Well, this brings us now. Oh, yeah, we have just a few handouts. It's just for a small part of the lesson, but just. Yeah, we yeah, we won't get there for a little bit, but it'll be it'll be good when we when we are there. So this brings us then to the very last time, actually, that we will be in this series, The Doctrine of God, put together by Greg Nichols for seminary students, pretty much. Although he did assure us that it would be fine for a study such as ours. Some of you might want to debate that. But nonetheless, we are privileged, I believe, to be able to raise the envelope a bit and to gird up the loins of our mind and strive to to understand what the Word of God has revealed to us. And this is the section on the Trinity. And we said we had basically two points, but by way of introduction, just a tiny, tiny little bit of review. The point was made that Supreme Personality... cannot possibly be unipersonal, cannot be unipersonal, or God could not have interpersonal communion eternally and independently. So therefore, we say God's personality must involve plurality. Okay? And that in the scriptures, God unveils the nature of this plurality, and scripture reveals that God is tripersonal, God is triune, three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are the one supreme being, the only living and true God. And again, the verse that we kept going back to again and again is Matthew 28, 19, into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And so we said that God's personality is unique and essential. And we said that in the truest sense, none can dispute, we can never, ever, ever fully grasp, explain, or illustrate this profound mystery. You know, we can try our best, we can take what God has given and do our very best to understand, but we can never decide in heaven, fully grasp or explain this profound mystery. And as Pastor Nichols says, the biblical doctrine of the Trinity is part of the fence around God's mystery, which guards it from the hands of man. Now, The first Roman numeral number one was the Biblical Disclosure. The Biblical Disclosure of God's Triune Personality. We said that first of all, we looked at the Biblical Disclosure of God's Personality in the Old Testament, and then we moved on to the Disclosure in the New Testament. We have several subheadings under that. But that did in fact bring us to where we are going to pick up today from enumerable number two, the Biblical Doctrine. Okay, the Biblical Doctrine of God's Personality. Okay, the Biblical Doctrine of God's Personality. Okay, so we present God's Triune Personality in the second heading, the doctrine, from an exegetical, historical, and pastoral vantage point. So first of all, it's found the biblical concept of God's triune personality. Second, survey its historical confession. And third, summarize its practical applications, if we get that far. But first of all, then, the triune nature of God's personality. that will be letter A, the triune nature, okay? Triune nature. The triune nature of God's personality. And first of all, under, well I have a little letter A, this will be the definition, okay? And that's what has been handed out to you. The definition the biblical concept of God's Triune Personality defined. The biblical definition, God's Triune Personality is, and this is what follows, God's Triune Personal Consciousness and Tri-Personal Life, in which three distinct divine persons or subsistences. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have unique personal properties and interpersonal relations, yet equally are the one and only Supreme Being. Equally have the same divine authority, equally possess each divine attribute the one and the same divine nature or essence or substance and equally manifest the divine glory. That is Pastor Nichols definition taken from all that he had read and absorbed not only from the scriptures but from all the many many books. that he had to read to put this together. When you go through this, you can just appreciate so much God raising up such incredibly gifted men to bring to together these theology books, I mean, the study, the time, the effort, the prayer, it's mind-boggling. And we can be so incredibly thankful to God that he's raised up such incredibly gifted men to put all this together. Well, that's the definition then, and we'll move on to letter B. right after the definition, the biblical concept of God's training personality explained. So we'll just take the definition and go through it a bit. So the biblical concept of God's training personality explained. Number We define God's Triune Personality in general terms as that first little phrase, God's Triune Personal Consciousness and Tri-Personal Life. So Triune means Oneness with Threeness. Okay? Very simple. Triune combines Oneness with Threeness. Thus, God's personal consciousness involves both unity and trinity. The supreme being expresses unity in his personal consciousness with the singular personal pronoun. It's put in the scriptures like this, look unto me and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none other. That's Isaiah 45 and verse 22. But not only so, the Supreme Being expresses plurality with the plural personal pronoun which is found where? Remember from last week? Let us, let us make man in our own image. Let us make man in our own image. So let me repeat those two things real quickly so you can follow along as best as possible. The Supreme Being expresses unity in His personal conscious with a singular personal pronoun The Supreme Being expresses plurality with the plural personal pronoun. Singular personal pronoun, look unto me. Plural personal pronoun, let us. Let us make man in our image. And then the Supreme Being expresses Trinity in his personal consciousness when the Father, the Son, and the Spirit relate using the second personal pronoun, you, and the third personal pronoun, he. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter, that he may be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth. Father, glorify thou me with your own self, with the glory I had with you before the world was. John chapter 14 and John chapter 17. So therefore the Supreme Being has personal consciousness which is unique, mysterious and utterly incomprehensible. His self-awareness necessarily expresses personal communication and interpersonal communion. Again, the Gospel of John is just full of this. As Brian said last week, you want to learn about the Trinity, go to the Gospel of John. And the Word was with God. Father, Glorify thou me with your own self, with the glory I had with you before the world was. The life, the eternal life, which was with the Father. John 1, John 17, and actually 1 John. So John actually takes us up in the epistle of 1 John as well. So that's number one, we define God's prime personality in general terms, that first law phrase. But now number two, we distinguish divine trinity, threeness, from unity, oneness, in the little phrase in our definition where it says three distinct divine persons have, and then skip a little bit, yet equally are the one and only supreme being. So we distinguish trinity, threeness, from unity, oneness. Three distinct divine persons, yet equally are the one and only supreme being. Thirdly, we thus specify God's threeness. Let me give you those bullet points on the definition. First of all, defining God's trained personality in general terms. Secondly, distinguishing divine trinity from unity. Now thirdly, we specify God's threeness, where the definition says, three distinct divine persons or subsistences. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. have unique personal properties and interpersonal relations. So we define God's personal freeness with the words person and the word subsistence. We define God's personal freeness with the words person and subsistence. Divine person means not a separate being, but a distinct divine self-awareness. Glorify thou me with your own self." John 17, 5. Divine subsistence means a distinct personal consciousness which is living, actively communing and communicating, and divine. Again, in 1 John, the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father. And then next we identify the three divine persons as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And we say that each is a divine personal consciousness with distinct self-awareness. And then we conclude with the expressions of this threeness. in our definition with the words unique personal properties and interpersonal relations. Their names, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit convey their unique personal properties. And so we say that these names are not arbitrary, they are not reversible, they are not transferable, but they are eternal, inherent, essential, and immutable. And their interpersonal relations necessarily correspond with these inherent properties and so Greg comes back to using that terminology that he is very famous for when he says they necessarily relate as they do because they invariably are who they are. Okay let me back up rewind one second and say Once again, their names, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, convey their unique personal properties. Their interpersonal relations necessarily correspond with these inherent properties. They necessarily relate as they do, because they invariably are who they are. God's work displays this personal distinctness. And he cites one example of this when he cites the phrase from John 1.14, and the Word became flesh. So neither the Father nor the Spirit became flesh, only the Word, only the Son. So that was number three, specifying God's three-ness. Now, to number four this is the last one going through the definition but in the fourth place we specify God's oneness. Okay just a little bit of help now to go back let me bullet point again as we go through in this opening up of the definition of the explanation. Number one was we defined God's personality in general terms. Number two was we distinguish divine trinity from unity. And we specify, that's doing us now number four, we thus specify God's oneness. We thus specify God's oneness. In the little phrase from our definition, are the one and only supreme being, equally have the same divine authority, equally possess each divine attribute, the one and the same divine nature or essence or subsistence, and equally manifest the divine glory. You cannot be too careful in theology. You have to be very precise. That's why it's so important to separate each of those phrases with the words equally. So, when... well, going back now, divine oneness... man, I cannot clear this... divine oneness consists in a unity and singularity of being, of authority, of nature and of glory. So when we say equally are the one and only supreme being, we mean that numerically there is only one supreme being and that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are in fact that one supreme being. When we say equally have the same divine authority, we mean that each person has every right and prerogative of the Supreme Being. And when we say equally possess each divine attribute, the one and the same divine nature or essence or substance, We mean that numerically there is only one divine nature, essence or substance, one set of divine attributes, and that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit equally have that one divine nature, every divine attribute. And finally, when we say equally manifest the divine glory, we mean that each person equally, each person equally, manifests all the divine majesty and equally deserves the honor, the praise and devotion due to God alone. And so, just closing up this little section, this little sub-point now, Grace says, all our efforts to illustrate the Trinity from creation fall short. Why? Because God's personality is totally and utterly unique. Okay? So men may try very much to do this, but they fall short. Every analogy will fall short. And he points out that though we catch a faint glimpse of the Trinity in creation, we must use caution. We must be careful. If we're going to do this, we must point out how it breaks down. How many of you have ever heard analogies where someone tries to explain to someone else that Trinity is like... Anybody? Ever heard of anything like that? What's one analogy you've heard? Jack? Water, and it's three states. Three states? What are those three states? Heights representing the Father, water representing the Son, and gas and steam representing the Spirit. Is that the one that you were thinking of, Brock? That's one of them. I also heard a man can be a father, and a brother, and a son. OK. How about you, Pastor Tomo? I felt the same too, as Ben mentioned. OK. Any problems with the first one? Very simple. How does that break down? Well, it's kind of good. I thought it was going to be simple. Right? Because that lesson somewhat tied a lot back to motor wisdom. Right. All three states can't exist at the same time. Is that true? Not at the same time, but at the same substance. If you took water, you couldn't have water, steam, and ice present at the same time. Let me read you what the esteemed Pastor Nichols says. He says, men often compare the Trinity to the three states of matter. Water has the same molecular structure as liquid, gas, or solid. Yet, this better illustrate humanism. Because steam, ice, and liquid water do not naturally exist together. They only exist simultaneously at the triple point. That temperature and pressure on the phase diagram at which water has no latent heat of vaporization or fusion. so that it is a gas, solid, and liquid simultaneously. Yet this too fails, for water is rarely at its triple point, but the Father, Son, and Spirit are ever God. Now keep in mind, Pastor Greg Nichols professionally was in the chemical engineer. So he's very much the scientist. Very much the scientist. So the point is that that's so close, but it breaks down. Only at the triple point is that true. And that hardly ever, ever happens. So that was little letter B. Explains now, rushing on to little letter C, the biblical concept of God's trine personality supported. Again, sorry, no typed outline, but my typist was off doing something in San Francisco yesterday. Just having a good time, not caring about the adult Sunday school class. Just kidding. Alright, the biblical concept to prove the doctrine of the trinity we must show three things number one there is only one God number two the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are God and number three the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct persons or subsistences now back in lecture two you all remember that of course And you know who brought it, right? Right? Right? Nobody does. Huh. Grievous. But anyway, back in lecture two, it was proven that only one God exists, so therefore we'll focus just on the last two. We will prove the deity and distinctness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So first of all, proof of the deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And I don't think we're going to turn to all the texts, because we've read quite a bit of them last time. I'll just cite them. But Biblical evidence for the deity of the Father, very clearly, John 6, 27, Him the Father, even God has sealed. Romans 1, 12, the Gospel of God concerning His Son, 1 Corinthians 8, 6, to us. There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, 1 Corinthians 15, 24. He shall deliver up the kingdoms of God, even the Father. And there are other texts as well. Biblical evidence for the deity of the Son. Now, if you've ever sat through a good series on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the deity, usually there are five categories. And this is the approach that Pastor Nichols has given, but it's a very good approach. First of all, well, five categories. First of all, Scripture calls Him, calls the Lord Jesus Christ, the Supreme Being. In John 1, 1-3, and verse 14, John 5, 18, Romans 9, 5, Titus 2, 13, Hebrews 1, 8, many other passages, Scripture calls Christ the Supreme Being. Second category, He possesses and manifests all the attributes of the Supreme Being. Matthew 11.27, Matthew 18.20, Hebrews 1.11, Hebrews 7.26, several passages in John It's abundantly clear Christ possesses and manifests all the attributes of the Supreme Being. Thirdly, third category, He performs all the works of the Supreme Being. Again, Matthew 28, 18, John 1, 1-3, Colossians 1, 13, 17, those are the highlights. Again, many other passages. Fourthly, He deserves and receives worship. due only to the Supreme Being. Matthew 4.9, John 5.21, Hebrews 1.6, and fifthly, the last category, Scripture describes Him with the names and titles of the Supreme Being. Isaiah 9.6, Isaiah 6.1-8, and John 8.58, and again many others. Alright, very quickly now, the biblical evidence for the deity of the spirit, five categories as well. Number one, scripture called him the supreme being, Acts 5, 3 and 4. Two, secondly, he has the attributes of the supreme being, Psalm 139, 7 to 10, Isaiah 40, 13 to 14, and 1 Corinthians 2, 10 and 11. Thirdly, He performs the works of the Supreme Being. Genesis 1 and 2, Psalm 104 verse 30, Titus 3 verse 5. Fourthly, He deserves reverence and devotion due only to the Supreme Being. Luke 12 and verse 10, 2 Corinthians 13 verse 14. And the last category, number 5, scripture describes him with the name of the supreme being. Again, Isaiah 6, 8-10, 2 Corinthians 3, 17. So just the support for the biblical evidence of the deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But moving on now to the second point, proof of the distinctness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Again, the same passages that we've been over again and again. The wonderful passage in Matthew 28, 19, Luke 1, 35, John 1, 1 to 3 and then verse 14, John 5, 23, Titus 3, 4, all those passages that we've read last week and have referred to again. These texts, these many texts present the Father, Son and Spirit as distinct persons or subsistences who have personal communion, interpersonal relations, and personal actions. And they support using both the word person and the word subsistence to describe God's personal distinctness. Both words, both of these words are transliterations of Latin words. Person comes from the Latin word what? Anybody? Persona, right? Persona. Subsistence comes from the Latin word anybody? Anybody? I don't know if I can pronounce this, but I'll give it a whirl. Substantia. Sound good? Substantia. These Latin words have a very rich theological history. They also have close ties with similar Greek terms. And how many of you have ever heard of the Council of Chalcedon? AD 451. AD 451. The Council of Chalcedon. Well, just a little bit of a sample from the wording from that council I wanted to read because it is very unique, very unique. We're not used to this wording, I don't think, but just listen to it because it displays these ties. It says, Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten to be acknowledged in two natures. inconfusably, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably, the distinction of natures by no means being taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved and concurring in one person and one subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same son and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. they affirm that Christ is one person, one subsistence with human and divine nature. So that was, as we are in this section, that was the biblical concept of God's triune personality. So the second point now will be the historical confession of God's triune personality. Remember, we would say that in seeking to look at this, we would expound the biblical concept, which we've just done, secondly, survey its historical confession, summarize with its practical application. So now, at this point, the historical confession of God's triune personality. confession. Historical confession. So, what we want to do, time allowing, is to observe that Orthodox Christians affirm the Trinity, and secondly, very simply, that heretics deny it. So, little letter A, Orthodox Christians affirm God's Triune Personality. Letter A, affirmed. And then when we get to this, denied by heretics. OK, affirmed by Orthodox Christians, and secondly, denied by heretics. OK? Orthodox Christians affirm God's tri-personality. We note three creeds. This is what Pastor Nichols chose. Three creeds from the circles of the English Puritans, from the Dutch Reformed Churches, and from the Church Fathers. from the English Puritans. Brock, could you turn very, very quickly to page 672 in our Trinity Hymnal? 672, and you can all join him there if you would like. Because when thinking of the English Puritans, Pastor Nichols naturally gravitated toward, guess what, Confessions. The 1689 Lyndon Baptist Confessions. And the last paragraph under Chapter 2, which is entitled of God and the Holy Trinity, deals with the Trinity. So Brock, if you have it, if you could read that, paragraph number 3. Sure. In this divine and infinite being, there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word, or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. The father is a none, neither begotten nor proceeding. The son is eternally begotten of the father. The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the father and the son, all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations. Which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence on Him?" Thanks, Bob. All right, just very quickly, to go just very, very quickly through this. Our confession first defines God's trying nature when it says, in this divine and infinite being, there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word, or Son, and Holy Spirit of one substance, power and eternity. and each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. So first of all, it defines God's tri-nature. Next, it specifies the personal properties of each divine substance. Notice how it's put. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. Thirdly, our confession defines the doctrine of the Trinity generically in the words, all infinite, without beginning. Therefore, but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations. And then finally, it states its practical application when it says, which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence on Him. That to me is just a masterful stroke. Just incredible. Which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence on him. And so our Baptist fathers confess precisely what we see in the scriptures. And they define God's three-ness generically as one God distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations. And they define it specifically as three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit. And they define God's Ones generically as one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, and finally they define it specifically as of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. And so they therefore, and thus confirm, the very words of our faith. The 1689 Confession. So that's the English Puritans. Now he moves on to the Dutch Reformed Churches and he takes up the Belgic Confession. And he states very properly, the Belgic Confession affirms God's true personality. I don't think I'm going to be able to read too much of this, but let me just give you a little bit of a taste in a couple paragraphs from the Belgic, because it is amazing. They're taking the same truth, but putting it into such an incredibly different format. It says, according to this truth and this word of God, we believe in only one God, who is the one single essence, in which are three persons really, truly, and eternally distinct according to their incommunicable properties, namely the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father is the cause, origin, and beginning of all things visible and invisible. The Son is the word, wisdom, and image of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the eternal power and might proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless, God is not, by this distinction, divided into three, since the Holy Scriptures teach us that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have each his personality distinguished by their properties, but in such wise that these three persons are but one only God. Hence, then, it is evident that the Father is not the Son, nor the Son the Father, and likewise that the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. Nevertheless, these persons, thus distinguished, are not divided, nor intermixed, for the Father has not assumed flesh nor has the Holy Spirit, but the Son only. The Father has never been without His Son or without His Holy Spirit, for these are co-eternal and co-essential. There is neither first nor last, for they are all three, one in truth, in power, in goodness, and in mercy. Now let me just hasten on. I just want to read you one little tiny thing. that Greg makes the point of as he actually comes to the very end. But he is saying that we must worship each divine person in the Trinitarian way that he requires. We pray unto the Father through and in the name of the Son, in and by the aid of the Spirit, This does not mean that we should never address the Spirit. It doesn't mean that. It does not mean that we should never address the Lord Jesus. Rather, it means that we should always address God, the Supreme Being with a Trinitarian awareness. We should never, ever say, thank you Father for becoming a man and for dying on the cross for us. Does that make sense? It's just not accurate. But how many times have you heard that done? You know, it's just not right. And that's why it helps so much to be biblically instructed. Only the Son became human. We should thus thank the Triune Creator, the Father for His origination and design, the Son for His mediation, the Spirit for His effectuation. We should thus bless the Triune Savior, the Father for His plan and application, the Son for His accomplishment and mediation, the Spirit for His effectuation. Just very helpful to be biblically instructed. That's again why we must thank God for the incredibly wonderful, rich instruction that we have inherited. All right, let me just touch on the Athanasian Creed. The Athanasian Creed, again from the Church Fathers, the Athanasian Creed again, put so differently, but very quickly, let me just read you a couple of lines from that creed. Whosoever will be saved Before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep, whole and undefiled, without doubt, he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. but the Godhead of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit is One, the Glory Equal, the Majesty Co-Eternal, such as the Father is, such is the Son and such is the Spirit, the Father Uncreated, the Son Uncreated, and the Holy Spirit Uncreated, the Father Infinite, the Son Infinite, the Holy Spirit Infinite, the Father Eternal, the Son Eternal, the spirit eternal and yet they are not three eternals but one eternal. Us also, there are not three uncreatives nor three infinites but one uncreative and one infinite. Similarly the father is all powerful, the son all powerful, the spirit all powerful and yet There are not three all-powerfuls, but one all-powerful. So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three gods, but one God. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the unity in Trinity and the Trinity in unity is to be worshipped. Therefore, whoever wants to be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity. so affirmed by Orthodox Christians. But heretics deny it. Heretics deny it again. You think immediately of Arianism and Sabellianism. Sabellianism is what? Modalism. Modalism. It claims that Sabellianism or Modalism claims that God is universal, that one divine person has three different modes of manifestation. We saw that in a different series we've been on the DVDs. But Aaronism of course denies God's trident personality, as does hedonism, but in a bit different way. Aaronism admits that God the Father and Jesus are a distinct person, but guess what? It gags on the truth that Jesus is God. as we all know very well. It claims that he is an angel or lesser God, but not equal with the Father. And when the Jehovah's Witness comes knocking on your door, they bring this horrible, horrible heresy with them. And so they both see God as unipersonal. Well, just to close very, very quickly now, the practical application of God's Triune Personality We say, without embarrassment, that God's Triune Personality is the essential foundation of all true religion. Bottom line, bottom line. No Trinity, no Christianity. It is that simple. And with this the creeds agree. The 1689 Athanasian Creed and all that you could possibly bring before that is orthodox. They agree with this absolutely positively. Which doctrine, the 1689, which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation? of all our communion with God and comfortable dependence upon Him. Therefore, whoever wants to be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity, the Athanasian Creed. But then, just final words, God's prime personality regulates all true religion. The Trinity permeates Saving the interaction with God frames a sound grasp of creation and redemption, and orders acceptable worship and ministry. The Christian religion is thoroughly, thoroughly Trinitarian. Baptism is Trinitarian. Of course, the Great Commission. Christian ministry is Trinitarian. there are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit and there are diversities of ministration in the same Lord and there are diversity of workings but the same God. Christian fellowship with God is Trinitarian. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 Christian devotion and prayer are Trinitarian. Through Him We both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father. Christian conversion is Trinitarian. When the kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us through the renewing of the Holy Spirit which He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christian perseverance is Trinitarian. praying in the Holy Spirit keep yourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and so the Trinity permeates all true religion it regulates all that we are about alright so just as he closes Greg says let us say therefore from our hearts glory to God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit, three in one, to thee, O blessed Trinity, be praise throughout eternity. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we are amazed. We are blessed. We are so ready to acknowledge that this is beyond our comprehension. Lord, we long for that day when we are with you. when all these things will become wonderfully clear. wonderfully blessed. But Lord, we are blessed now, even though we might not be able to fully comprehend this wonderful truth of our trying God. Lord, we hold dear what we do understand, what we do have revealed to us. And we bless you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We praise you. We adore you. We long to worship you with all of our hearts, all our days, and to be with you throughout all eternity. And Lord, we just come now once again thanking you for this time, and Lord, for your mercy to us. And we do ask that you will continue to be with us and to bless us as your people, as your blood-bought people. Help us to worship you this day and to live for you forever. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.