Lord's Day 8 — Friday
Lord's Day 8: The Holy Trinity
Friday Focus: One God, Three Persons
The Catechism
Q24. How are these articles divided?
Into three parts: God the Father and our creation; God the Son and our deliverance; and God the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
Q25. Since there is only one divine being, why do you speak of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
Because that is how God has revealed himself in his Word: these three distinct persons are the one, true, eternal God.
Today's Emphasis: One God, Three Persons
Today we wrestle with the profound mystery of Question 25: How can there be one God in three persons?
- One divine being — There is only one God (Deut. 6:4)
- Three distinct persons — Father, Son, and Spirit are each fully God
- Revealed in Scripture — This is how God has made himself known
Scripture Readings
Deuteronomy 6:4
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one."
Matthew 3:16-17
"And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'"
From the Reformers
The Belgic Confession, Article 8:
"We believe in one only God, who is one single essence, in which are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct according to their incommunicable properties."
Augustine on the Trinity:
"The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God."
Reflection Question
Why do you think God revealed himself as Trinity? What does this tell us about God's nature and our salvation?
Consider: God is eternally relational—Father, Son, and Spirit in perfect love and unity. He invites us into this divine fellowship.
Growing in grace through the Catechism — The Hearthside Team