God - unity yet diversity
So, I'm reading Stan Grenz's Created for Community: Connecting Christian Belief With Christian Living. I'm not one for reading "older" books (it was written in 1996) when it comes to our culture, but this one is incredible.
Anyway - there's a chapter completely devoted to God entitled "The God Whom We Know." So, in this chapter, Stan talked about how God is four things:
God is one
God is three
God is a diversity
God is a unity
These are pretty big. They completely describe God and yet they are also so incomprehensible at the same time. Well, in the "God is a unity" part, which followed the "diversity" part, Stan gave this wonderful explanation for the joint work of God. Here is what he wrote:
"Finally, the doctrine of the Trinity affirms that the three trinitarian persons comprise a unity. Despite their varying functions in the one divine program, all are involved in every area of God's activity in the world.
Although the Father is the ground of creation, the Son and the Spirit act with the Father in the task of creating. The Son is the Word, the principle of creation, the one through whom the Father creates (John 1:3). And the Spirit is the divine power active in bringing the world into existence (Gen. 1:2).
Likewise, the Son is the redeemer of humanity, yet the Father and the Spirit are involved with the Son in the program of reconciliation. The Father is the agent at work through the Son (2 Cor. 5:18-19). And the Spirit is the active divine power effecting the process from the new birth to the final resurrection.
And although the Spirit is the completer of the divine program, he is joined in this work by the Son and the Father. The Son is the Lord who will return in glory. And the Father is the one who will be 'all-in-all' (1 Cor. 15:28)."
I love how Stan wrote it! For as much as people get confused by the Trinity, and rightly so, this is such a great representation of how it all sort-of goes together. One of the guys in my youth group was asking about the Trinity last week at bible study. It was so hard to explain it to him - understandably. I think I'll share this with him tonight. It might help him get somewhat of a grasp on the whole thing - as it did me.
Prayer Requests:
* Bible Study tonight
* God's vision for my youth group
* PRAISE - Bible study, last week, went so great!
* PRAISE - youth group, this past sunday, was great!
* PRAISE - I get to see my folks on friday before they go on their cruise!
peace all,
~Jenna
Anyway - there's a chapter completely devoted to God entitled "The God Whom We Know." So, in this chapter, Stan talked about how God is four things:
God is one
God is three
God is a diversity
God is a unity
These are pretty big. They completely describe God and yet they are also so incomprehensible at the same time. Well, in the "God is a unity" part, which followed the "diversity" part, Stan gave this wonderful explanation for the joint work of God. Here is what he wrote:
"Finally, the doctrine of the Trinity affirms that the three trinitarian persons comprise a unity. Despite their varying functions in the one divine program, all are involved in every area of God's activity in the world.
Although the Father is the ground of creation, the Son and the Spirit act with the Father in the task of creating. The Son is the Word, the principle of creation, the one through whom the Father creates (John 1:3). And the Spirit is the divine power active in bringing the world into existence (Gen. 1:2).
Likewise, the Son is the redeemer of humanity, yet the Father and the Spirit are involved with the Son in the program of reconciliation. The Father is the agent at work through the Son (2 Cor. 5:18-19). And the Spirit is the active divine power effecting the process from the new birth to the final resurrection.
And although the Spirit is the completer of the divine program, he is joined in this work by the Son and the Father. The Son is the Lord who will return in glory. And the Father is the one who will be 'all-in-all' (1 Cor. 15:28)."
I love how Stan wrote it! For as much as people get confused by the Trinity, and rightly so, this is such a great representation of how it all sort-of goes together. One of the guys in my youth group was asking about the Trinity last week at bible study. It was so hard to explain it to him - understandably. I think I'll share this with him tonight. It might help him get somewhat of a grasp on the whole thing - as it did me.
Prayer Requests:
* Bible Study tonight
* God's vision for my youth group
* PRAISE - Bible study, last week, went so great!
* PRAISE - youth group, this past sunday, was great!
* PRAISE - I get to see my folks on friday before they go on their cruise!
peace all,
~Jenna
posted by Jennifer at
10:34 AM
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