[Editor’s Note: Read a shorter version of this post here]
“Now, I’m really living!” Have you ever said that? What made you think you were really living? For me, I often said it while traveling—to Egypt, to Spain, or to Mexico.
Jesus also had a sense of what “really living” is. He called it eternal life: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). According to Jesus, real life is life in communion with the Father and the Son. From other passages, we know this life comes through the Holy Spirit as well.
This is the life we were created for but turned from in the fall. It is the life Jesus came to restore (John 3:16). We receive it by believing in Him. Once we do, we are to think of ourselves as really living but unto God: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11).
A Life in Communion with the Triune God
This is life lived in communion with Jesus. John Mark Comer, in his book on discipleship, notes that following Jesus was fundamentally about being with Him.
Jesus said that communion would continue even after His ascension: “Abide in Me” (John 15). Comer paraphrases: “Make your home in my presence by the Spirit, and never leave” (37). He explains, “Goal #1 of apprenticeship to Jesus is to live in that moment-by-moment flow of love within the Trinity” (ibid.).
This is eternal life: living in communion with the Triune God. But how do we actually do this?
A Baseline for Communion with the Triune God
The key is to keep the Triune God at the forefront of our hearts and minds—to live in His presence. We cannot focus on many things at once, but when our minds wander, there is no better resting place than the Triune God.
One practice that has helped me is making the Apostle’s Creed part of my daily rhythm (see the appendix below to read the whole creed). It brings me back to the Triune God, summarizes the biblical faith, and connects me to the church through the ages.
The Creed not only summarizes our faith, it also teaches us how to relate to each Person of the Trinity:
- We interact with the Father through creation
- We interact with the Son through the Word
- We interact with the Spirit through the Church
Of course, we can encounter each Person through all of these, but in order of thought, the Creed links the Father with creation, the Son with redemption in the Word, and the Spirit with the Church.
This means that if we want to experience more of the Triune God, we need to live with the Father as Creator and Lord, the Son as revealed in the Word, and the Spirit as working through the Church.
In the next three sections, we will look at each Person in turn—Father, Son, and Spirit—and how they are revealed in the World, the Word, and the Church.
As Michael Reeves beautifully writes in Delighting in the Trinity: “Neither a problem nor a technicality, the triune being of God is the vital oxygen of Christian life and joy” (18). The doctrine of the Trinity may be difficult to articulate, but it is not merely a problem. It is the most wonderful reality we can experience. It is eternal life itself.
How to Think of the Father
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The Creed begins here. The Father is the Creator and source of all things. The Son and Spirit were also involved in creation, but the Father is uniquely described as origin and governor (see Mt. 6:19–34).
He is called “Father” not simply because He created us, but because He eternally has a Son. From all eternity, the Father loved His Son. That overflowing love led to creation itself. Reeves notes it is hard to see why a solitary god would create, but easy to see why the Triune God would.
This love is abundant and lavish. God did not create one tree or star but billions. His love keeps overflowing.
Though humans rejected His love and sought things that cannot satisfy (Is. 53:6; 55:2), the Father’s love overflowed even more: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . .” (John 3:16).
Enjoying the Father Through Creation
Creation surrounds us with the Father’s works. Some people say, “My church is in the forest.” While incomplete, this captures something true: creation is a place of worship.
When I lived in the Smoky Mountains, I often felt this deeply. Hiking on a quiet trail, I realized I was not alone. Creation was the Father’s temple. He was there.
Dutch theologian Wilhelmus á Brakel captured this beautifully:
Accustom yourself to behold creation in such a fashion that you may behold God in it . . . In a godly frame of mind go outdoors and lift up your eyes on high to observe the immeasurable dimensions of the universe . . . observe heaven’s beautiful countenance . . . observe the infinite diversity of colors, smells, tastes, voice, and shapes of birds, fishes, animals, insects, leaves, and grasses in the field. . . . observe the mountain peaks, the crowns of the trees, the church steeples, and blades of grass . . . Do they not point upward? . . . No education is required to discern what one may observe in and learn from, creation. . . . we hereby conclude that God is . . . we may observe the unsearchable wisdom, the infinite power, and the wondrous goodness of God, a view which shall cause us to lose ourselves in amazement (The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 1:281–283).
This is communion with God—available every day.
Responding to the Father in Creation
When we see the Father’s glory in creation, we should respond:
Praise Him. The Greek philosopher Epictetus wrote: “If we had any sense, what should we do, both in public and in private, but sing hymns and praise the deity?” (Discourses, 1.6).
Trust and obey Him. The Roman philosopher Seneca said trials were God’s training. We should see them this way and respond by trusting Him and obeying Him: “It is no different with God, let me assure you: he does not pamper a good man like a favourite slave; he puts him to the test, hardens him, and makes him ready for his service. . . . It is a father’s heart that God shows to good men . . . ‘Let them know the pain of toil, of suffering, of loss, so that they may acquire true strength’” (“On Providence” in Dialogues and Essays).
Pour out our hearts to Him. Psalm 62:8 urges: “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
Note that the first two quotes are from philosophers. They recognized that creation called for worship. It is harder to find parallels to the last quote. The Old Testament saints learned it from the Exodus: they cried out, and God delivered. That revelation confirmed what creation already taught—that He is “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Ps. 68:4).
The Benefit of Living This Way
Jesus lived this way. He taught: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . . Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matt. 6:25–26). If we saw God as Creator and Father, it would transform our worries into trust.
Earthly fathers may fail, but our heavenly Father never does. Epictetus observed: “If only one could be convinced of this truth, that we’re all first and foremost children of God . . . one would never harbour any mean or ignoble thought about oneself” (Discourses, 1.3).
How much more true is this for those who know God gave His Son for us! Paul reminds us: “He who did not spare his own Son . . . how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).
That is the perspective of eternal life: My Father created all this. He values me. He accepts me in Christ. He will care for me.
The Father’s Goal: To Glorify the Son
The Father loves the Son. He wants everyone to see His love for the Son, and He shares that love by glorifying Him. Paul writes, “all things have been created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16). Jesus Himself said that the Father “has committed all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father” (John 5:23). The Father wants the world to know that the Son is equally God and worthy of all honor.
How Do We Interact with Jesus?
We relate to Jesus as we do the Father: by praising Him, trusting and obeying Him, and pouring out our hearts to Him. He is just as available as the Father, and He is to be honored as the Father is (John 5:23).
Yet we especially interact with Jesus through the Word. The Word is all about Him. We see the Father through creation, the Son through the Word, and the Spirit through the Church. If we want more of the Son, we must be in His Word.
Jesus said, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44). He told the Pharisees that the Scriptures “testify about me” (John 5:39). Creation does not clearly reveal that God has a Son; the Word does. And the Word is first about Him—not primarily about us, but about Christ.
How Is the Bible About Jesus?
The New Testament obviously centers on Christ. But what about the Old Testament?
It does not mention the name Jesus explicitly, but it is full of the Messiah—the Savior who is both man and God (Ps. 45:6–7; Jer. 23:6; Is. 9:6–7). Jesus Himself affirmed that these Scriptures pointed to Him.
Here are some ways the Old Testament reveals Christ:
- The promises. From Genesis 3:15 (“the seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head”), to Abraham’s seed blessing the nations (Gen. 12:3), to David’s son ruling forever (2 Sam. 7:13), the promises point forward to Him.
- The deliverers. Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David, and others were raised up to save God’s people—but all foreshadowed the greater Deliverer, Christ.
- The sacrifices. The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. They pointed to the Messiah whose life would be “an offering for sin” (Is. 53:10). That is why John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
- The priests. The priesthood pointed to Jesus, the true High Priest who both offered Himself as a sacrifice and intercedes for His people.
- The prophets. Moses foretold a greater prophet (Deut. 18:15). Jesus fulfilled that role, confronting sin and proclaiming grace (see Is. 61:1–3 and Luke 4:17–19).
- The kings. Every king of Israel pointed to the Son of David who would reign forever.
- The Angel of the Lord. Christ Himself often appeared in the Old Testament: in the burning bush, wrestling Jacob, calling Gideon, and more.
In all these ways, Christ is central to the Old Testament. God the Father was revealing His glorious Son.
What Does the Bible Say About Jesus?
The Apostle’s Creed summarizes the Word’s teaching about Christ:
- Jesus. His very name means Savior: “you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
- Christ. A title meaning Anointed One. He is anointed to be a King, Priest, and Prophet for His people.
- His only begotten Son. He was eternally begotten, not adopted. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Heb. 1:3).
- Our Lord. The world was made by Him and for Him. He rules with all authority, yet as our loving Savior.
- True man. Conceived by the Spirit in Mary’s womb, God the Son became human to save us and reveal the Father.
- Suffered and died. He bore our sins and was betrayed and condemned by sinners to fulfil God’s purpose.
- Rose and ascended. He triumphed over Satan, sin, and death and now reigns at the Father’s right hand.
- Will come again. He will return to judge the living and the dead, so that all may glorify Him as they glorify the Father.
The Benefit of Interacting with Jesus
The Bible promises: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43).
Through faith in Christ, we receive eternal life and share in His blessings. Jesus prayed, “I have made you known . . . in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (Jn. 15:26).
Jesus is our Savior and our Champion. We never face a situation without hope, for He reigns victorious. He says, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Rev. 1:17–18).
That is why we can join Paul in saying, “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).
The Spirit in the Trinity
The third Person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. We may think less of Him because He points to the Father and the Son: “He will testify of Me,” Jesus said (John 15:26).
The Apostles’ Creed says little more than, “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” but immediately links Him to the church: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church . . .” As the Nicene Creed puts it, “He is the Lord and Giver of life.” The Spirit creates and sustains the church, binding believers to God and one another.
In Luke 10, Jesus rejoiced in the Father “full of joy through the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit gave the Son joy in the Father. This reveals that from all eternity the Father and Son have delighted in each other in the Spirit. Reeves explains: “The Father has eternally delighted in the Son through the Spirit, and the Son in the Father, the Spirit’s work in giving us new life, then, is nothing less than bringing us to share in their mutual delight” (Delighting in the Trinity, 87).
The Spirit’s Work in Us
The Spirit is the bond of fellowship (koinonia). Paul blesses the church: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14).
- Communion with God. The Spirit lifts our hearts to the Father and Son. “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3). “The Spirit himself intercedes for us . . .” (Rom. 8:26). By Him we cry, “Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6).>
- Communion with one another. The Spirit creates and sustains unity in the church: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). He gives gifts “for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7). To be filled with the Spirit leads directly to building up others (Eph. 5:18–19).
The Spirit’s fruit is relational: “love, joy, peace . . .” (Gal. 5:22–23). He fills us with God’s love (Rom. 5:5) and creates joy and peace in His kingdom (Rom. 14:17). To grieve the Spirit is often to harm relationships: bitterness, rage, slander, malice (Eph. 4:31). Instead, Paul calls us to kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (Eph. 4:32). Life in the Spirit is life in communion.
Living in the Spirit
We relate to the Spirit as we do the Father and the Son—through praise, trust, obedience, and prayer. But in a unique way, we encounter the Spirit in the church. That is why the Creed pairs them together.
If we want more of the Spirit, we must lean into the church. The Spirit is there, binding us together, healing, and empowering.
I experienced this after leaving a church I had pastored. In that painful season, I began attending two congregations—an English-speaking church with my family and a Hispanic one in the evenings by myself. To my surprise, I found myself seeing and experiencing God in fresh ways. I realized, “This is the Holy Spirit.” The church, though sometimes wounding, is also the Spirit’s place of healing.
Letting go of bitterness was part of this. At the time, I did not fully see that forgiving and releasing wrongs was living in the Spirit. Holding grudges stifles His work. Forgiveness, compassion, and love open us to His life.
The Benefit of Experiencing the Spirit
The Spirit helps us connect to God and to one another. He assures us we are not alone. Jesus promised: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17). Every day, we can remember: the Spirit is with us. We are not without resources. He helps us with every challenge as we seek Him in communion with God and with His people.
We have all felt moments where we thought, “Now I’m really living.” But true life—eternal life—is in fellowship with the Triune God.
Each day, we should wake up mindful of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Communion with each is the peace, joy, and hope always available to us.
A couple of years ago, during a hard season, I found renewal in daily communion with each divine Person. I began every morning in prayer to the Father, Son, and Spirit, carrying that fellowship into the day. Slowly, peace returned. Anger lifted. And in those moments of communion, I truly felt alive.
That is the life Jesus offers—a life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “Really living” is available in every moment, for each one of us.
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen.