Introduction
My name is Emmanuel N. B. Flomo. I am a Christian by birth and was raised in a home where my parents were deeply committed to their faith in God. From a young age, my father and mother taught us the importance of attending devotion, fasting, praying, and staying close to God. Just recently, my father sent me a copy of my dedication certificate from when I was dedicated to God as a baby. This reminds me of my role and dedication to God; it tells me that I belong to Him and should do His will, just as my parents did many years ago.”
I share this background to emphasize that I have known God as my Lord and personal Savior for a very long time. However, as you may know, the devil often becomes very active when he sees that your future is aligned with God’s purpose. He tries to distract and redirect your focus.
One of the most challenging aspects of my faith journey has been understanding the Trinity—the nature of God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Despite attending church regularly and hearing pastors speak about the Trinity, I often found myself confused. I have made the sign of the cross many times, saying, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” yet I lacked a clear understanding of how these three work together as one God.
In this article, I will attempt to explain the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—who is one God operating in three distinct persons. As we explore this topic together, I encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand. Also, take time to read the scripture references provided throughout the text.
Lastly, I want to clarify that I am not a pastor, nor have I attended a theological school. However, the Holy Spirit has revealed this understanding to me, and I feel led to share it with you.
Understanding the Trinity
I recently called one of my friends, Mr. Daniel Pongay. We were having a conversation about the sovereignty of God, and he asked, “Do you know that Jesus was at the beginning of creation?” I responded, “Really?” He continued, “When God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image,’ do you think that was God alone?” I said, “No.” Then he said, “There was more than one—that’s why He said, ‘Let us.’”
Genesis 1:26 (NIV) says:
Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’
This verse clearly shows that God was speaking to more than one person. I then said, “Yeah, I hadn’t picked up on that point before.”
Later that day, I began to do my own research and read Genesis 1:1–3, which clearly shows that Jesus was also present at the beginning of creation. I saw the three persons of God at work in Genesis 1:1–3 (NIV):
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
In the passage above, we clearly see the Trinity at work. Let’s break it down:
- In the beginning, God the Father created the heavens and the earth.
- Verse 2 says the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) was hovering over the waters, indicating that God’s Spirit was active and moving.
- In verse 3, God said, “Let there be light.” The key thing to understand is that when God said something, He used His Word—and that Word is Jesus.
John 1:1–3 explains this beautifully:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
“In the beginning was the Word” refers to Jesus Christ. “The Word was with God” means Jesus (the Word) was with God the Father. “The Word was God” shows us that Jesus, the Word involved in creation, is God Himself. Verse 2 confirms that He was with God from the beginning. Verse 3 grounds this truth: Through Him (the Word), all things were made, and without Him, nothing was made.
So we understand that when God said, “Let there be light,” He was speaking through His Word. Nothing could have been created without God using His Word—and that Word is Jesus. The everlasting King, who lives and reigns forever. He was there at the beginning of creation and will be there for all eternity. He is self-existent, all-sufficient, completely reliable—the Lord of Lords.
The Trinity in Action
The Trinity of God has always been seen working together. Whenever you see or notice the Holy Spirit somewhere, the Father and the Son are working together as well. Let’s look at a few places where the Father and the Son are in collaboration, working together.
If you read from the conception of Jesus in the book of Luke 1:30-35:
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
In this, we have clearly seen the Trinity in action. God (the Father) sent an angel to Mary and told her she would conceive a Son (Jesus) of the Most High (God). The Holy Spirit would come upon her, and she would give birth to the Holy One. We are learning here that God is one, but He operates in different forms. This is what makes Him the Greatest of all, the Powerful, and the Most High.
Let’s see another place where they also work together — Matthew 3:16-17:
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Another area where we see our God in His Trinity nature is here. When Jesus was baptized, heaven opened, the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) came down like a dove and alighted on the Son (Jesus), and a voice came from heaven. That voice was God (the Father) speaking, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” The one God is operating in three forms here. He came down like a dove to sit on His Son, who is also God.
There are so many scriptures that speak to the Triune God. Let me give you one more for reference — this is a testimony of John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus. He gave a testimony about the oneness and unity of God working in the Trinity form. But let’s first know who John the Baptist was. He was a prophet sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus. He preached repentance, baptized people, and testified that Jesus is the Messiah.
If you read John 1:6–7 (NIV), it says: There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
Knowing the fact that John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah, he had the rightful account to understand what he was sent to do.
John the Baptist is seen testifying here in John 1:32-33:
Then John gave this testimony:
“I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”
Did you see the Trinity working together here again in John’s testimony? He saw the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) coming down from heaven like a dove to sit on our Lord Jesus Christ. John said the one who sent him (God) had already told him about Jesus and gave him clear instructions that the person you will see the Spirit come down on and remain is the One (the Son).
Conclusion
Let me conclude by saying that there is only one God who exists in three distinct personalities. According to The Orchard, in an article they wrote on the Holy Spirit, they provided a very clear explanation about the nature of God, which I want to share here:
God the Father is the source of all things, the initiator of creation, and the one who sends the Son for our redemption (John 3:16–17). He is central to the divine relationship within the Trinity. At Jesus’ baptism, the Father speaks from heaven, the Spirit descends like a dove, and Jesus the Son is baptized — illustrating their distinct yet unified roles (Matthew 3:16–17).
Another significant passage is the Great Commission, where Jesus commands, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), emphasizing the co-equality and unity of the three Persons.
The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that there is only one God, yet He exists in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Understanding the differences between these Persons helps us grasp the complexity and unity of God’s nature. This unity in diversity is foundational to understanding who God is and how He interacts with the world.
Each Person of the Trinity is fully and equally God, yet they fulfill different roles, highlighting the difference in their functions within the Godhead. The Father initiates creation and redemption, the Son accomplishes it, and the Holy Spirit applies it to believers — working in perfect harmony.
Thus, the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is not the Father. Each is fully God, yet they are different Persons — not just different ways of looking at God.
2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Amen
