We must always remember that in the Christian religion, God is described as a three-fold character, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are many conflicting theories on God in Christianity. Many would say that He is omnipresent while others say that God is one in essence. The Christian faith has two basic tenets: religion and ethics. The fundamental beliefs of Christianity hold that:
In the orthodox position, God is defined by the trinity. This means that there is only one substance in God and that He alone created the universe. The Trinity further includes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who is also one in essence. According to the trinity theory, man is not made in the image of God. Man is created as one inimical to God.
The unorthodox position believes that God is one substance with three persons. This is known as theosis which is contrary to the trinity theory. If there is one substance in God, we must also assume that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not three persons but only one substance. This means that there is no difference between the nature, attributes and works of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are all one in nature and the one who possesses these three qualities is the one who is God.
In the orthodox position, the three persons mentioned in the trinity are actually three distinct personages. Jesus Christ was the only one who was God but became man in order for us to enjoy his presence. We are saved because he became a perfect man (perfect in the sense that he possesses all the perfections of a perfect person) by the grace of God through his perfect work in the flesh. Then there is the Holy Spirit which is the third personage that accompanies or is included within the other two.
It is important to note that there is not a dispute as to who is the leader of the three persons. Luke 24:30 says that Jesus chose him but John the Baptist said that Jesus chose him and Oliver said that it was the father of John the Baptist. Therefore, there is no controversy concerning the issue of who is the leader of the three persons.
transcendence and immanence are the two most important attributes of God according to the Christian, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhists. Transcendence means to become greater than what you are or to become infinite in comparison to what you are. Immanence means to be present in reality. Being present means being in touch with reality but not limiting yourself to what is seen. These two concepts are the basis of the Christian idea of God and are essential in understanding what the bible teaches about God.
The attributes of God defined by transcendence and immanence cannot be reduced to any one attribute. They are both infinite and neither can be regarded as being less than the other. It would be erroneous to say that the Father is greater than the Son because He has authority over the Son. Likewise, it would also be incorrect to say that the Son is not as great as the Father since He has the same attributes as His Father.
In conclusion, we should not limit our views of God’s attributes to those defined by transcendence and immanence. We should also not limit our view to what can be perceived by the human senses. No one can ever see the essence of God, since there is no such thing. Rather, the Christian should embrace all of God’s attributes and learn how they relate to the world we live in.
