Trinity Week – Friday

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. – Psalm 145:3.

God is a Spirit” (John 4:24a).  He is not bound by any limits, as is a material body.  But let no one be given to foolish and childish notions.  God is not a spirit in the sense of a phantom or “spirit,” or “ghost,” such as the disciples imagined to behold (Luke 24:37; Matthew 14:26).  Nor is He a spirit like the created spirits, the angels.  God is a Spirit who is actively and powerfully immanent in all creation, and is infinitely above and beyond every creature.

And God is a living and personal Spirit, having intelligence and will, and He has created whatever there is of life, of personality, of intelligence, of will in all creation.  God is a Spirit “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2), without beginning and without end, and immutable.  And so, God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient (Jeremiah. 23:23-24; Luke 1:37; Psalm 139:1-13).  And God is “holy” (Isaiah 6:3); He is Holiness itself.  His is a spotless holiness; yes, it is impossible that any blemish should be found in His holiness.  And, therefore, He is righteous and just (Daniel 9:7).  Everything that He does is good and right; everything!  And He is faithful (Lamentation 3:23).  His Word does not fail; His faithfulness is immovable.  And He is benevolent, merciful, gracious (Psalm 145:9; Exodus 34:6-7).  “God is Love” (1 John 4:8) in Christ Jesus.

Listen to how the Apostle John describes God’s love in Christ: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.  Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [the full payment, the full ransom] for our sins” (vv. 9-10).  He delights in doing good to His creatures, in showing mercy and grace for Jesus’ sake; He is Love in Christ Jesus.

Yes, “great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable”!  And this God, this Lord, this Spirit, this eternal Spirit, this omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, just, faithful, benevolent, merciful, gracious God, who is Love in Christ Jesus; He, from everlasting to everlasting, subsists in three Persons.  The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost; these three distinct Persons, are in one and the same eternal, altogether indivisible and undivided divine Essence.  So, God is sufficient in Himself, but look and see what He has perfectly done in Christ Jesus for all sinners in “the world” (John 3:16a)!  Such is our God.  “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable!”

PRAYER – O great, ineffably great God, help me to know Thee better and better and to worship Thee more and more in spirit and in truth!  God, who is Love, and who, in Thy love, bestows grace on me in Christ Jesus, my Savior; grant to me an ever greater measure of Thy Holy Spirit, working in Thy Word, that, through Jesus Christ, I may continue to rest my soul in Thy love and grace, revealed to me in Thy Word.  Amen.

Father of glory, to Thy name, immortal praise we give;

who dost an act of grace proclaim, and bid us rebels live.

Immortal honor to the Son, who makes Thine anger cease;

our lives He ransomed with His own, and died to make our peace.

To Thine almighty Spirit be, immortal glory giv’n;

whose teachings bring us near to Thee, and train us up for heav’n.

Let men with their united voice, adore the eternal God;

and spread His honors and their joys, through nations far abroad.

(Hymn 248, st. 1-4; TLH)

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