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The Rev Andries Combrink is a Presbyterian Minister of the Gospel. He lives in Centurion, South Africa.

To teach the Word of God is his calling, based on the Reformed tradition.

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"It is written,

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds

out of the mouth of God.’" Matt. 4: 4

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But now I need your

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Account number: 015373126

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Claim the Holy Trinity

Jun 4

Written by: Andries
Thursday, June 04, 2020 9:16:51 PM

2 Corinthians 13:11-13: Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

The mention of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in one breath should not be surprising to any reader of Paul’s letters. Paul has already claimed that the Corinthians have but “one Lord and one God” (1 Corinthians 8:6). Furthermore, it is the Spirit who has come from God (1 Corinthians 2:12) who enables the church to have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Of course, it is only through the grace of Christ that the church enjoys fellowship with the Spirit.

We must be careful that we are not becoming practicing Unitarians. Our language when speaking about God should be as diverse and varied as is the idiom of the Bible and of our universal Christian tradition.

Why do we so often hear folk repetitively referring to “God” in prayers, discussions and devotions? Or someone may address a topic referring only to Jesus. Did Jesus not come to us to show us the Father, and did he not send the Spirit to teach us about his saving grace? Consideration of God as Holy Trinity and replicating the words of Scripture about God, provide us with a more faithful vocabulary that is also richer and more varied than the practices than those who do not speak about God in Biblical language.

Father, Son, Holy Spirit – essential Evangelical testimony.

The language of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, engraved in Scripture and creed, is essential for our efforts to speak faithfully about God. Our reverence and service of the One- in-Three and Three-in-One bind us together with ancient believers and ancient denominations. Can there be a unity outside of worshipping the Holy Trinity as the only God, Saviour and Comforter we know? And can we claim to speak about God as Bible believing Christians in any other way?

"Father, Son and Holy Spirit" is a root out of which grows the wealth of our vocabulary of praise. We must rather magnify and expand upon the ways of naming the Triune God, rather than simply repeating the word "God" in prayer and liturgy repetitively.

Why not refer to God in the language of Scripture to enrich the ways we speak of God and to God.

The language of our prayers, hymns, songs and sermons shapes our faith as surely as it reflects our faith.

We must pray and sing to the "one Triune God, the Holy One of Israel, the eternal God of the covenant, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom alone we worship and serve through the graceful work of the Holy Spirit." This is bible language and therefore should be church language.

Our God is worthy of such worship and praise in our private prayers.

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