Back to my resolution: Q5 & Q6

You may recall my goal to review one question from the Westminster Shorter Catechism per week. I'm a bit behind. Ok, a lot behind. That's ok. God's mercies are new every morning. I'll just get back into it and maybe review two at a time until I catch up.

Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only,[18] the living and true God.[19]

Q. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A. There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;[20] and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.[21]

A few thoughts...

There is only one God: the true, living God. As we approach Easter, it's so good to remember that our God is a living God. God became man (Jesus Christ), and though He died a physical death, He defeated death: He came back to life, physically walked on earth again, and then went to Heaven to be with God, the Father.

Why does it matter that He conquered death? Death is the outcome of sin. If we are believers in and followers of Christ, He has defeated sin in us too. He is stronger than sin. More powerful than sin. We will fight sin, which is Satan at work in our world, all the days of our lives, and our God has already proven that He wins. He has conquered death in the body of Christ. He conquers sin in our lives. We already know how this great battle will win, for our God is alive and well. Death did not conquer Him, rather, He already won that battle. God lives.

Regarding the Holy Spirit... I love that this is a picture of how marriage ought to be. It's a hard concept for something to be separate but one. People struggle with marriage - are we one unit and giving up our individual personalities, or are we separate people but lacking in marital unity? What is God's plan? We have the trinity to teach us. We are to be one body: HusbandAndWife. One. A new creation together. A new created being. Like the trinity, this doesn't remove the unique people that we are and our unique personalities. We can act uniquely. In the trinity, each person of the God-head has a unique role. They have unique characteristics and attributes. They can act independently. BUT, they are consistent to each other. You won't see God, Jesus, and the Spirit contradicting one another. They have different, all important roles to play, but the goal is always to carry out God's plan. There is order and a purpose to their roles. They are all working independently but together to work out God's plan that was prepared in advance. What a gift God has given us to teach us how to be married, and married well.

There is no more a fitting response than to praise God, the true God, for His gift of the son, who paid for our sin, and the spirit, who is our comforter and guarantee of coming inheritance.

Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.