God’s Great Spiritual Trifecta

Reason, Means, and Way; He saves us

We should first understand our God’s spiritual plan; how we are made His children and heirs of Heaven. This will give us a better insight to how our Father’s plan of salvation will be physically accomplished here on this earth. And when we do not understand why certain things happen in this physical world, we will not worry. As long as we are included in our Father’s spiritual plan as His children, where we will soon be taken home to Heaven to be with our God forever.

*Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1Co 2:12-13 ESV+

I. The reason our Father created us was to be His children

1. Our Father wanted children to love, wanted children who would love Him back; wanted brothers and sisters for Jesus. And for this reason He created us.

*just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, Eph 1:4-5 NKJV+

*For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Ro 8:29 NIV+

2. Because we inherit Adam’s sin, our Father gave us a means (Christ’s atoning grace) and a way (indwelling of the Spirit) to save us from our sins, so we could become spiritually holy once more.

*For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9 ESV+

3. Our Father poured His love into our hearts so we could love Him above all things; and when we have this love for Him, we are His children, heirs of Heaven.

*and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Ro 5:5 ESV+

What this means to us:

1. The most important reason for our creation was to be holy children of our Heavenly Father; to love Him above all things. When we love Him, we will strive to obey all of His commands; and desire to do the work He has planned for us, with the gifts He given us.

*"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' Mk 12:29-30 NIV+

*"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Jn 14:15 NASB+

2. We were created to love our God; and our love is the greatest gift we can ever give back to Him. Our Father will only give us blessings for the good works we do out of our love for Him; for only what is done out of our love for God, can please Him.

*So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1Co 13:13 ESV+

*And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 1Co 13:3 NKJV+

3. When our physical bodies die, they will return to dust. While our soul and spirit return to our Father in Heaven, to wait until Jesus returns and gives us a glorified body.

*then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Eccl 12:7 NASB+

II. Jesus provides the only means by which our sins can be forgiven

1. The Father’s Son though God, out of His love for us, became a physical man; became Jesus. He lived a sinless life, and physically died once to atone for the sins of all people.

*For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. Col 2:9-10 NIV+

*For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 1Pe 3:18 NASB+

2. He bore our sins upon the cross, and the blood He shed on it is the only means by which our Father will forgive our sins.

*and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross , so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1Pe 2:4 NASB+

*In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace Eph 1:7 NKJV+

3. Jesus physically arose on the 3^rd day; 40 days later ascended into Heaven. His atoning grace makes us spiritually holy; His brothers and sisters of whom He is not ashamed.

*and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 1Co 15:4 NKJV+

*Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. Heb 2:11 NIV+

What this means to us:

1. Christ’s atoning grace forgives our sins when we are given faith by the indwelling of the Spirit. Jesus first gave His indwelling baptism of the Spirit on Resurrection Day.

*And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Jn 20:22 NKJV+

2. When the Spirit lives in our hearts, we are spiritually one with Jesus, spiritually united in His body with all believers on earth, in Heaven; His one holy spiritually invisible church.

*At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Jn 14:20 NKJV+

*so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Ro 12:5 NASB+

3. Jesus will return in the clouds to give all believers left on earth, and those in Heaven, glorious bodies like His; take us home to be with Him forever.

*Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 1Thess 4:17 NASB+

*who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Phil 3:21 NKJV+

III. Holy Spirit; the only way we can believe in our God

1. No one can say Christ is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit; the only way we can believe in our God is through the indwelling of the Spirit.

*Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed "; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 1Co 12:3 NASB+

2. We are not one with Christ, not part of His one holy spiritual church, unless the Spirit dwells within us.

*You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. Ro 8:9 ESV+

3. The Spirit will sanctify us, continually forgive our sins to keep us holy, when we love God above all else; so He can remain living in our hearts.

*that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Ro 15:16 ASV

What this means to us:

All who let the Spirit guide us through the Word of God will remain sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

*For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Ro 8:14-15 ESV+

When the Spirit dwells in our hearts, He will pray for us, sanctify us, and keep us children of God; when our physical minds do not know what to pray, are incapacitated, or become old and senile. As long as the Spirit was in our hearts, before our physical mind became dysfunctional; the Spirit will keep our hearts spiritually holy, even when our minds are causing us to continually sin, even reject our God.

*In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Ro 8:26-27 NIV+

Our Father strengthens us in Christ, anoints us with His grace and puts the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. That we are His children, heirs of Heaven with Jesus, if we continue loving Jesus through any trials or tribulations we may face; and we will be glorified with Jesus when He returns for us.

*Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2Co 1:21-22 NKJV+

*and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Ro 8:17 NKJV+

How we are adopted by our Father; become His children

Our Father’s spiritual plan to adopt us as His children is a free gift. The only thing we have to do to receive this gift is surrender the will of our physical mind to our Father, and ask for His mercy to save us, to make us His children.

*For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

*So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. Ro 9:16 ESV+

Out of His love our Father will spiritually wash away our sins; washing of regeneration. And renews, puts the Spirit back into our hearts; making us His spiritually holy children.

*Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Ps 51:1-2 ESV+

*not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Tit 3:5 NKJV+

Our Father gives His children all the spiritual blessings in Heaven; so we will be able to overcome the trials and tribulations we will all face in this world.

*Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Eph 1:3 ESV+

*I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33 ESV+

What this means to us

Pray for yourself and others, that all may receive spiritual wisdom and understanding.

*And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Col 1:9 ESV+

Use God’s Word first, which moves our hearts; not theology which also has man’s ideas.

*For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Heb 4:12 NIV+

Quietly meditate, and talk with our Father, with Jesus; be filled with the fullness of God.

*and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph 3:19 ESV+

*And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7 ESV+

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+ ESV “Scripture quotations marked [ESV] are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version,” copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good New Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Some words in the verses from these Bibles may be emphasized with bold letters.

++Trifecta redefined from Definitions.net