The Bible clearly states that there is only one God, but it also speaks of God as three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
God’s triune personage is commonly called the Trinity. Each person in the Trinity is distinct from the others and has a separate function. The Father formulates plans, the Son activates them, and the Holy Spirit completes them.
All three persons are entirely and concurrently God. They are not parts of one God, three separate gods, or one God in three consecutive forms. God the Father did not create Jesus as a person and the Holy Spirit as a force.
Each person possesses identical attributes and the same essence of deity. They have all existed for eternity and are coequal in power, authority, knowledge, ability, etc. We can pray to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit.
The Father
God the Father is a spirit who resides in heaven, a place he created for himself, his loyal angels, and us.
He designed the world along with all its inhabitants. He gave Adam and Eve, the first humans, authority over the earth and unlimited freedom to do whatever they could conceive—with one exception.
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God the Father established a salvation plan for humanity and presided over its execution.
The Son
Jesus is God the Son. He is concurrently fully human and fully divine. He was the Father’s agent at creation. He commanded the world to exist.
Jesus left heaven about twenty centuries ago to live on earth for over thirty years. While here, he revealed what the Father is like; validated, explained, and elaborated upon the Old Testament; and paid the penalty for sin through his death.
Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven. He now pleads our case before the Father in the salvation process.
Someday Jesus will physically return to earth to collect his reborn believers and escort them to heaven. Then he will rule the world for 1,000 years before bringing heaven to earth.
The Holy Spirit
God, the Holy Spirit, is distinct from the spirit that is God the Father.
The Holy Spirit does not inhabit nature—trees, rocks, animals, etc.—but he is transcendentally active everywhere. He brought order to creation and now completes the Father’s earthly initiatives.
In the salvation process, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and makes sure that we understand enough about God’s salvation plan to choose to be reborn spiritually. He indwells us after we make this decision, which secures our eternal life.
As we walk in harmony with God, the Holy Spirit strengthens our stamina, intensifies our noble desires, reinforces our self-discipline, and empowers us directly as needed.
He manifests in us the divine attributes that enable us to live contentedly in a troubled world. This manifestation is called the fruit of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit illuminates the truths that apply to our lives as we study the Bible. Amid affliction, he provides guidance, direction, comfort, strength, and hope. When we cannot pray, he intercedes with God the Father on our behalf.
The Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts that equip us for ministry. He works through us to inform unbelievers about God’s salvation plan and to encourage other believers.
Read More About Jesus
Jesus is unique among the founders of the other major religions. There is a plausible explanation for his virgin birth. There is ample evidence supporting his resurrection. His attributes are described throughout the Bible.
