The Bible affirms that there is only one God, yet it also describes God as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This triune personage is commonly known as the Trinity.
All three persons of the Trinity are fully and simultaneously God. They are not parts of one God, three separate gods, or one God in three successive forms. God the Father did not create Jesus as a person or the Holy Spirit as a force.
Each person shares the same divine essence and attributes. They have all existed eternally and are coequal in every respect, including power, authority, knowledge, and ability, without hierarchy or subordination. We can pray to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit.
Each person has a distinct role. The Father formulates plans, the Son implements them, and the Holy Spirit brings them to completion.
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 and all its inhabitants. He gave Adam and Eve, the first humans, authority over the earth and unlimited freedom to do whatever they could conceive, except for one thing.
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God the Father established a plan of salvation for humanity and oversaw its execution.
The Son
Jesus is God the Son. He is both fully human and fully divine. He served as the Father’s agent at creation, commanding the world into existence.
Jesus left heaven about two thousand years ago to live on earth for a little more than thirty years. While here, he revealed what the Father is like; validated, explained, and expanded on the Old Testament; and paid the penalty for sin through his death.
Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection and now advocates for our salvation before the Father. He is the Savior of all who choose to be spiritually reborn.
Jesus will someday physically return to earth to gather his reborn believers and escort them to heaven. Then he will rule the world for one thousand years before bringing heaven to earth.
The Holy Spirit
God, the Holy Spirit, is distinct from the spirit that is God the Father. He brought order to creation and now completes the Father’s work on earth.
The Holy Spirit does not inhabit nature—trees, rocks, animals, etc.—but he is transcendentally active everywhere.
In the process of salvation, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and helps us understand God’s mercy and grace, enabling us to make an informed decision about whether to be spiritually reborn. He indwells us after we accept Jesus as our Savior, securing 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 as needed.
He manifests the divine attributes within us that enable us to live contentedly in a troubled world: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This manifestation is known as 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 works through us to mentor fellow believers and inform unbelievers about God’s salvation plan. He prompts us to assist those in all manner of need.
The Holy Spirit equips each reborn believer with a spiritual gift to edify the church and serve the broader community as we walk in harmony with him. Examples include teaching, administration, mercy, encouragement, evangelism, and hospitality.
Read More
Learn more about God’s nature and his role in our lives by following the links in the sidebar menu on this page.
Jesus is unique among the founders of other major religions. There is a plausible explanation for his virgin birth and ample evidence for his resurrection. His attributes are described throughout the Bible.
