The Triune God: Our Model for Life

To be posted at www.Christianpsych.org

What is the the Nature of Ultimate Reality?

God = One Being in Three Persons

The physical universe?

Me?

The Triune Mystery of God

Why address the Trinity in a talk on Christian counseling?

The triune God is worthy

The Trinity has established its own way to heal the soul in Christ

It distinguishes X’n counseling from other kinds (modern and theistic)

Theology is necessary to X’n counseling, like neuroscience

It is good for our souls

God is Three Persons

What is a person ?

Mature persons are rational communicators; self- aware; able to evaluate, plan, imagine, and make choices for which they are responsible, virtuous to some degree, and engaged in loving relations with others.

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each a perfect person, with infinite, optimal capacities—perfectly rational communicators and evaluators, omniscient, completely self-aware, thoroughly responsible for their actions, and perfectly virtuous and loving.

God is Three Persons

There is an absolute unity of Father, Son, & Holy Spirit

They are equal in their divine nature, understanding,

values, mutual love, purposes, and actions

Each has his own personal glory or beauty

God is One Being

God is love (1Jn 4:8,16) “And now, glorify me together with yourself,

Father, with the glory which I ever had with

you before the world was” (Jn 17:5)“For you loved me before the foundation of

the world” (Jn 17:24) “ For the Father loves the Son, and shows

Him all things that He Himself is doing” (Jn

5:20)

The Mutual Glory and Love of Father and Son

Where is the Spirit?

Christ said, “believe [my] works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am

in the Father” (Jo. 10:38)

Perichoresis

Perichoresis is the mutually indwelling of the

persons of the Trinity within each otherPerichoresis is one way the 3 Persons are 1 Being

Relations Among the Trinity

The Persons are unified with respect to creation, judgment, and redemption: one plan

The Persons have different roles/missions withrespect to creation, judgment, and

redemption according to the plan

The Missions of God

The Unified Mission: the self-glorification of the triune God

Their Individual MissionsInitiator/Source—Redeemer—Actualizer

Altogether they have a special kind of social glory or beauty

Human Life Drawn into the Trinity, by the Trinity

God became a human being

The Son: the Trinitarian Bridge to Humanity

God became the human sacrificial mediator (1Ti 2:5); he became sin for us, suffering the punishment due to sin, on our behalf (Ro 3:25; 1Jn 2:2; 2Co 5:21)

The Spirit: the Trinitarian “Helper” WhoRealizes the Divine Life in Humans

Humans are brought into Divine Glory“The glory which you have given me, I have

given to them; that they may be one, just as we

are one; I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know

that you sent me, and loved them, even as you

loved me” (Jn 17:22-23).

Human Life Drawn into the Trinity, by the Trinity

Brought into the Divine Love “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him” (Jn 14:23) Believers are now “in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6)

Human Life Drawn into the Trinity, by the Trinity

Brought into the Divine Perichoresis“that they may all be one; even as you Father are in me and I in you that they also may be in us”

(Jn 17:21)

How? “Abiding”

Our Goal: To Become Signs of the Trinity

Vigorous Persons with Healthy Individuality

Vigorous Relationships in Healthy Communion

Interdependent Persons-in-Communion

Obstacles: Sin and Growing Up

with Corrupted Images of God

We grow up with flawed image-bearers

As creatures:We have created limitations and

begin life with unmet needs

We are born in sin

Developmental Trajectory of Becoming Signs of God

1. Childhood We start out dependent2.  Adolescence/Early Adulthood We develop independence3. Mature Adulthood We learn how to become

interdependentand perichoretic with others

Psychospiritual Blessings of the Teachings on the Trinity

The Holy Love of the Triune God is the Driving Force in Christian Soul Care

The New Self is Alive in Relation with the Triune God

Psychospiritual Blessings of the Teachings on the Trinity

An Intersubjective Relationship With the Triune God Heals the Soul

We have to “take in” the form of God

Worship, meditative prayer, and theLord’s Supper

How?

Everyone Has a Mission/Calling that is Part

of the Missions of the Triune GodRelationship with Other Believers Can Heal the Soul

Human-Human Perichoresis

Hierarchical Relations Are Trinitarian

Psychospiritual Blessings of the Teachings on the Trinity

Strategies for Promoting Maturing Personhood

Promoting self-awareness and reflection

Taking responsibility for decisions, sins

Promoting the love of God and others properly

Individuation, being distinct, creative

Listening, empathy, loving others

Strategies for Promoting Mature Relationality

Entering “into” others, w/out losing oneself How?

Being able to challenge others in love