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God is love. Who is God? The Trinity

Posted Sep 17, 2010 by Bobby B in Trinity
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It is helpful to remember that it was St. Augustine who first expounded in detail about the "God is love" inner Trinitarian relationship.  (On the Trinity)  It must also be remembered that Augustine's "Trinity" was incorporeal (without body) and never corporeal (with body or form).  (see Augustine's incorporeal Trinity)  When Augustine and others spoke of a Trinity of "persons", it was always in the context that God is one Divine Being, not three.  (one being)  Most critics of Augustine's Trinity accused him of siding more closely with modalism rather than tri-theism.   (modalism vs. tri-theism)

The SDA view of God is much different than Augustine and other early Trinitarians.  Instead of perceiving God as one being with a divine M.P.D. (multiple personality disorder) of unselfish love; Adventism perceives "God" as three co-eternal divine beings who never fight, love each other, and love man-kind co-equally.  The foundation stone which this perception is built begins with believing in the corporeality of God (God has a body, with form, and parts, etc.).  Without arguing the fact that three tangiable, separate, divine beings who are co-equal in every way, is nothing less than "Three Gods"; this concept totally distorts and confuses the "God is love" motif.  How so?  Someone was talking with someone one day and asked the question:

Question: Does God love me?

Answer: Yes He does.

Question: Which one?

Answer: Which one what?

Question: Which one loves me?

Answer: All three divine beings love you collectively, individually, and co-equally.

Question: None of them specifically?

Answer: No, They all love you the exact same way.

Question: How do you know that They all love me?

Answer: The Bible says: God the Trinity loved our world so much that one of Them decided to come to this earth, and die for your sins in order to be reconciled (or the at-one-ment) with God.

Question: Which one decided to come to earth?

Answer: The God who is called the Son.

Question:  Who gave up the Son to come and die for me?

Answer:  No one in particular, they all decided equally amongst Themselves to participate in different roles according to Their plan.

Question:  What was Their plan?

Answer:  The plan is to be reconciled to God through faith in His Son.

Question:  Which God am I to be reconciled with?

Answer:  There is only one God, the Trinity, a unity of three divine beings, all of whom you must be reconciled with or die eternally.

Question: I'm confused, If God loves me so much, whom should I love with all of my heart?

Answer:  All of Them equally.

Question:  All of whom?

Answer: I already told you once: The Trinity loves you; The Trinity gave one of Them to die for you; if you repent of your sins by faith, Give all of your heart to Them, then you will be reconciled with the Trinity, and one day live with Them in heaven after they complete the roles They have equally agreed to fulfill.  Plain and simple!

Question: I am still confused about almost every thing you have said.

Answer: The only way you can, and will understand is by receiving supernatural power from one of the Trinity.

Question: Which One of the Trinity?

Answer:  The role of God the Holy Spirit is to enlighten your mind with divine understanding.

Question: How will I know when this has happened?

Answer: You will be given the ability and faith to believe everything I have explained to you.  Not to be negative, but until you accept what I am saying you will be lost forever, and your fate will rest with all other unbelievers who will suffer the fire of hell as Gods punishment for your stubborn unbelief.  On the bright side, you will just burn in torment as long as it takes for you to die and then forever cease to exist.  SDA's don't believe in the Catholic false doctrine of eternal torment in hell.  This false belief resulted from pagan Greek philosophers influencing early Christian church leaders.  This false teaching is not biblical.

Question: Is this the only false, non-biblical teaching believed by professed Christian churches?

Answer: No, no, no, there are many false teachings in all professed Christian churches.  Not to worry though, SDA's have studied all doctrines very thoroughly and have thrown out all the false ones.  We now believe in 28 fundamental bible doctrines that are 100% correct.  I would be happy to explain everything to you another day.