“God in Three Versions, Eclectic Trinity” (Part 1: Overview)

“Holy, Holy, Holy!”  Is one of the great hymns of the Christian faith.  Reginald Heber wrote the words in 1826 and John Bacchus Dykes put them to music in 1861. Its powerful melody and worshipful tone still stir the souls of believers today. Sing, or hear in your head, the first stanza below:

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy!  Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons blessed Trinity!

Ephesians 4:4-6 is perhaps the clearest Bible passage concerning the nature of the Trinity. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” There is one God manifested in three Persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

© 2011 Designed to Serve®

If “Holy,Holy, Holy!” were written today, “God in three persons, blessed Trinity!” would have to be revised. Perhaps the wording might read, “God in three versions, eclectic Trinity.” Sadly, in the 21st century many people, including many believers, worship three false gods – Money, Sex, and Power.

Many people have fallen into the age-old trap of pursuing money as their ultimate goal. A bumper sticker captures this mindset, “Whoever dies with the most toys wins.” What a lie! Don’t get me wrong, it’s better to have money than none at all. But making money for money’s sake leads to an empty, meaningless existence. And those who make it their #1 goal ultimately learn a cruel lesson: You can’t take it with you when you die! Money is a false god – a modern day idol.

Sex is a wonderful gift from God. But too many people make it their priority. Some practice serial monogamy; others hop from one bed to another night after night; and still others are married, but seek sexual pleasure elsewhere. We are a people trapped in a moral morass.  And the world reinforces the notion of sexual pleasure at any cost. Most TV shows and movies portray this immoral lifestyle as the norm. The message is clear: “Since everyone’s doing it, why aren’t you?” The media seldom shows the dark side of promiscuity. Every illicit sexual dalliance comes with a steep price – and a trail of broken lives and families.

Power is an aphrodisiac. It seems that the more power you have, the more power you want. Like the other “versions” of the true God, power can be a good thing – in moderation. But too much power is dangerous and destructive. As the saying goes, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In fact, it may be that the misuse of power has ruined more lives than the other two gods combined. History has shown that when power is concentrated in the hands of one person – people die and nations are ruined.

Over the next three posts we’ll take a look one at a time at each of the three modern gods. Everyone is influenced by the misuse of these three “versions of God.” If you’re not careful, these three “eclectic gods” can become like giants that must be slain. But their proper use will bring many blessings to you and to others.

© 2011 Designed to Serve®