like to present some subtle ways the Scriptures declare the nature of God
II. Interchange of Persons
A. God declares He will not give His glory to another - Isaiah 48:11; Isaiah 42:8-9
1. Yet we are told that Jesus had glory from the Father - John 1:14
2. He had that glory with God before the world began - John 17:5
3. In other words, when God declared through Isaiah that He would not share His glory with anyone else, Jesus and the Father both shared glory.
4. This is only explainable if we acknowledge that the Son and the Father are both the Lord God.
5. Hence Jesus is referred to as the Lord of Glory - I Corinthians 2:8
6. Yet, the Spirit is also called the Spirit of Glory - I Peter 4:14
B. God alone made the world - Isaiah 44:24
1. Yet in Genesis 1:2 we see the Spirit of God moving upon the waters
2. The Spirit was involved in creation - Psalm 104:30
3. John tells us that all things came into being by the Word (Jesus) - John 1:1-3
4. Colossians 1:15-17 - All things were created by Jesus and for Jesus
5. Hebrews 1:2 - God created the world through Jesus
C. God is Lord of Lords and King of Kings - Deuteronomy 10:17; I Timothy 6:13-16
1. Yet the Spirit is called Lord - II Corinthians 3:18
2. The Lamb is Lord of Lords and King of Kings - Revelation 17:14; 19:16
D. Only God knows the hearts of men - I King 8:23, 39
1. Yet Jesus knew the hearts of men - Luke 4:22; John 2:24-25
2. The Spirit searches our hearts to make intercession for us - Romans 8:26-27
3. If God alone knows the hearts of men, then Jesus and the Spirit must be God.
E. The Lord of hosts is to be feared and regard him as holy - Isaiah 8:12-13
1. Fear Him who is able to kill body and soul - Matthew 10:28
2. Be holy as God is Holy - I Peter 1:14-16
3. Isaiah 8:12-13 is quoted in I Peter 3:14-15, but it is applied to Jesus
a. Jesus is to be feared - II Thessalonians 1:6-9
b. Jesus is the Holy One of God - John 6:69
4. The Spirit is the spirit of fear - Isaiah 11:2
5. There are numerous references to the Holy Spirit
F. God alone saves - Isaiah 43:11; 45:21
1. The doctrine of God our Savior - Titus 2:10
2. Yet two verses later, it is Jesus who is our Savior - Titus 2:13; II Peter 1:1
3. The Spirit is the guarantee of our salvation - Ephesians 1:13-14
4. By the Spirit we are sealed for redemption - Ephesians 4:30
G. There are many more verses where parallels are made between God and Jesus.
III. Shared attributes
A. Fellowship
1. I John 1:3 - Fellowship with the Father and the Son
2. I Corinthians 1:9 - called into fellowship with the Son
3. II Corinthians 13:14 - Fellowship of the Holy Spirit
4. Philippians 2:1 - Fellowship of the Spirit
B. Love
1. God loved us - Ephesians 2:4-5
2. Jesus loved us - John 15:9-10
3. The love of the Spirit - Romans 15:30
C. Sanctifies
1. God sanctifies - I Thessalonians 5:23
2. Jesus sanctifies - Hebrews 2:11
3. The work of the Spirit sanctifies - I Peter 1:2
D. Indwells (has a home in)
1. God dwells in us - II Corinthians 6:16
2. The Spirit dwells in us - I Corinthians 3:16
3. Christ dwells in our hearts through faith - Ephesians 3:17
E. Gives life
1. I John 5:11-13 - God has given us eternal life through His Son
2. John 10:10 - Jesus came to give life
3. Galatians 6:8 - The Spirit gives life
F. Again, we could continue on with the similarities in with the trinity is described.
IV. Even if there did not exist passages which directly state that God is three beings who are one, there is ample evidence in the Scriptures to prove it by indirect means
A. What is said of one is generally said of the others, though there are some characteristics that are unique to each.
B. The commonness reenforces the idea that God is one and that the Father, Son, and Spirit are all God.
