A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 3: God and the Holy Trinity

OLRL ^ | Fr. William J. Cogan

[NYer]

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!  How incomprehensible are His judgments and how unsearchable His ways!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His counsellor?  Or who hath first given to Him, and recompense shall be made Him?  For of Him and by Him and in Him, are all things; to Him be glory forever.  Amen."  (Romans 11:33-36)

1. Who is God?
       God is the Supreme Being, the Creator, "who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are in them."   (Psalm 145:5)

• What does "Creator" mean?
      It means that God made all things out of nothing.

  "I beseech thee, my son, look upon Heaven and earth, and all that is in them: and consider that God made them out of nothing, and mankind also."   (2 Machabees 7:28)

• What is a creature?
      A creature is anything made by God.

• How do you know there is a God?
      If you just examine the things in this world, you have to admit that someone had to make them.

  "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the birds of the air, and they shall tell thee.  Speak to the earth, and it shall answer thee: and the fishes of the sea shall tell.  Who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these things?"  (Job 12:7-9)
  
  

  "The fool hath said in his heart:  There is no God."   (Psalm 13:1)

• Why can you not see God?
      Because He has no body.

  "God is a spirit."   (John 4:24)

• Where is God?
      God is everywhere.

  "Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy face?  If I ascend into heaven, Thou are there: if I descend into hell, Thou art present."    (Psalm 138:7-8)

• Can God see all things?
      Yes, because He is everywhere.

  "The eyes of the Lord in every place behold the good and the evil."   (Proverbs 18:3)

• How old is God?
      God is ageless, eternal, which means that He had no beginning and will have no end and will never change.

  "Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed: from eternity and to eternity thou art God."   (Psalm 89:2)

• Can God do all things?
      Yes, "With God all things are possible."    (Matthew 19:26)

• Is God alive?
      Yes, He is alive and is the source of life.   Over 30 Bible references call Him "the living God."

    "All things were made by Him:  and without Him was made nothing that was mde.  In Him is life."     (John 1:3-4)

• Is God independent and unlimited?
      Yes, He depends on nothing and is unlimited (infinite) in every way.

  "Neither is He served with men's hands, as though he needed any thing; seeing it is He who giveth to all life, and breath, and all things."   (Acts 17:25)

• Is God interested in you?
      Yes, and He loves you with an unlimited love.

  "Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet I will not forget thee."   (Isaias 49:15)

• Will God forgive you your sins?
      Yes, if you are truly sorry for them.

  "For the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if you return to Him."    (2 Paralipomenon 30:9)

• What is the Holy Trinity?
      This means that there are three persons in One God.

  "Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."    (Matthew 28:19)

• Who are the three persons in God?
      God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

  "And there are three who give testimony in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.  And these three are one."    (I John 5:7)

• Are the three persons of the Holy Trinity equal?
      Yes, they are equal to One Another, but each One is a separate and distinct Person, and each One is God.

• How can there be three persons in only one God?
      This is a mystery that no human mind can completely understand.

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. There are many things in this world which the human mind cannot understand, such as growth, sight, hearing, electricity.  Therefore, we should not be surprised to find that we cannot completely understand the God who made the world.

2. Faith is accepting something on the word of another.  God says that there are three Persons in One God.  If you accept that statement as being true because He said so, then you have faith.

3. Faith is not unreasonable if what you are told is possible and if the person telling you is usually truthful and has nothing to gain by telling you a lie.

4. Human beings can tell lies, but God cannot because He is Truth Itself.  Therefore, believing anything God says is the highest kind of faith.  This kind of faith, however, is a gift that you must pray for.

[NYer]

Lesson 3 of 43.

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 1: Religion
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 2: The Bible and Tradition
A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 3: God and the Holy Trinity

[Aquinasfan]

Catechism bump. This is a great series. It would be far preferable to just about anything used in CCD these days.

[NYer]

It would be far preferable to just about anything used in CCD these days.

What a great suggestion! Thank you :-)

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 4: Prayer

[invoman]

I agree with most of what is here. But there are a few problems.

The "independent and unlimited" bullet point really should be qualified better. IE: "Does this mean God can sin?" Obviously not.

More to the "point" is the bullet point: "Is God interested in you?" The answer, "Yes, and He loves you with an unlimited love." is not supported in the Bible.

Please consider: Romans 9:13 (KJV) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Furthermore, the point of forgiving sins? Better yet, let me quote it: "Will God forgive you your sins?", and the answer, "Yes, if you are truly sorry for them.", is without Biblical basis.

"(Truly) being sorry" didn't work for Esau, did it? Hebrews 12:17 (KJV) For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Other than these items, I kinda like the bullet points. I REALLY like the last one:

How can there be three persons in only one God?
This is a mystery that no human mind can completely understand.

Yep...that's me...

[NYer]

Furthermore, the point of forgiving sins? Better yet, let me quote it: "Will God forgive you your sins?", and the answer, "Yes, if you are truly sorry for them.", is without Biblical basis.

John
Chapter 20

22

¹⁵ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit.

23

¹⁶ Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 5: Public Worship of God

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 6: Angels and Devils

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 7: Human Beings and the Purpose of Life

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 8: Sanctifying Grace

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 9: Heaven

[Salvation]

A Brief Catechism for Adults - Lesson 10: Mortal and Venial Sin