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(I would prefer to dwell on the Gospel than elaborate on the trinitarian doctrine..kapoy na 
.. pwede pud tapsing2x lang..mas lami ring Gospel kay bahig love )
18 May 2008
Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
John 3:16-18
- from Barclay's New Testament Commentary
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that every one who believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
All great men have had their favourite texts; but this has been called "Everybody's text." Herein for every simple heart is the very essence of the gospel. This text tells us certain great things.
(i) It tells us that the initiative in all salvation lies with God. Sometimes Christianity is presented in such a way that it sounds as if God had to be pacified, as if he had to be persuaded to forgive. Sometimes men speak as if they would draw a picture of a stern, angry, unforgiving God and a gentle, loving, forgiving Jesus. Sometimes men present the Christian message in such a way that it sounds as if Jesus did something which changed the attitude of God to men from condemnation to forgiveness. But this text tells us that it was with God that it all started. It was God who sent his Son, and he sent him because he loved men. At the back of everything is the love of God.
(ii) It tells us that the mainspring of God's being is love. It is easy to think of God as looking at men in their heedlessness and their disobedience and their rebellion and saying: "I'll break them: I'll discipline them and punish them and scourge them until they come back." It is easy to think of God as seeking the allegiance of men in order to satisfy his own desire for power and for what we might call a completely subject universe. The tremendous thing about this text is that it shows us God acting not for his own sake, but for ours, not to satisfy his desire for power, not to bring a universe to heel, but to satisfy his love. God is not like an absolute monarch who treats each man as a subject to be reduced to abject obedience. God is the Father who cannot be happy until his wandering children have come home. God does not smash men into submission; he yearns over them and woos them into love.
(iii) It tells us of the width of the love of God. It was the world that God so loved. It was not a nation; it was not the good people; it was not only the people who loved him; it was the world. The unlovable and the unlovely, the lonely who have no one else to love them, the man who loves God and the man who never thinks of him, the man who rests in the love of God and the man who spurns it--all are included in this vast inclusive love of God. As Augustine had it: "God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love."
My Personal Reflection on the Trinitarian unity
THE TRINITY WITHIN ME
God the Father (the creator) - he who continually renews me, 'creates' me, so to speak, every now and then. Everytime i fall, he lifts me up. He 'creates' me again everytime i disintegrate and wallow in my selfishness.. He 'creates' me again when i realized the Father's house has always everything in abundance while i suffer in the desolation of an empty soul..He continues his work of creation in me...
God the Son (the redeemer) - he who forgives me unconditionally, who lets me feel his encompassing compassion in every sunrise, in every dawn of a new day, in every spring, when hope springs forth eternal. He, the loving father who goes out of his way and meets me halfway on the road to repentance. He, who seeks me out, his lost sheep, clasps me upon his shoulders and rejoices and celebrates in my finding...He continues his saving work in me...
God the Spirit (the pentecost) - he who inspires me, who moves me, the primordial force of my being..without him, i am not capable of anything good. He continues to inspire me and makes his presence felt in the seven gifts of wisdom, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, understanding, piety, and fear of the Lord...
Bless are you Father, Son and Spirit
Bless are you Godhead united
Bless are you who renews, forgives and animates me!
.. pwede pud tapsing2x lang..mas lami ring Gospel kay bahig love )18 May 2008
Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
John 3:16-18
- from Barclay's New Testament Commentary
THE LOVE OF GOD
John 3:16
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that every one who believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
All great men have had their favourite texts; but this has been called "Everybody's text." Herein for every simple heart is the very essence of the gospel. This text tells us certain great things.
(i) It tells us that the initiative in all salvation lies with God. Sometimes Christianity is presented in such a way that it sounds as if God had to be pacified, as if he had to be persuaded to forgive. Sometimes men speak as if they would draw a picture of a stern, angry, unforgiving God and a gentle, loving, forgiving Jesus. Sometimes men present the Christian message in such a way that it sounds as if Jesus did something which changed the attitude of God to men from condemnation to forgiveness. But this text tells us that it was with God that it all started. It was God who sent his Son, and he sent him because he loved men. At the back of everything is the love of God.
(ii) It tells us that the mainspring of God's being is love. It is easy to think of God as looking at men in their heedlessness and their disobedience and their rebellion and saying: "I'll break them: I'll discipline them and punish them and scourge them until they come back." It is easy to think of God as seeking the allegiance of men in order to satisfy his own desire for power and for what we might call a completely subject universe. The tremendous thing about this text is that it shows us God acting not for his own sake, but for ours, not to satisfy his desire for power, not to bring a universe to heel, but to satisfy his love. God is not like an absolute monarch who treats each man as a subject to be reduced to abject obedience. God is the Father who cannot be happy until his wandering children have come home. God does not smash men into submission; he yearns over them and woos them into love.
(iii) It tells us of the width of the love of God. It was the world that God so loved. It was not a nation; it was not the good people; it was not only the people who loved him; it was the world. The unlovable and the unlovely, the lonely who have no one else to love them, the man who loves God and the man who never thinks of him, the man who rests in the love of God and the man who spurns it--all are included in this vast inclusive love of God. As Augustine had it: "God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love."
My Personal Reflection on the Trinitarian unity
THE TRINITY WITHIN ME
God the Father (the creator) - he who continually renews me, 'creates' me, so to speak, every now and then. Everytime i fall, he lifts me up. He 'creates' me again everytime i disintegrate and wallow in my selfishness.. He 'creates' me again when i realized the Father's house has always everything in abundance while i suffer in the desolation of an empty soul..He continues his work of creation in me...
God the Son (the redeemer) - he who forgives me unconditionally, who lets me feel his encompassing compassion in every sunrise, in every dawn of a new day, in every spring, when hope springs forth eternal. He, the loving father who goes out of his way and meets me halfway on the road to repentance. He, who seeks me out, his lost sheep, clasps me upon his shoulders and rejoices and celebrates in my finding...He continues his saving work in me...
God the Spirit (the pentecost) - he who inspires me, who moves me, the primordial force of my being..without him, i am not capable of anything good. He continues to inspire me and makes his presence felt in the seven gifts of wisdom, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, understanding, piety, and fear of the Lord...
Bless are you Father, Son and Spirit
Bless are you Godhead united
Bless are you who renews, forgives and animates me!
Last edited by solomon on Mon May 19, 2008 2:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
