Christ Lutheran Church
Cleveland, Ohio
June 15, 2025
by: Rev. Dean Kavouras
Trinity
Who Is God?
There was a time in living memory that when anyone referred to God they meant God as He reveals himself in the Bible. The Christian God, so to speak. Though not everyone was able to articulate it they accepted God as the Trinity. Father Son and Holy Spirit.
But that day is gone. And now it is as if the church has to start from scratch. But we are not without hope because we have powerful resources to win the battle which Jesus already won on the cross.
First we have the church year which never lets us forget the blessed doctrines of our Holy Christian Religion. Today in particular we celebrate Trinity Sunday because our God reveals Himself in Scripture as Trinity. As Father Son and Holy Spirit.
It is a doctrine that through the ages has been lionized by some, and demonized by others. We have an example of the latter in today’s gospel when His Jewish opponents accused the Lord of being demon-possessed. And later on when He said these famous words: “Before Abraham came to be, I AM.” At this they picked up rocks from the ground in order to stone Him to death. Let us be sure no to cast stones at this beautiful mystery, but to accept it by faith, and give glory to our God the Father Son and Holy Spirit.
Secondly we have this unique event in all the world: Divine Service. The factual worship of God in Spirit and Truth. In this “Great Assembly” as the Old Testament styled it, our Blessed Faith is rehearsed and glorified. That said this Service that we pray each Sunday is not meant to be an educational experience. But in fact it happens to be the finest teacher of the faith that there is.
Between the fixed verses of Holy Liturgy, the rotation of the weekly Readings from Old Testament, Gospel and Epistle. The Collect, Introit, Gradual, Hymns and Sermon there is no point of our precious faith that is not believed and confessed aloud so that it may turn us from self-worship, to the true worship of God.
That said let us spend time reviewing WHO our God is and WHAT He does for us. As regards His attributes or qualities we learn from Scripture that God is Father. He is not mother or some other cultural dream. But He is Father, God the Father Almighty, and all Fatherhood proceeds from Him and leads back to Him.
Fathers, take your example from your heavenly Father. Imitate Him. Be merciful even as your Father in heaven is merciful. Pray to Him. Worship Him, rely on Him, and you will do well by your children. Even if you are the worst father in history you still have time to gain your footing, repent, and pray for the Comforter to lead you each day.
God is eternal. That means that He has no beginning and He has no End. There is none before Him. None greater. None who will live forever as He does, except those to whom He grants eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Remember what Jesus says, “This is eternal life, that they may know Thee the Only True God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent.” (John 17:3), once again showing His own Divinity and Eternity.
God is Holy, a word that is impossible to define. It doesn’t just mean sinless, although He is, but it means He is full, perfect, complete, self-sustaining and separate from His Creation. There is none greater, there is none other; and any other object of worship is an idol. A false God such as the deity of Islam or of the Jews, because they try to gain the favor of our God without the cross of Jesus. This is simply impossible.
God is unchangeable. We read in Psalm 102:27, “You remain the same, and Your years will never end.” And in Malachi 3:6, “I the LORD do not change.”
God is all-powerful. We find in Genesis 17:1 the LORD God says, “I am God almighty.” And the angel Gabriel also confesses, “With God all things are possible.”
God is omniscient or “all-knowing” according to John 21:17 where Peter confesses and declares before Jesus, “Lord, You know all things.”
God is omnipresent which means He is everywhere. There is no place you can flee from His presence whether the depths of the ocean, or the farthest reaches of the universe. He is there with His judgment for scoffers, and His aid and salvation for all who call upon His Holy Name.
Nor are there any secrets withheld from God because He see all things, He hears all conversations, and He reads our hearts and minds at all times and places. Nothing is hidden from Him. If you don’t like traffic cams, and other invasions of your privacy such as people using your camera to spy on you – you really won’t like God’s intelligence which is NOT artificial, but natural to Him.
God is just. We find in Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.”
Because He is just all evil will be punished, if not in this world, then in the next. All books will be balanced. You won’t get away with whatever it is you are planning. Nor are there any excuses before the Judge of the Universe. People say: I’m only human, or God understands. But better to say, and truer, is this: God pardons for the sake of the holy innocent bitter sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ who collected the wages of our sins on the cross.
But there is more! Thank God the Father Son and Holy Spirit that there is much, much more. Our God is also faithful to us His rebellious creation. He is merciful as we learn in Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”
He is also gracious as we learn in Exodus 34:6-7 where we hear, “The LORD, the LORD the compassionate and gracious God. Slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness and rebellion.”
And this because above all God is Love. A love which He displayed by offering His Own Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ, to suffer “once and for all” for the sins of the world; and to “taste of death for all men.”
Our God does not dismiss our transgressions. He does not ignore “man’s cruelty to man.” A cruelty which is bottomless. Or decide to write it off. No, His justice demanded payment, and that payment was made by God’s One and Only Son, so that whoever believes in Him, that is in Christ, will not perish! Will not perish! But have eternal life.
And so today our God, through His church, calls to all people to give up their pride, self-righteousness and flimsy justifications, and Call upon the Name of the Triune God. The Father Son and Holy Spirit. For whoever calls upon the name of the LORD, will be saved.
Amen.