Who Is God? Understanding the Trinity | Open Arms Community Church in Bradford PA
As we begin our new summer series, Basics, we’re tackling some of the biggest questions of the Christian faith. When people hear words like theology, doctrine, or catechism, it’s easy to assume the conversation will become complicated or overwhelming. But at its core, Christianity is built on foundational truths that every believer can understand and every seeker can explore.
This week, Pastor Zoe Hatcher begins at the most important place possible: Who is God? While entire libraries have been written on this subject, understanding who God is provides the foundation for everything else we believe. On Trinity Sunday, we explore one of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith—the Trinity—and discover why knowing God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit changes everything.
Watch the full message below:
The Most Important Question
Every worldview attempts to answer the same basic questions.
Why are we here?
What is the purpose of life?
What happens after we die?
But before we can answer any of those questions, we have to answer a more foundational one:
Who is God?
The Christian answer is both simple and profound.
God is the Holy Trinity.
Father.
Son.
Holy Spirit.
Three persons.
One God.
This truth can feel difficult to understand at first, but it is one of the most important realities revealed in Scripture.
Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All of God’s people here send you their greetings. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:11-14 (NLT)
One God in Three Persons
The Trinity teaches that God exists eternally as three distinct persons who share one divine nature.
The Father is God.
The Son is God.
The Holy Spirit is God.
Not three gods.
One God.
Three persons existing together in perfect unity and harmony.
A helpful picture is a musical chord.
When three notes are played together, they create a single chord. Each note is distinct, yet together they produce one unified sound.
The Trinity is infinitely greater than any illustration, but it gives us a glimpse of how God can be both three and one at the same time.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always existed.
They were never created.
There was never a moment when one existed without the others.
They have always lived in perfect relationship with one another.
Before Creation, There Was Love
One of the most beautiful implications of the Trinity is this:
Before there was a universe, there was love.
Before there were people.
Before there were angels.
Before there was time itself.
There was the loving relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This is why Scripture can confidently say:
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
1 John 4:7-12 (NLT)
God is love.
Love requires relationship.
Love requires someone to give and someone to receive.
Because God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, love is not something God learned.
Love is who He is.
The very foundation of reality is not power.
It is not chaos.
It is not chance.
It is love.
As C.S. Lewis observed, if God were only a single person, then before creation there would have been no one for Him to love. But because God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, love has always existed.
The Trinity Is Everywhere in Scripture
One common objection is that the word “Trinity” never appears in the Bible.
That’s true.
The word itself isn’t found in Scripture.
But the reality of the Trinity appears throughout the entire biblical story.
At Creation
The Trinity appears on the very first page of Scripture.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3 (NLT)
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:1-5 (NLT)
God the Father creates.
The Spirit hovers over the waters.
The Son, the Word of God, is present and active in creation.
The Trinity is present from the very beginning.
At Abraham’s Tent
Later, Abraham encounters three mysterious visitors.
The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
Genesis 18:1-2 (NLT)
Many Christians throughout history have seen this moment as a glimpse of the Trinity revealed to Abraham.
The Lord appears, yet Abraham encounters three distinct persons.
At Jesus’ Birth
The Trinity is present in the miraculous conception of Jesus.
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35 (NLT)
The Father sends.
The Holy Spirit overshadows Mary.
The Son enters the world.
All three persons are involved in the incarnation of Christ.
At Jesus’ Baptism
One of the clearest pictures of the Trinity appears at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Luke 3:21-22 (NLT)
Jesus stands in the water.
The Holy Spirit descends like a dove.
The Father speaks from heaven.
All three persons are present at the same time.
After the Resurrection
The Trinity continues to work together after Jesus rises from the dead.
Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
John 20:21-22 (NLT)
Jesus speaks of the Father’s mission.
Then He breathes the Holy Spirit upon His disciples.
Again, we see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together.
At the Ascension
Before returning to the Father, Jesus prays for His followers and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit.
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The Father promises.
The Son sends.
The Spirit empowers.
At the End of All Things
The Trinity remains central to God’s plan even in the final pages of Scripture.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
Revelation 22:13-17 (NLT)
The Father, Son, and Spirit continue their work of inviting people into God’s kingdom.
The invitation remains:
“Come.”
The Father, The Son, and The Spirit
Throughout Scripture, a consistent pattern emerges.
The Father is the source.
The Son is the way.
The Holy Spirit is the power.
The Father initiates.
The Son accomplishes.
The Holy Spirit applies and empowers.
Together they accomplish the work of creation, redemption, and restoration.
Jesus summarized this beautifully in the Great Commission.
Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT)
Believers are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit because all three persons of the Trinity are involved in our salvation.
The Trinity and Prayer
One way to understand the Trinity is through prayer.
When believers pray, they approach the Father.
They do so through Jesus Christ.
And they are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The Father is above us.
Jesus stands beside us.
The Holy Spirit lives within us.
All three persons working together so we can have a relationship with God.
The Trinity isn’t just a doctrine to understand.
It’s the reality believers experience every day.
Why This Matters
The Trinity isn’t a theological puzzle to solve.
It’s the answer to who God is.
God is not distant.
God is not lonely.
God is not impersonal.
God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Perfectly united.
Perfectly loving.
Perfectly good.
And this triune God invites us into relationship with Him.
The God who existed before creation now welcomes us into His family through Jesus Christ.
That invitation remains open today.
What Is Your Next Step?
Maybe you’ve believed in God for years but never truly understood who He is.
Maybe you’ve thought of God as distant, unknowable, or disconnected from your life.
Or maybe today is the first time you’ve heard that God is inviting you into a relationship with Him.
The Father loves you.
Jesus made a way for you.
The Holy Spirit wants to fill and empower you.
If you’re ready to learn more about Jesus, ask questions, or connect with our church family, we’d love to meet you.
Plan Your Visit
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Open Arms Community Church
71 Congress Street
Bradford, PA 16701
Join us Sunday mornings at Open Arms Community Church.
