Jesus loves you.
If we boiled the gospel down to three words, how many of us would choose these three? The gospel is the message of Christ’s love for us. But if we only focus on Christ’s love for us, we can end up with a lopsided view of God. Does the Father love us too? What about the Holy Spirit? The result is that sometimes we think Jesus is the one who loves us and thankfully he’s persuasive enough to convince the other two persons to come along.
This couldn’t be farther from the truth and it’s why the Trinity is so important! The Bible teaches us that the triune God – God in his whole self – loves us. Far from being coerced into going along with it, each person of the Trinity plays a part in our salvation.
The Father decreed it. The Father didn’t have to be convinced by anyone to save us; it was his idea. The Father sent the Son on a mission for our salvation. John’s Gospel records many statements by Jesus, telling us that the Son was sent here by the Father. (John 5:30; 7:28-29; 17:4; 20:21). The Father isn’t hesitant, wondering if salvation is worthwhile. Quite the contrary! He sent his beloved Son to go and accomplish it in his name. It was the first person of the Trinity, God the Father, who decreed our salvation.
The Son accomplished it. The Father didn’t come to earth to save us. The Holy Spirit didn’t take on flesh. Jesus did. Jesus is the one who became man, being born as a baby and growing up as a child (Luke. 2:1-7; 41-52). It was Jesus who went to the cross and died as a human being to save humanity (Rom. 8:3-4; Heb. 2:14-15). It was Jesus who rose from the dead in a real human body, so we too could live forever (1 Cor. 15:20-22). It was the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, who came and accomplished everything necessary for our salvation.
The Spirit applies it. The cross of Christ proclaims that God saves sinners, but it’s the work of the Holy Spirit that proclaims God saves me. When we receive God’s promises in faith, the Holy Spirit applies them to us. Jesus went to the cross as a sacrifice for sin – and it’s the Holy Spirit who assures me that Jesus died for my sins. Jesus rose from the dead to proclaim the forgiveness of sins – and the Holy Spirit assures me that Jesus was raised for my forgiveness. It is the third person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit, who applies the promises of the gospel to me in faith (Rom. 8:9-11; Tit. 3:4-6).
Isn’t theology like this wonderful? When we think about the Trinity and how each person participates in our salvation, the Bible presents us with a beautiful picture of God, united in his pursuit of our salvation. From beginning to end, God set his face on our salvation and he is fully committed to this purpose. Jesus loves you. True! But so do the Father and Holy Spirit – because God loves you. Our triune God, one God in three persons, loves you with his full and complete self.
How rich a love is that?
In Him,
Tom