The Holy Trinity
Trinity • Sermon • Submitted
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Grace Mercy and Peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we are blessed today not only to give thanks to God for those men and women that gave their lives in defense of our nation and fought for the rights God has given us to all mankind life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. For we blessed through that godly vocation of soldier as they served and defend their neighbors even unto the point of death, that we may gather together in safety. They fought to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the rights of citizens. We as Christians are incredibly thankfully for that has not always been the case for Church and there have been many challenges that the Church has faced not only from without like governments that persecute and seek to oppress Christians, but also from within as Heresies try to tear the Church apart.
That is why the early Church came together and drafted these Creeds, the Apostle’s, Nicene, and Athanasian so that no one may doubt, but know rightly what the Christian faith is. Especially that they might know who God is, and what God has done, and this is what has been handed down to us. Now if you will open up your hymnals and turn back to p319 and the Athanasian Creed I want to show you what I mean.
Look how the Creed starts, it says that whoever desires to be saved must above all hold the catholic faith. Now that sounds a bit surprising doesn’t it? Does that mean everyone has to be Roman Catholic to be saved? Not at all. Look at the word catholic, there is a small c, it is from an old greek word, that literally means according to the whole. Nowadays we might use the word Christian instead, and this creed is saying that what follows is what everyone who is christian, that is catholic, believes, and whoever wishes to be saved must believe this. If they don’t then they will perish eternally, that is end up in hell.
Our founding fathers penned the words that all men are created equal because there were those who denied it and it had to be defended. The Creeds were written down because there were those who denied, who God is and sought to redefine the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Now this creed was named in honor of Athanasius who was exiled from his home city, because he taught, argued and defended what is found in the Scriptures, and he opposed a group known as the Arians who were trying to persuade people to deny God. They hated Athanasius they wanted him dead, but Athanasius stayed steadfast and held on to what the Bible teaches.
So the first thing that all Christians believe that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, this has been a fight throughout the ages, and people still want to be considered Christians but deny the Trinity. They would rather have a God that they can understand and process than a God who is greater than their reason. For how is it that you can have 3 persons and one being or one substance? We don’t know how, but that is who God says He is in Holy Scripture. We know that Jesus says the Father and I are one, and despite being one in substance, we also see that there is a difference in their persons and that they coexist.
For when Christ is baptized, Jesus is the in the water, and the Father speaks from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son and on top of that you have the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove. We do not know how this is, but that does not change the fact that this is what the Bible teaches, and thus what Christians believe.
Now you might be thinking what’s the big deal? Does it really matter that we know who God is? Why do you have to get the name of God right? If there is only one name under heaven by which men must be saved is it ok to trust in someone else?
Does it matter when you are talking about the packers if you call the quarterback Troy Aikman or Aaron Rogers? The truth matters, and especially when it comes to who God is, for if God has revealed to us who He is, we dare not change that, for then you are rejecting the true God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and you are not Christian.
Now this will make some people upset and they become frustrated and will say that all Creeds do is divide people and split them apart and bring division, that is what happens when you insist on believing things a certain way. But this division can be helpful.
It is helpful to know what is right and what is wrong, good or bad. For instance, think about a ship for a moment, at a very simple and basic level, I would say that a good ship floats on the water, and ships that sink are bad ships. And if you are looking at two different ships, do you want to know which ones floats?
The Creeds were crafted not only to define what Christianity is as it is found in Holy Scripture, but to let folks know which ship floats. So when a Jehovah’s Witness comes along saying that Jesus is like or similar to God, but of a different substance, they show they are not christian. When a Mormon comes along and talks about how Jesus became God, but was not always God, that is not our ship. When Oneness Pentecostals come who deny that there are 3 persons, but talk about 3 manifestations or 3 different masks that god wears, that’s not Christian, or if anyone comes along trying to talk about God and says that God Mother, Daughter, and love or womb those ships will sink.
The Creeds were written and set boundaries based upon the Scriptures so that we might know what is true, and what is false. What will float and what will sink. This Creed here is what all Christians believe about who God is, this is the faith that will stay above the waves, and will safely bear souls to the harbor of heaven. The reason this creed is so long is that it goes over every inch of the hull to make sure there are no holes. Or would you rather find holes when you are out in the middle of a storm or shark-infested waters?
Just as we don’t want to be on a leaky ship, we also want to know who Captain of this ship is that bring ship into our eternal home. That is why it is equally important that we believe not only God is Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity, but also in who Jesus is and He has done for us. To be a Christian means, that you believe that Jesus, Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, became flesh and dwelt among us, and that He is fully God and fully Man, anyone who denies that is not Christian.
So if you jump ahead to verse 36, Christians confess that Jesus became flesh that He suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. This part we are familiar with for it is the Apostle’s and Nicene Creed which we confess quite regularly. What this means is that salvation is not based upon what you do, but what Christ has done that you are saved. That you are just a passenger on this ship, and Christ will keep you safe.
Anyone who rejects Christ as captain, they are jumping overboard and leaving the ship that is Christianity. Because Jesus won’t give up His post, the only way they have a different captain is if they get on a different ship, often a discounted leaky ship. We wonder why do they get on the ship? Because they want to live their life their own way and find someone who lets you do what you want, others don’t like the look of the ship, other ships are handing out money, fame, glory, and honor. People will go chasing after those things. For others they are lured by friends and family that are on other ships. But if you knew that the ship they were getting on was going to sink, or if you knew the captain was going to lead them into slavery. Would you just say bon voyage?
That is why the Creeds were written and passed down throughout the Centuries. Christians wouldn’t folks to know that those other ships had holes, some that were bigger than others. They also wanted folks to know that the ship they were on was good and solid, and they shouldn’t settle for anything less. Because as the creed says at the end, whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
Now that takes a bit of boldness on our part to say that, and it will make for some awkward conversations, but if it is someone you care about, is it worth saying something to them? When the Father sent the Son to shed His blood for them, and they gave to us the Holy Spirit that we might believe, shouldn’t they know that there is a place for them on the boat that will not sink?
Consider on this weekend as we honor those who gave their lives so that we might be blessed by the freedoms we enjoy. Freedoms that promise the freedom of religion as they gave up their life that we, and others might have this. If they were willing to lay down their lives to provide wonderful and earthly blessings for their neighbors, shouldn’t we be bold enough to show our neighbors that they are in danger, and that they ought to be on the right ship.
That my Brothers and Sisters in Christ is what the Creeds are about, they help us to know what is good, right, and true. They also help warn us against any who would try to get us on to another ship or follow another captain, there is only one captain who knows the way to heaven, and there is only one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that worship, that Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity who we will one day see. In Jesus name. Amen.