The Firstborn's Blessing

 

When we look at the Holy Scriptures through the view of "who Jesus is", and all that Jesus has done on our behalf, and we start from the view that all of Scripture point us to our Lord, even as he himself said, speaking to religious leaders of the day.

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me”, Jhn: 5:39,

Jesus mentions this to the Disciples on the road to Emmaus, with whom Jesus walked after his resurrection,

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Lk: 24:27

This, also tells us that when we see Jesus as the Resurrected Savoir, the one who is Fully God and Fully Human, then we can see Jesus in the Scriptures all the more clearly.

That is, we can see Jesus in the entire Bible from cover to cover. He is the way to understand the word of God,  for he is that Word. Jesus stands out, in surprising, and unexpected ways and places, virtually from almost every Scripture. Jesus emerges in unlikely places in ways that we might not first suspect. Reading the Bible through "who Jesus is" opens it to our understanding and the Salvation and blessings we can experience when we come to faith in him.

Jacob

 Look at the account of the Patriarch Jacob, whose name means “tripper or grasps a heel”. This was a Hebrew idiom for “he deceives”, one who obtained what he should not otherwise have. For the sake of brevity, please allow me to give you the story in a short outline. Jacob was the Grandson of the Abraham to whom God had been given great promises. These promises passed to Isaac who had intended to confer them to his favorite and firstborn of two sons Esau, who by all rights, as the firstborn, these blessings truly belonged. Gen: 25:19-28.  

Being the Firstborn was a place of great importance in the culture of that day, it held all the rights and received the primary inheritance.

Now Jacob, as the second son, under the normal traditions of that culture could not really expect to receive the best part of his father’s blessing. However, Jacob was a clever man, and used his cleverness to obtain the “birthright” from his older brother Esau, Gen: 25:29-24. Esau we are told in verse 34 – “Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.”

Esau did not esteem his birthright it as something to hold on to, that is  he undervalued it, but let Jacob have it for a pot of red stew, a very unfair exchange. Esau then got up and went his way.

Isaac

Now, when Isaac was old and his eyes had become dim, desired to give the blessing to his firstborn son Esau. Isaac calls Esau and tells him of his intentions, but request that Esau first go hunting and bring him some wild game to eat and then he would pass the blessing on to Esau. Gen: 27:1-4

Rebekah

Now Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, who favor was toward Jacob, over heard the conversation between the two men, and while Esau is away in the field, Rebekah devises a plan whereby Jacob can receive what rightfully belonged to Esau who is the firstborn.

Two goat kids are killed, the meat is dressed to resemble wild game. Jacob however, protested that his father will know it is him due to the fact Esau was a hairy man and he is not, and Isaac will know this when he lays hands upon him. The slain goat’s hair is tied to Jacob’s arm and neck, and a robe of Esau’s is placed upon Jacob...Gen: 27:11-17

“Then you shall take it to your father that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.” Gen: 27:5-10

Isaac’s Blindness 

Following Rebeka’s instructions Jacob approached his blind father having put on the robe of his firstborn brother, and goat hair in place, bearing the “offering” of the killed and dressed goats.

“So he went to his father and said, “My father.’ And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit  and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.” He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing,” Gen: 27:18-27a

Isaac, in hearing Jacobs’s voice questions who it is that is before him. Isaac request that his "son" come closer that he may touch him. When Jacob drew near Isaac feels the goat hair and smelled the clothing that belong to Esau, and in Isaac’s blindness, he becomes convinced that the one before him is his firstborn son Esau and accepts him as such, and confers upon Jacob all that belong to Esau. All that Esau had rights to was now Jacobs.

 The blessing is given to Jacob.

 “And blessed him and said: “Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!” Gen: 27:27b-29

Jacob then receives what is rightfully Esau’s, not because of who Jacob was, but because of who Esau was, all the blessings were rightfully Esau’s, now Jacob had received the blessings without deserving it or on merits of his own.

Where Is Jesus in This?

Where is Jesus?..... Well, He is there in all of it, and so are we. We could spend a great deal of time expounding on how the living Jesus stands forth from the Scriptures here and throughout the Bible, for that matter, but we are limited in time and space.

You see, Jesus, as Esau was, is that Firstborn to whom all the blessing rightfully belongs. The blessings are Jesus alone by all rights.

“ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact   representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Heb: 1:1-3

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;” Rom: 8:29

(Jesus) “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” Col: 1:14-15

It is the Firstborn who receives all from the Father; it belongs to him by all rights. It is the same with Jesus and ourselves, all that Christians receive. We receive the blessings not because of who we are, but because of who Jesus is, on his merits alone.

In the same way all that Jacob received from blind Isaac belonged to his older brother Esau, but Jacob received it due to the fact that their father perceived Jacob as Esau.

We Are All Jacob

We all are just like Jacob, as he was a supplanter and deceptive as he was called, we all used the natural inclinations of our carnal natures to go through life.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Rom: 3:23

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” 1John: 1:8

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worked in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved;” Eph:2:2-5

These Scriptures speak to all humanity. This is all of us, yet at some point in our lives we heard that message of the Gospel, which encourages us to seek our Father and receive from him all that he has for us.

Rebekah

As Jacob was encouraged by his mother Rebekah, who articulated the way as to how he could receive Esau’s blessing, and to approach the Father, “The church 'is the mother of us all'" Gal: 4:26.

It is the church, our mother, who through the proclamation of the Gospel, which articulates and encourages us to seek from our Father in Heaven all the blessing we might receive in our Christian lives and on into eternity.

Received as the Firstborn

We, as Christians upon hearing the message of who Jesus is Christ and the adoption that is ours through Jesus Christ, it is then that we are dressed in the Firstborn’s Robe.

“clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ”, Rom: 13:14

“for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” Gal: 3:27.

That means that we, like Jacob put on the Firstborns’ Robe of Righteousness, it is his not ours; it is Jesus’, and dressed as the Firstborn, Jesus, we come into the presence of our Father bearing our “offering” which is not exactly the dish that was wanted but it was prepared in such a way that it was accepted, as imperfect as in truth we all are, yet it receives acceptance as perfect. We are welcomed into the Father’s presences as Jacob was in Isaac’s.

It is our voice that is heard in seek a blessing, as it was Jacobs, but we are perceived as the Firstborn just as Jacob was. That is, God accepts us as if we are his own beloved Firstborn Son Jesus. We are covered by the scarified goats’ hair, which is we being covered by Christ’s sacrifice.

Evan the smell of the robe that Isaac mentions is that familiar smell of the Firstborn even as Jesus is to the great God “and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” Eph:5:2

 Received the Blessing

When Isaac accepted that the one before him was his Firstborn Esau, he then gave to Jacob all a Firstborn should have, he held nothing back it all became Jacobs even though he should by rights have received none of it. This speaks of the grace and full adoption, which is sonship, which is given to us through Jesus.

 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about  your adoption to sonship And by him we cry, “Abba Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Rom: 8:12-17

We are coheirs with Jesus we are to share in what is his, but it is not because of who we are but who Jesus is.

Notes About Esau’s Birthright

In Genesis: 25:29-34 Esau sold his birthright, we are told that “despised his birthright” that he did not esteem it as something to be kept, this even speaks to us of Jesus’ willingness to release or to turn lose his birthright so that others could have it, which is to say Jesus is willing to give to us what is rightfully his that is all things.

Even the “Red Stew” for which it was sold speaks to us regarding the price paid that each of us may have this blessing, the very life blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” Eph:1:7

Blessing Not Withdrawn

Even in Esau’s realizing what had occurred after he came in from the field, that what was his has now gone to another, we see the irrevocable nature of God’s blessing upon us, Esau wanted Isaac to recall the blessing and restore it him, but his Father was not able to do so once it was given, it was Jacobs.

“But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?” Gen: 27:34-37

As it is for us who have received from God through Jesus Christ, by Grace alone all that is Jesus'; except His deity, these blessings will not be recalled by the Father, for once these blessing are bestowed upon us, they are ours.

“for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable” Rom: 11:29

All About Jesus

All this in brief speaks to us that God the Father is “blind” to our brokenness, weakness, limits, sinful state, but because of who Jesus is, and what he has done on our behalf we can have a relationship with the Great God.

Isaac called Jacob Esau’s brother, that is God accepts us in to full sonship as the “brethren” of Jesus, God the Father is including us in who Jesus is, this is accomplished through Jesus taking on our humanity so we might share in all that, as the Firstborn Son, is him relationship and in the life of the Great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

When we read the Bible through Jesus Christ as our lens, you might say, then by doing so, Jesus Christ emerges in places we may not have thought to look for him, the Bible is far from just book of ethics, morals or history, it is about Jesus and all that he is in revealing the Great God to us that we might be blessed.

We are all Jacob who without meriting or undeserving received from the Father, all the Blessings, all that  our Lord Jesus Christ's who is the Firstborn.

Benediction: May we each and all humbly give gory to our Heavenly Father, who through his Holy Son Jesus looks upon us with favor and grants that great Firstborn blessing to us, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

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                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

 

The Unction of the Holy Spirit

 “we have the unction” 1John: 2:20 

  Some Believers can mistake hyper emotionalism or unorthodox behavior for the Unction of the Spirit, or they may behave in a way which they have been told they are expected to behave in ecstatically or flamboyance or unusual ways, or that the Unction of God is only manifested in a specific way in the life of Christians.

 The Greek word translated "unction"  is Charisma , it means to “smear” as anointing oil would be applied. It can be viewed as setting a part to receive an endowment which is bestowed upon us for the fulfillment of a role.

 This same word Charisma  is used  in St. John’s 1st Epistle, but here,  it has been rendered by translators  as anointing.

 In verse 27 the same word is translated anointing.

  “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (27)

  What is the unction? Do Christians today have it? Do Christians  have the “unction” of the Holy Spirit? How would we know? What form(s) does the unction of the Spirit take within the lives of Christians?

  Does The Unction Happen Today?

  While preaching, pastors or teachers might have the unction of the Holy Spirit. The unction can be experienced as a sudden burst of understanding or insight in regards to a subject or a verse which they had not previously considered nor planned for in the preparation of the sermon. 

This unction, can lead to addressing information which presses or emerges into the speaker’s stream of consciousness in such a way that it cannot be ignored and must be spoken. There is a gentle but powerful persistent compulsion to speak which is experienced.

 The unction may be experienced as a strong prompting from within to speak on a subject or to address a particular person(s). Or , it can be a persistent thought which is recurring and seems that it will not fade, or , it could be something that just lingers on our minds until you act or do , or not do the subject of the prompting.

We can receive the “unction” to pray for a person(s) or situation(s) or we find our prayers to be very intense regrading a particular person(s).  The unction, may come upon us suddenly and at unusual times. We may find ourselves awaken suddenly for no apparent reason from sleep, with a person, a friend or pastor “heavy” on our heart leading us to get up and pray for the person or situation.

 During Bible Study, whether alone or in a group setting, or hearing a sermon, a verse or section of Scripture will suddenly take on a “highly personal meaning” to us so much so that it seems to be speaking directly to us. Or understanding will surface in our minds which we had not previously known or understood.

  How to Discern 

  How can we know if such “unction” or “prompting” and leading are of God or Satan or just the self? Is there a way for us to know?

 The first thing is that if an “unction” is coming from the Holy Spirit the "unction" will never lead us to do anything which is contrary to what we find revealed in the Holy Word of God and the “unction” will always direct us to the person of Jesus Christ.

 The unction will always be “edifying” and will build up  rather than tear down. The unction will augment rather than diminish a person and will be for the good not for someone’s personal agenda.

 The unction will challenge our human nature and will be opposed to the pulls of the flesh.

 St. Paul, tells us in his letter to the Christians at Rome that we are led by the Holy Spirit but we are not “forced” by the Holy Spirit; that is, God will not usurp our own personal sovereignty and make us do something.

  “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship” Rom: 8:14-15

  St. Paul also, even in relationship to the “gifts of the Spirit”, tells us that the “gifts” are exercised under our own control. The Holy Spirit does not displace us, but rather, we are able to choose to or not to respond to the Spirit’s prompting, which in most cases is gentle and loving in it's intensity. The unction of the Holy Spirit is never forced upon us.

“Spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets” 1Cor: 14:32-33

  Over time, as we grow in Christian maturity and gain experiences with our Lord Jesus we will come know if it is God or not, because we know and recognize his voice. That does not mean that we will hear an audible voice, but that is not to say that God cannot or has never spoken in such a way   with a believer though it maybe seldom that he does so.

The voice of God which we come to recognize is that of a calm, gentle, patient and understanding, yet filled with a passionate love toward and for us all.

  “the Sheep know my voice” Jhn: 10:27

  This “knowing” or recognizing the voice of our Lord  is what we read of in the Psalms, when the Psalmist wrote.

  “be still and know that I am God” Ps: 46:10

  We hear God speaking to us through Bible Study and counsel with God’s ministers ,  fellowship through fellowship , prayer and worship in our local assemblies.

  Glorifying Jesus

   If it is the “unction” of God which rest upon us by the Holy Spirit, the prompting will glorify God through Jesus Christ. The "unction” of the Holy Spirit will set our minds and heart to always to  look to and trust Jesus for the Holy Spirit will always point us to Christ and in always and  things seek to give us a deeper revelation of who Jesus is.

 If the sources of the impulse which has arisen in our hearts is anything else it will seek to glorify the self and satisfy the flesh in some form.

 "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you."Jhn:16:13-15

  The “unction” of the Holy Spirit will strengthen or reconcile a relationship with God and others binding each closer together in Christian fellowship and or set the stage for future reconciliation which calls upon us to grow in our own maturity as children of God.

 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Eph: 4:2-3

  Conditions for Unction

 It is unfortunate  but  there are times when believers may think that they are acting on an unction from God, but in truth, they have a personal agenda which is being undertaken. 

There are times when, at the very moment the unction occurred, it was from the Spirit, but then the flesh wants it's way and a personal agendas develops. Such a person in a moment of immaturely may look to uses the situation for their own advantage and advancement, this is something we must guard against.

 Believers must be on guard so as to keep the flesh from detracting from what God wants us to do. We need to keep our minds and hearts stayed ever on Jesus and all things which are relating to our Savior.

 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Col: 3:1-2

Through a singular view upon Jesus and steady intake of the Word of God then our minds will be transformed into the mind of Christ. 

  “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete “. 2Cor:10:5

 We are to look ever to our Lord Jesus, the deeper of a relationship with Jesus we have, the more familiar becomes his voice and the clearer. We can perceive the “unction” of the Spirit.

  “Fix your eyes on Jesus” Heb: 12:1-2

  This will ensure that we serve our Lord and God all for the glory of Jesus.

 Benediction: May we each and all ever respond to the gentle unction of the Holy Spirit so that we might serve our Lord ever more effectively, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

If You Would Like to Know More About or to Support the Ministry of Topinabee Community Church You Can go to Our Web Site.

https://topinabeechurch.org/index.html

You Can Follow Topinabee Community Church on Face Book 

https://www.facebook.com/Topinabeecommunitychurch

                    "If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"

The Trinity: A Matter of the Heart

 that all of them maybe one, as you Father are in me and I am in you. 

May they also be in us” Jhn: 17:21a-b.

Trinity Sunday is observed the Sunday following Pentecost in the liturgical calendar of the Christian Church.

The Holy Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a hall-mark of the Christian faith and life. The Holy Trinity is found emerging from the pages of the Holy Bible and is enshrine and affirmed in all the major orthodox Christian Creeds and statement of beliefs dating from the Apostolic time to our own.

The Divine Holy Trinity maybe one of the most difficult truths to grasp, after all how can one God be in three divine “persons?”

 Many, Theologians, Clergy and Laity alike have wrestled with and attempted to understand this reality of the one true God being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord Jesus commissioned his Disciples throughout the ages to go forth into all the world and carrying the Gospel message to the ends of the Earth in and by the authority of the divine Trinity.

“There go into all the Earth and make Disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” Matt: 28:19

The Greek grammatical sentence structure and focus on the “name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” is singular and which means that, “the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” is the singular name of the one God. What this tells us is , that though he is one, he is three, triune in nature, not just “one” who acts as three or has three ways of relating and interacting with us, nor three separate “gods” or “divine beings” who agree to form a holy cooperative union, this view would make God “three in one” but God is rather “one in three”. This may seem a small distinction but it is rather very important. No, the Trinity is far greater than these concepts and a far deeper mystery.

Over the years Christians have attempted to construct theological models to enable us to try to have a grasp on this reality, yet they all have their limitations and are inadequate to the truth of who God is, they all fall short.

None Like God

As it say's in the Holy Scriptures regarding our God.

“To whom will you compere me, or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we might be compered?” Isa: 46:5

We are assured through the sacred writ that there is none like God that he is unique, not just in power and glory but in his very divine nature, and defies humanity’s understanding. 

Again, from the Holy word of God we have this declaration in the historical book of 1 Chronicles.

“O Lord there is none like you, nor is there any God beside you, according to all which we have heard with our ears” 1Chr:17:20

The God which speaks to us from the pages of all the Bible is above and beyond us.

It is true, that we as limited mortals can never truly grasp the wholeness of who and what our God is, we will never truly be able to apprehend all that he is.

Yet, paradoxically when we come to see this Holy reality it answers so many questions for us and opens our understanding to an even greater depth. The Trinity gives us access to come to an understand God’s holy purpose for creation and for each and all of us and for the entrance of Jesus the eternal Son of God through the incarnation.

St. Paul wrote that God has been revealed to us in and through Jesus, in one of the earliest known Apostolic Creedal hymns found within the Scriptures.

“By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: God who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” 1Tim:3:16

The Heart of the Trinity

It would be possible to spend untold hours in research and study of and about the related Scriptures through which we see the evidence of the Trinity of God emerge. But the Trinity, however is far more than a technical theological concept or idea or way of entering into discussions about our God or an explanation of his divine nature, it is rather a revelation of God’s desire for us and his holy and unwavering love.

What this means is, if we look at the truth of the Trinity as mater of the heart rather than of the mind, and understand the nature of the Trinity in terms of relationship we see something deeply profound which we have all been invited to be an eternal part of through Jesus and the Holy Spirit as manifested on the day of Pentecost. 

 The eternal God the Holy Trinity has, through Jesus, offered each and all humanity to enter into this deep personal relationship which God has within himself.

This is what Jesus came for and has offend to us all. Jesus, the incarnate son, the second person of the Holy Trinity is God reaching out to us and inviting us to share in this divine holy relationship.This holy relationship which we are all invited to be a part of was called by the ancient church Perichoresis, which means, to eternally dance around one another in joy.

This entrance into the divine relationship of the Trinity, the Perichoresis, is what Jesus came to do for each and all of humanity, to invited us into this joyful relationship. This is what St. John declares in his Gospel account regarding the eternal Word of God‘s entrance into the stream of human history through the incarnation.

“But as many as who received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God even those who believe in his name” Jhn:1:12

This “right” of which Jesus has given us is the “right” of a full member of the household, it is reality not just a theoretical relationship position but an actual one granting full access to all that a Father of a given household would dispose to his children.

The truth of the relationship which the Father has invited us into, all through his beloved Son, the Holy Spirit assures us of and confirms to us and is conveyed to us in a deep and personal way through the Holy Spirit’s presence

This is what St. Paul is writing to Christians about in his epistle to the Romans.

“The Spirit himself testifies to our spirit that we are the children of God.” Rm: 8:16

 It is God’s heart that all humanity would freely receive this invitation given to us all through Jesus and affirmed to us through the Spirit. It is the heart of God that all would enter this relationship of love, joy and peace that God has within his very self which the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit share so fully and freely within the Trinity.

The Trinity Relationship

This Trinity relationship is one of perfect love of mutual regard and adoration, of unhindered bounding with full union of common essence yet with recognition of distinction without diminishing.

This is part of what our Lord Jesus meant when his spoke of the Father and he being “one”.

“The Father and I are one” Jhn: 10:30

This just does not speak to only to assenting or agreement to a task or will, but to essence and being and relationship and fellowship. The fellowship of common essence. Oneness, wholeness.

With this fellowship of common essences each is equally valued and participate, yet distinct with no diminishing among the relationship of the Trinity. This relationship is found hinted at within the words of Jesus as he expounds upon the Holy Spirit’s role in the lives of his Disciples just shortly before he would face arrest and crucifixion.      

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father-he will testify about me” Jhn: 15:26

Here in this statement and others spoken by Jesus, is the Trinity in full view and each’s distinct place within the Trinity relationship. The Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus from the Father to us for the purpose of giving us revelation about Jesus all in full oneness.

Jesus prayed that we all could have this same relationship among ourselves and all humanity. Praying to the Father, Jesus requested that the same relationship that is shared within the Holy Trinity can be fully our own experiences here and now and on into eternity. 

“that all of them maybe one, as you Father are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us” Jhn: 17:21a-b.

In this prayer of our Lord, Jesus is asking more than just cooperation and agreement among believers. Jesus is asking that we all might enter and be a apart of the Trinity relationship, the Perichoresis , among ourselves here and now and always.

The Lord is One

This relationship of love of the Trinity is even found in the Shema Creed found in the Scripture.

“Hear O Israel the Lord our God is One” Deut: 4:6

This being “one” is not a numerical reference to the Lord being a singular, but the Hebrew rather, speaks of wholeness and self-unity found with in God himself. This  wholeness of relationship is what we are invited to and what Jesus has called us to and prayed for us all to have.

This is the Heart of the Trinity relationship which our God has made us to live within now and for all eternity. 

This is what Trinity Sunday celebrates not just an explanation of the nature of God’s divine self, but the eternal holy divine relationship of love and joy. This is the Heart of the Trinity.

Benediction: May we each and all fully live and be deeply within the relationship to which our God lives and offers so freely to each and all of us through his divine Holy Son Jesus Christ, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen. 

Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor 

Topinabee Community Church

Topinabee, Michigan 

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"If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not About Anything"