The Triune God

The three spiritual disciplines that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount reflect the different relationships we have with the Persons of the Triune God.

With the Father, we have a relationship pictured by a father and son. We seek to please Him; we obey Him. We fear Him. This is a heart relationship.

With the Spirit, we have a union with our spirit. From within, the Spirit of God is our Helper. He helps us pray; He helps us speak. The Spirit works in our body, giving it life. Out of our innermost being flow rivers of living water. The Spirit is evident in our body.

With the Son, we have a relationship that deals with our soul. To follow Him we must lose our soul, in that we find it. We come to Him, taking His yoke; He gives rest to our soul. He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our soul.

These are different relationships. We need each of them. We are a trichotomous being; we have been made in His image. Each relationship is good, but none is enough by itself.

Jesus did not just teach noble ethics; He taught pragmatic mechanics. He did not teach spiritual ideals; He taught these spiritual disciplines because they work.

Good works are necessary, not because they obligate God, but because we need to be changed.

Prayer is necessary, not because we get our way through prayer, but because we need to be changed.

Fasting is necessary, not because it makes us master over our body, but because our Master has been taken away from us. We have been serving another master, and we have not recognized that the Bridegroom is gone. We know things are Not Quite Right, but we have never figured out why. We still have the Spirit; we still love the Father. Yet things are NQR. In His way, we need to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, denying obedience to our default master. We need a change.

Which of these is the most important? The answer depends on the person.

I John 2:12-14 indicates that spiritual children need the relationship with the Father, young men need a relationship with the Spirit, and fathers need a relationship with the Son.

As we grow, we will sense a lack; we will sense when things are Not Quite Right. The rich young ruler did; Jesus gave him a straight answer. He can give us a straight anwer; the kingdom of God is near.

Seek first His kingdom, everything else can wait.