“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding,
so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.”
(1 John 5:2)
Though the term “Trinity” is not found in Scripture, the doctrine behind it is supported throughout the Bible. One God in three Persons – Father, Son, and Spirit – are equally present and active from the beginning of time to the completion of time.
Christ the Son, being God, is the creator of all things. Not only did God say “Let Us make man in Our image…” at the point of creation (Gen. 1:26), but the gospel of John also says about Christ, “All things were made by Him,” (John 1:1-3). Regarding that creation, He is also the preserver and governor of all things, “Upholding all things by the word of His power,” (Heb. 1:3).
Christ is attributed with duties which relate specifically to the salvation of the church. He sends prophets, apostles, and other ministers to His church (John 20:21; Eph. 4:11) and furnishes those ministers with necessary gifts and graces. (Luke 21:15). He reveals the doctrine of salvation to His people through the preaching of the Word (1 John 5:20) and confirmed this doctrine by miracles.
Christ opens the eyes of our spiritual understanding, saves and sanctifies those God has given Him by His Spirit, governs the lives and actions of the godly, comforts them, and defends His own against the temptations of the devil. Christ does this because He is God.
What kind of Savior is Christ? He is the Deliverer of His people. He hears all those that call on Him (John 14:14; 2 Cor. 12:8). He forgives our sins, justifies us, and adopts us into God’s family (Is. 58:11; John 1:12). He freely gives us eternal life (John 10:28; 1 John 5:20).
And this same Christ will judge the world at the end of time. God ordained Him to be the Judge of both the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 17:32). All these divine works, and more, are attributed to the Son, who is the true God.
Zacharias Ursinus said, “Christ has equal and common honor, and worship, which shows His equality in His essence and operations.” He is worshipped by both the angels and the church (Heb. 1:6; John 5:23). Faith and trust are to be settled in Him (John 14:1). And He is the Bridegroom, the Head and King of His church. He is God absolutely, as the Father is God, for “This is the true God, and eternal life.”
- O Lord Jesus, You are Jehovah, the one True God. You are my God. This is not only Your name; it is also Your essence. You are my righteousness, my Great Savior, the long-awaited Messiah, the “desire of all nations,” and also my desire (Jer. 23:6; Isa. 25:9; Hag. 1:7). How can I begin to understand such deep spiritual truths?
- I love all those passages in Scripture that refer to You, the Angel of the Lord, as Jehovah Himself. Both the Old Testament references to Jehovah and those in the New Testament that refer to Christ are especially precious to me (Ps. 97:7; Heb. 1:6; Ps. 102:26; Heb. 1:10). As I study Your Word each day, thank You for allowing me to see You more and more clearly.
- You, Lord Jesus, are called the true God, the only One who is over all, God blessed forever!
- The Trinity is such an amazing doctrine that I can barely understand it Lord, but I have faith that Your Word is true, and that You are the true God, along with the Father and the Spirit. You are the only begotten Son of the Father, having His essence communicated to You perfectly and entirely. There stands the mystery of the Trinity, for I know that Father, Son and Spirit are all One, but also separate Persons. And yet the Godhead can neither be multiplied or divided. These truths I have to accept by faith, for they are so far beyond my finite mind that I can never expect to understand them!
Further References for 1 John 5:20
John 14:9, 17:3; 1 John 5:5, 11; Luke 24:45; Rev. 3:7
