I believe in the Triune God.

This last Sunday was Trinity Sunday. The sermon theme was "The God We Believe In." This Sunday gave us the chance to stop for a moment ask the important question: Who is your God? Who do you believe in? Who is it that you worship?

Let it be said that I believe in the God of the Bible, the Triune God. This is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God, three persons. Three persons, one God. (Before someone jumps in and says that the words "Triune" and "Trinity" are not in the Bible, stop. You are right, the words are not. But the teaching is. Just back off from that argument. It is a red herring that is meant to get your eyes off the real issue - who do you believe God is?) We used the Athanasian Creed, a creed that is loved by all and desired by many. OK, so maybe that is a stretch. It is a Creed that is useful when it comes to confessing the Triune God.  I cannot say that I "enjoy" using the Athanasian Creed, but it resonates within my very being as I confess my faith using it. It is a powerful statement of faith that tries to explain the Trinity and while it does a great job, it still falls short. Why? Because we cannot explain the majesty of God or the wonder of the Trinity. Maybe we should use it as our confession more often. (I can hear the voices now saying, "please, no" or something like that.)

So who is your God? Or should I say "god"? I fear that we create many false gods and idols. We are guilty of worshiping someone or something other than the Triune God. This happens in the Church as well as in our personal lives. I have seen some congregations that worshiped their church buildings, making the building their god. I have seen some worship a part of the ministry. I myself have often created my own gods.

In this world today, I see that happening. We elevate people to the level of God. As I listened to things said at a recent funeral, it was said of the person, "He is the cornerstone upon which change is built." And again, "He is the one who will lead us to change in our lives." And I wondered, "Really? Is this deceased person really our Savior? Is he really the one who is going to change our lives? I thought only Jesus did that." It was idolatry. The deceased person was made into this demigod who is there for the wonder of changing all our lives. Changing it for what? To make it into what he wanted? Or to make it into what someone else wanted? What about making our lives into what the Lord wants? The problem we have is that we decide what is good and right and we remove the true God from the equation. And when that happens, who has the say in what is right or what is wrong? Society is filled with a whole host of people with differing opinions and views. Which one is right? Which is wrong?

We have seen what happened to the god of sports. It was destroyed when organized sports was removed. People were shocked, appalled that their god was no longer there. Is your god money? Is it race? A certain race? Is it harmony? Harmony with what? What defines the harmony? Is it climate control and change? Is it a political party? Is it an ideology in the party? Is it a person in that party? (Let it be known that I do not worship Pres. Trump nor Nancy Pelosi. Do not accuse me of that for they are nothing more than you or me, sinful people who need Jesus Christ.)

Who do you believe in? What god is your god? I challenge each one of you to ask yourself that question. How can you answer it? Use Martin Luther's explanation of the 1st commandment (you do know the 1st commandment don't you? You shall have no other gods before Me.) That explanation is: We should fear, love and trust in God above all things." What God? The Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Is there any god that you place before God?

When I think of this or teach this it goes this way:
1) God
2) whatever you put next
3) whatever you put next.
and so on. God gives us family. Love them. God gives us material possessions. Use them for His glory and the good of others. He gives us our job. He gives us our feelings. He gives us all that we have in this life. In themselves, they are not evil. (Take money. Money is not evil. Remember what it says, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money itself is a gift and a blessing. But it can become a god.)
So as you make your list, what is #1? What is numero uno? What is the first? What tops everything else? And if it isn't the true God, then, my friend, you have a false god. You have set something or someone, some ideology or philosophy, up as your god.

I confess my sin of idolatry. I confess I have had my false gods. Dear God, forgive me for Jesus' sake for this sin. I also still place God first in my life. He is the one who is my God. He alone is my God. He is the One I believe in, confess, and follow in my life.

I believe in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. True God. Let my confession be made!