We celebrated Trinity Sunday. The mystery of God’s existence is beyond our ability to understand. So, Trinity Sunday is really about faith. We cannot explain God, but we can believe what he says about himself.

What is faith? Lutherans often look at different aspects of faith so that we understand it better. Faith is:

1. Knowledge — One must know the truth to believe the truth. A vague knowledge of a god is not saving faith. Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). True faith knows the true God who is revealed in the Bible.

2. Acceptance or Agreement — Faith doesn’t just know the facts of the Bible, but saving faith agrees that those facts are true. Faith agrees that salvation is because of the work of Jesus. In James we read, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (2:19). The devil knows the facts about God, but that is not saving faith because faith is more than just knowledge.

3. Trust — The devil knows that God exists; likewise, all people have a natural knowledge of God that leads them to know there is a god. But a general agreement that a god exists is not saving faith. Saving faith relies on God’s promises of salvation and is confident that for Jesus’ sake, we are saved. The Psalmists says, “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God’ ” (31:14). Or in Hebrews we read this definition of saving faith, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (11:1).

None of these aspects of faith require us to understand God. We know facts; we agree that they are true; and we trust that the implications of God’s promises apply to us. But that doesn’t mean we understand the Triune nature of God. Nor do we understand the motivation for God’s grace to save sinners by dying on the cross for us. Our inability to logically explain God doesn’t change God. He is greater than we can imagine — great in power and great in mercy and love! Believe what he says about himself and find endless blessings!

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling