The Holy Trinity

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3: 14-21.

These words have often, and not without good reason, been regarded as one of the highest expressions of what the life of a believer may be on earth. And yet this view is not without its dangers if it fosters the idea that the attainment of such an experience is to be regarded as something exceptional and distant, and hides the blessed truth that, though in varying degree, it yet is meant to be the certain and immediate heritage of every child of God.

Each morning each believer has as much the right as the need to say: My Father will strengthen me today with power, is strengthening me even now, in the inner man through His Spirit.

Each day we are to be content with nothing less than the indwelling of Christ by faith, a life rooted in love and made strong to know the love of Christ. Each day we believe that the blessed work of being filled in with all the fitness of God is being prepared and carried on and accomplished in us. And each day we ought to be strong in the faith of God's power, and by giving Him glory in Christ, as able to do above what we ask and think, according to the power of the Spirit working in us.

The words are, among many other things, remarkable for the way in which they present the truth of the Holy Trinity in its bearing on our practical life. Many Christians understand that it is right and needful at different times in the pursuit of the Christian life, to give special attention to the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. They often feel it difficult to combine the various truths into one, and to know how to worship the Three in One.

Our text reveals the wondrous relationship and perfect unity. We have the Spirit within us as the power of God, and yet He does not work at our will or His own. It is the Father who, according to the riches of His glory, grants us to be strengthened "through the Spirit in the inner man.”

It is the Father who does exceeding abundantly above what we ask or think "according to the power at work within us'' So far, from the presence of the Spirit within us being to us instead of God, He renders us more absolutely and unceasingly dependent on the Father. The Spirit can only work as the Father works through Him. We need to combine the two truths-a deeply reverent, trustful consciousness of the Holy Spirit as indwelling, with a continual and dependent waiting on the Father to work through Him.

Even so with Christ. We bow our knees to God as Father in the name of the Son. We ask Him to strengthen us through the Spirit with the one object that Christ may dwell in our hearts. So the Son leads to the Father and the Father again reveals the Son in us. And then, again, as the Son dwells in the heart, and it is rooted and grounded in love, drawing its life out of Divine love as its soil, bringing forth fruits and doing works of love, we are led on to be filled with all the fullness of God. The whole heart with the inner and outer life becomes the scene of the blessed interchange of the operation of the Holy Three. As our hearts believe this we give glory through Christ to Him who is able to do more than we can think by His Holy Spirit.

What a wonderful salvation this of which our heart is the scene; the Father ever breathing His Spirit into us, and by His daily renewing fitting it to be the home of Christ; the Holy Spirit ever revealing and forming Christ within us, so that His very nature, disposition, and character becomes ours; the Son imparting His life of love, and leading us on to be filled with all the fullness of God.

This is meant to be our everyday religion. Oh! Let us worship the Three-One God in the fullness of faith every day. In whatever direction our Bible study and our prayer lead us, let this ever be the center from which we go out and to which we return. We were created in the image of the Three-One God. The salvation by which God restores us is an inward salvation; it is nothing to us if it is not wrought in our hearts and enjoyed there. The God who saves us can do it in no other way than as the indwelling God, filling us with all His fullness. Let us worship and wait; let us believe and give Him glory.

Have you ever noticed in Ephesians how the three Persons of the Trinity are ever mentioned together?

1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

1. 12, 13. So that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

1. 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.

2. 18. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

3. 22. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

4. 4-9. when you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.

5. 4-6. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all5.Filled with the Spirit, giving thanks to God, in the name of Christ.

6. 10-18. finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, As you study and compare these passages, and seek to gather up their teaching in some true and humble conception of the glory of our God, notice especially what an intensely practical truth this of the Holy Trinity is. Scripture teaches little of its mystery in the Divine nature, almost all it has to say has reference to God's work in us, and our faith and experience of His salvation.

True faith in the Trinity will make us strong, bright, God-possessed Christians. The Divine Spirit making Himself one with our life and inner being; the Blessed Son dwelling in us, as the way to perfect fellowship with God; the Father, through the Spirit and the Son working out day by day His purpose — that we are filled with all the fullness of God. Let us bow our knees unto the Father! Then the mystery of the Trinity will be known and experienced.