Last week, we noted that, as the nature of God is progressively revealed in Scripture, the one God is seen to exist eternally in three persons, & that these three persons share the same divine nature yet are different in role & relationship. The basic principle at the heart of God’s triune being is unity & distinction, both coexisting without either being compromised.
Think of it like this: While equal in nature but distinct in role & relationship, the distinct roles typically have the Father willing, the Son accomplishing & the Spirit applying the work of the Son, & this truth is most fully realized in the NT where the divine Father, Son & Spirit are seen accomplishing redemption.
Here is the basic gist: The Father planned redemption & sent the Son into the world (John 3:16; Gal 4:4; Eph 1:3-5). The Son obeyed the Father & accomplished redemption for us (John 4:34; 5:19; 6:38; Heb 10:5-7). The Father did not come to die for our sins, nor did the Holy Spirit, but that was the role of the Son. And, then both the Father & Son sent the Holy Spirit in a new way after Pentecost (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7).
Furthermore, what’s amazing about all this is that these relationships existed eternally (Rom 8:29), & they provide the basis for simultaneous equality & differences in various human relationships, what we will look at in the coming weeks!
