How can we explain the Trinity?

4/5/20     Lucas and Billal  (see HERE)

How can we explain the Trinity?

After I heard about their beliefs as Muslims, two Algerians, Lucas and Billal, had many questions for me as I shared my beliefs as a follower of Jesus.

In particular, they had questions about the Trinity, because as Muslims they have been trained from childhood that God is one, and therefore the idea of One God in three Persons was hard for them to comprehend.

I told them it is indeed a hard doctrine to understand, not to mention explain, but that as Christians we experience God working in our lives in different ways through the different roles and activities, yet perfect unity, of the persons of the Trinity.

For example, Lucas and Billal both believe that God is perfect in every one of his attributes, so I asked how can God be perfectly merciful and demonstrate perfect justice at the same time? How could He be perfectly just in punishing sin without sacrificing his love and mercy, and how can he have mercy on us without somehow compromising his justice?

It is only by the Persons of the Trinity, the Father and the Son, acting together in perfect cooperation and unity, that God can both punish sin and forgive sin perfectly and without compromising His holy character.

This is what we read in Romans 3 when it is said that God “might be just and the justifier” – two very separate roles carried out in perfect harmony by the separate persons of the One God.

Another question they had that involves an understanding of the Trinity is the question of how it could be that one could be forgiven and saved by faith in Jesus, yet not just continue to live a life of sinful indulgence with the assurance of salvation.

For Lucas and Billal, all they have ever known is the constant striving to be “good enough” in the hopes they might somehow be worthy of God’s mercy at the final judgment.

They had no idea of the role the Holy Spirit takes when he comes to live within those who are born-again in the Spirit, how it is that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:6)

The Holy Spirit within us takes away our desire to continue in sin and empowers us to overcome sin as He sanctifies and matures our character.

In the Trinity, God gives us so much more than the strict religion of Islam: the forgiveness found in Jesus; the power over sin from the Holy Spirit; and the loving relationship we can have with God our Father.

I appreciated Lucas and Billal’s openness and honest questions, and really enjoyed our conversation. It can be seen at https://youtu.be/bRySZ8K2vXA on my YouTube channel.