Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? And how about the Holy Spirit? The entire Bible clearly supplies all the information we need in order to know about them, so here, I will briefly answer these basic and fundamental questions using the Bible, God's final written authority for us.
Why is knowing about God important? Accurate knowledge about Him is vital to our salvation. Read on...
God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit comprise what we call the "Holy Trinity." The Holy Trinity is a spiritual unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are "one" in a spiritual sense. To understand this oneness, we need to understand what the Bible says about marriage. It says that when a man and woman marry, they become "one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) That doesn't literally mean that they become one person. What it means is that they become one in spiritual unity. In the same way, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are "one" in spiritual unity. They share the same purpose, goals, and they work together harmoniously to achieve their plans.
Jesus wishes all Christians to achieve this oneness, as he indicated in his prayer to the Father: "Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are." (John 17:11, American Standard Version)
Now, let us identify each member of the Holy Trinity using the Holy Scriptures.
The Father
The Father is the one and only true God Almighty, whose personal name is Jehovah (Yahweh from YHWH in Hebrew). Jehovah said: "I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God." (Isaiah 45:5)
The name "Jehovah" means "He who chooses to become," meaning that He can be anything and do anything He wants. He indicates Himself as "I am that I am" for this reason. (Exodus 3:14) Simply put, He is Almighty.
Jehovah is the most supreme Being of the universe. "That they may know that thou alone, whose name is Jehovah, Art the Most High over all the earth." (Psalm 83:18)
Jehovah is the Creator of everything in the universe, both visible and invisible. "I am Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth (who is with me?)." (Isaiah 44:24)
Jesus tell us to call God "Our Father" in our prayers. (Matthew 6:9)
Jesus calls Jehovah both "my Father" and "my God." For example, before returning to his Father's side in heaven, Jesus said to Mary from Magdala, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my God and your God." (John 20:17)
And after he was back at his Father's side in heaven, Jesus continues to call God "my God," as in: "He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name." (Revelation 3:12)
As in any father-son relationship, the Father is greater than Jesus, as Jesus said: "…the Father is greater than I." (John 14:28)
The apostle Paul confirmed this relationship between God and Jesus by urging us to glorify "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:6)
Paul also indicated that "the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God," and that we "are Christ's; and Christ is God's," therefore Jehovah is above all and the Father of all. (I Corinthians 11:3; 1 Corinthians 3:23)
Finally, Jesus calls the Father "the only true God." Accurately knowing both the only true God and Jesus himself is vital to our salvation! "And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ." (John 17:3)
The Son
Jehovah calls Jesus "my Son."
Jehovah said to Jesus: "Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11)
"Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee." (Psalm 2:7)
Jehovah also called Jesus "my servant."
Foretelling of Jesus' first coming to Earth, Jehovah said, "…behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch." (Zechariah 3:8) And "Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth…" (Isaiah 42:1)
The saying "Like father, like son" couldn't be more accurate and fitting to describe this holy Father-Son relationship. Jesus is "the image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15) He is spiritually like his Father in every way. To know him is to know God.
Like his Father, the Son never changes: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)
Jesus played a major role in the world's creation:
"...all things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made." (John 1:3)
"…Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds." (Hebrews 1:2)
"...in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him." (Colossians 1:16)
How is this so? Well, Jehovah alone created the world by Jesus, just as He alone led Israel "by the hand of Moses and Aaron." (Psalm 77:20) In all events, Jehovah is the Boss, the Director, and the Supervisor, who uses agents to carry out His works.
Prior to his arrival on Earth through a miraculous virgin birth, Jesus lived with his Father in heaven as a mighty Spirit Being. He was sent down by God to do God's will.
Jesus himself said, "I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:38, 40)
After Jesus died and was resurrected, he returned to his Father's side, where Jehovah "made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:20-23) What a glorious reward Jehovah has bestowed upon His dearest Son, who no doubt deserves all the honor and glory!
"Jesus" (Yeshua/Yahooshua) in Hebrew means "Jehovah Is Salvation." "Christ" (Messiah) means the "Appointed One." So Jesus is the one appointed by God to provide us salvation, while salvation ultimately comes from Jehovah: "I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour." (Isaiah 43:11) (If you have questions about what salvation is all about, you can read my article here: http://tinyurl.com/ylaafno )
Jesus will return to Earth for the second time to bring God's gift of salvation to the children of God and co-heirs of Jesus. Jesus will be our King for one thousand years.
After Jesus' millennium rule, he will return the Kingdom back to his Father so "that God may be all in all." (I Corinthians 15:28)
"Christ will rule until he puts all his enemies under his power, and the last enemy he destroys will be death. When the Scriptures say that he will put everything under his power, they don't include God. It was God who put everything under the power of Christ. After everything is under the power of God's Son, he will put himself under the power of God, who put everything under his Son's power. Then God will mean everything to everyone." (I Corinthians 15:25-28, Contemporary English Version)
Amen!
Is Jesus an angel? No, for the Bible says, "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be to him a Father, And he shall be to me a Son?" (Hebrews 1:5)
Jesus, as the Bible plainly says, is the Son of God. Remember, God calls Jesus "my Son," and Jesus calls God, "my Father." The Bible added to Jesus' position by telling us that Jesus is God's "only begotten Son," so Jesus is far higher than any sons of God, whether angels or humans. No other being has this special position as the only begotten Son of God. (John 1:18)
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is Jehovah's active force, His creative power, which He uses to perform any and all tasks. For example, He used the Holy Spirit to impregnate the virgin Mary so she could give birth to Jesus. (Luke 1:35)
The Holy Spirit played a very important role in Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit to perform miracles:
"…Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts 10:38)
Jehovah also used His Holy Spirit to resurrect Jesus from the dead. Likewise, we will be resurrected by the Spirit in the same manner. In the meantime, the Holy Spirit dwells in each child of God to give power and life: "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:11)
While dwelling in us, the Holy Spirit develops godly quality in us called the fruit: "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)
Besides developing the fruit in us, the Holy Spirit also empowers us to be powerful witnesses of the Gospel: "But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Without the power of the Holy Spirit, we would be powerless in and against all things, not just in our ministry.
Since the Holy Spirit is Jehovah's active and creative power, the Spirit is involved in countless other activities, including the restraint against Satan, the giving of spiritual gifts to all Christians, the provisions of the revelation and wisdom required to understand the Bible, guidance and protection, the demonstration of God's love and power, among others.
If you'd like to learn more about Jehovah God Almighty, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, I strongly advise you to pick up a copy of the Bible and carefully read and study it on a regular basis. This is how you can begin to develop an intimate relationship with Jehovah. A relationship with God is the most sacred and fulfilling of all relationships, so don't delay; start deepening your knowledge about your Heavenly Father today!
(All Bible quotations are from the American Standard Version of 1901 unless otherwise indicated.)
For other basic facts about the Bible, visit "Bible FAQs" at http://www.shirleycheng.com
Shirley Cheng (b. 1983), a blind and physically disabled award-winning author (with 21 book awards, including nine Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Awards), motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet, author of nine books (including "Do You Love Jehovah? God Almighty's Infinite Love & Wisdom to Propel You to Greatness"), contributor to 22, and a parental rights advocate, has had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since infancy. Owing to years of hospitalization, she received no education until age eleven. Back then, she knew only her ABCs and very simple English; other than that, her book knowledge was non-existent. However, after only about 180 days of special education in elementary school, she mastered grade level in all areas and entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school. Unfortunately, Shirley lost her eyesight at the age of seventeen. After a successful eye surgery, she hopes to earn multiple science doctorates from Harvard University. Visit http://www.shirleycheng.com for more inspiration.
Do you have questions about the Bible? Something you don't understand? Do you need a bit of guidance in developing a relationship with Jehovah? Then Shirley would like to help you! Please contact her via her site at http://www.shirleycheng.com and she would be more than glad to do her best to answer your questions! Never hesitate to ask questions, for no question about the Bible is ever too small or stupid.