Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 HOLY TRINITY

2 Corinthians 13;11-14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.      [2 Corinthians 13:14 – AMP]
 
We – Christians – believe in the triune God who is manifested in three persons – God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The existence of the three persons in the triune Godhead is evident from the very beginning in the Bible – that is from the creation account. In Genesis Chapter 1 we read: “In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. … The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” [Genesis 1:1-3 – AMP] Here, the creator God is the first person, the word spoken for creation is the second person and the Spirit hovering over the waters is the third person working together in harmony during creation.
A striking incidence of cooperative work of the Holy Trinity in New Testament is given in Matthew 3:16-17, in the context of starting Jesus' ministry. There we read: “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.“” The holy Spirit comes down like a dove and rests on Jesus, and God claims Jesus as His beloved Son. The dwelling of the Spirit in Jesus gave Him the power to carry out the ministry ahead of Him.
In today's passage Paul blesses the Corinthian Church invoking the salient features of the three persons in the Holy Trinity – grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, love of God, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The primary benefit of grace for us is our salvation as we read in Ephesians: “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.” [Ephesians 2:8-9 – ESV] It is the love of God for every person including the lost ones that allowed the Son to suffer and die on the cross as a sin offering so that whoever believes in Him may be saved. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit empowers a believer to live a victorious life as a witness of Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:8)
Let us approach the Holy Trinity to enable us to be recipients of His grace, surrounded by His love, and empowered by the fellowship to be witnesses for Christ.
 
Prayer
Lord, in Your mercy abide with us so that we may always be in Your grace, love, and fellowship. Amen
Thought of the day

Reflect on Adrian Rogers' quotation on GRACE: “God's Riches At Christ's Expense.” Grace is not cheap.
 
Dr. Thomas Philip
Orlando MTC, Florida

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