JESUS IS LORD COLLEGES FOUNDATION INC.

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
IST SEMESTER, S.Y. 2022-2023

CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING

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------------------------------------------------- LESSON NO 1

THE TRIUNE GOD

INTRODUCTION

In this lesson , we are going to be looking at the special truths about God. Facts about God’ s
unchanging character . His attributes and how He wants us to be .

OUTLINE

I. NATURE OF GOD

● GOD THE FATHER

● GOD THE SON

● GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

I. NATURE OF GOD
Form of God

All three are divine: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Fatherhood of God – The peoples in the Bible gave great reverence and respect
to their Fathers. The term used to reverence Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; The patriarchs
– who were the fathers of the nation (Luke 3:8; John 8:39) Hence the word “Father” was
a title of highest honor. The teachings of the Bible in regard to “Father” can only be
understood in this context.

The Deity of Jesus Christ. Many people have gone astray and formed religious
cults because they deny that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. Jesus came from
 heaven and is in Heaven (John 3:13) He is one with the Father, therefore He is God (John
10:30-33) He is also the object of Divine worship and accepts it (Matthew 2:11, Matthew
14”33)

The Holy Spirit as God. He is a person and some force or influence from God.
(John 16:13-14; John 14:16; 1 Cor 12:11; Romans 8:26) He is described by Jesus as
another comforter like Himself, He teaches, He intercedes for us with groaning’s.

All three are in Unity. God is one Deut. 6:4-5. Mark 12:29) Jesus says the He and the
Father are one (John 10:30) In Genesis 1:26 “Let US make man in OUR image”

Though the actual word is not used in the Bible, the truth of God revealing Himself in
three persons is included. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are called God, given worship
as God, exist eternally and involved in doing things only God could do. Although, God
reveals Himself in three persons, God is One and cannot be divided. All are involved
completely whenever One of the Three is active.

DURING THE OLD TESTAMENT TIMES - THE FATHER WAS MOST PROMINENT
DURING HIS TIME ON EARTH – JESUS, THE SON WAS MOST PROMINENT
NOW, DURING THE CHURCH AGE, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MOST PROMINENT

GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY

ATTRIBUTES /CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD

God is omniscient (all knowing)

God possesses perfect knowledge and therefore has no need to learn. God has never learned
and cannot learn. Omniscience means all-knowing. God knows everything and His knowledge
is infinite. It is impossible to hide anything from God.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before
the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrew 4:13)
God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything (1 John 3:20)

God is omnipotent (all powerful)

Literally this word means all-powerful. Since God is infinite and since He possesses power. He
does allow His creatures to have some power, but this in no way diminishes His own. He
expends no energy that must be replenished. When the Bible says God rested on the seventh
day, it was to set an example for us and our need for rest, not because He was tired.

“For who hath resisted his will? Hath not the potter power over the clay? (Romans 9:19-21)
“yours O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Your O Lord is the kingdom; you are exalted as
head over all (1 Chronicles 19:11)
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his
power that is at work within us ( Ephesians 3:20)

God is omnipresent (always present)

This theological term means “always present”. Since God is infinite, His being knows no
boundaries. So clearly He is everywhere. This truth is taught throughout the Bible as the
phrase “I am with you always “is repeated 22 times in both the Old and New Testaments.
These were even Jesus’ words of assurance just after giving the challenge to His disciples to
take His message to the entire world. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow
Jesus.

“therefore we can pray anywhere and know God hears us (Psalm 139:7-12)
We cannot hide from Him (Jeremiah 23:24 says “Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot
see them? declares the Lord

God is eternal
In some ways, this fact about God is similar to His self-existence. God always has been and will
forever be, because God dwells in eternity. Time is His creation. It is why God can see the
end from beginning and why He is never surprised by anything. If He is not eternal, God’s
promise of eternal life for those who follow Jesus would have little value.

From everlasting to everlasting Psalm 90:1-2

The beginning and the End Revelation 22:13
Who is, was and is to come Revelation 1:8

God is sovereign
This is the attribute by which He rules His entire creation. It is the application of His other
attributes of being all knowing and all powerful . It makes Him absolutely free to do what He
knows to be best. God is in control of everything that happens . Man still has a free will and
is responsible for his choices in life.

God is unchanging (Immutable)

Immutability simply means that God NEVER CHANGES . It is why the Bible says in Hebrew
13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”

Therefore His offer of love is completely trustworthy Malachi 3:6

Does not change like shifting shadows James 1:17

God is Holy
There is no one holy like the Lord ; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God
(1 Samuel 2:2)
This is the attribute that sets God apart from all created beings. It refers to His majesty and
His perfect moral purity. There is absolutely no sin or evil thought in God at all. His holiness
is the definition of that which is pure and righteous in all universe. Wherever God has
appeared , such as to Moses at the burning bush, that place becomes holy just for God having
been there.

God is a Spirit
God is spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)

God is a loving Father

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God
and that is what we are ( John 3:1)

Love is such an important part of God’s character that the apostle John wrote “ GOD IS LOVE”.
This means that God holds the well-being of others as His primary concern . For a full
definition of love, read 1 Corinthians 13. To see love in action , study the life of Jesus . His
sacrifice on the cross for the sins of others is the ultimate act of love. God’s love is not a love
of emotion but of action. His love gives freely to the object of its affection, those who choose
to follow His son Jesus.

God is faithful
Everything that God has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact.
He does not lie. What He has said in the Bible about Himself is true. Jesus even said that He
is the truth. This is extremely important fr the followers of Jesus because it is on His
faithfulness that our hope of eternal life rests. He will honor His promise that our sins will be
forgiven and that we will live forever with Him.

God is Just
The Bible says that God is just, but it is His character that defines what being just He really is.
He does not conform to some outside criteria. Being just brings moral equity to everyone.
When there are evil acts , justice demands there be a penalty. Since God is perfect and has
never done evil , no penalty would ever be necessary. However, because of His love, God paid
the penalty for our evil deeds by going to the cross Himself . His justice needed to be satisfied,
but He took care of it for all who will believe in Jesus.

God is merciful
Merciful is the attribute of God which disposes Him to be actively compassionate . Since
God’s justice is satisfied in Jesus, He is free to show mercy to all those who have chosen to
follow Him. It will never end since it is a part of God’s nature. Mercy is the way He desires to
relate to mankind and He does so unless the person chooses to despise or ignore God at
which time His justice becomes the prominent attribute.

God is gracious
God enjoys giving great gifts to those who love Him, even when they do not deserve it. Grace
is the way we describe that inclination . Jesus Christ is the channel through which His grace
moves. The Bible says “ the law was given by Moses , but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ.”

God is good
The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent and full of
goodwill toward men. This attribute of God is why He bestows all the blessings He does on
His followers . God’s action define what goodness is and we can easily see it in the way Jesus
related to the people around Him.

GOD THE SON - JESUS

JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD

Two thousand years ago , a man appeared on the scene of history. He was born into
the world and grew up into manhood just like every other person, but this man was
different to anyone else. He was no ordinary man.
 A virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit to bring Him to birth. He was God , Himself,
coming to earth in human form. He was the ”Son of God” ( Luke 1:26-35).

In the beginning was the Word ( Jesus) and Word was with God and the Word was God.
The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory
of the one and only Son, who came from the Father , full of grace and truth ( John 1:1, 14)

JESUS CAME TO THE WORLD FOR A SPECIAL PURPOSE

1. To rescue mankind from Satan’s power.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost .
Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from kingdom of darkness and transferred us
into the Kingdom of his dear Son

2. To give his life as a ransom to buy us back

…the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom
for many ( Matthew 20:28)

3. To destroy the works of Satan in our lives.

“He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the
beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work ( 1
John 3:8)

4. To give us eternal life

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son. He who
has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life ( 1 John
5:11-12) see also John 3:16-17 and John 10:10

5. To restore our fellowship with God the Father

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship
with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ ( 1 John
1:3)
JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR US

During his life on earth Jesus experienced all the troubles of life that we face, and so
understands how we feel.

Wicked men took the Lord Jesus and executed Him by nailing Him to a wooden cross
like a common criminal. He could have saved himself , but He did not, for it was through His
death on the Cross that God was going to save the world . Jesus died for us! (read Mark
15:16-39)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for
righteousness , by His wounds you are healed ( 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5-6)

JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD FOR US

After three days in the tomb God raised His Son from the dead ! ( Matthew 28) This too
was for us!
But because of his great love for us, God , who is rich in mercy , made us alive with
Christ….God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in Christ
Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6) Read also Romans 6:4

JESUS OPENED THE DOOR OF HEAVEN FOR US

When His work , on earth was completed, Jesus returned to Heaven to be with God , His
Father. But this, too was for us…for He opened the way into God’s presence for us, where we
can live now and forever.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain that is , HIS BODY….
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith ( Hebrew 10:19-
22) Read also John 14:1-3.
AT THE CRUCIFIXION

I. THE BLOOD OF JESUS ( SUFFICIENT FOR THE TOTAL REDEMPTION OF MAN)

1. Blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin ( 1 John 1:7)
2. Blood of Jesus reconciles us with God ( Colossians 1:20)
3. Blood of Jesus represents innocence, purity because of His virgin birth
4. Blood of Jesus is precious ( 1 Peter 1:19) ..with precious blood of Christ , a lamb
without blemish or defect.
5. Blood of Jesus cleanses and justifies us ( Revelation 7:14) …these are they who
have come out of the great tribulation, they have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.

II. WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF THE BLOOD THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS

Leviticus 17:11
For the life of a creature is in the blood and I have given it to you to make atonement
for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

Let’s be clear about this : the only basis upon which we draw near to God is the shed
blood of Jesus Christ applied to our lives.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been
brought near through the blood of Christ.

When we are under the covering of the blood of Jesus , we are acceptable to God as
Jesus Christ Himself . and the inverse is equally true. Without His blood on our lives,
no one is ever accepted into God’s presence, for “ without the shedding of blood
there is no remission of sin .“

Hebrews 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with
blood and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness

When I have a bad day – that is a day in which I’ve failed to attain full obedience - I
am still able to draw near to God , despite my failures. Why? Because I can confess
my sin, receive the sprinkling/cleansing of His blood and immediately draw near to
God with confidence . My basis for drawing near is just one thing : THE BLOOD OF
CHRIST.
III. WHAT THE BLOOD OF JESUS HAS ACCOMPLISHED

When we are awakened to the glory of the cross and the blood that was spilled there, our
hearts reach and yearn for greater insight into what His blood accomplished . We would
be lost without the blood of Calvary. The blood of Jesus is the MOST POWERFUL
CLEANSING AGENT IN THE UNIVERSE!

Here are some of the ways the power of Christ’s blood is made effective in our lives.

1. Washes us from our sins

When we place our faith in Christ and confess Him as our Savior , He washes us clean of
all our past sins! “to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood”
( Revelation 1:5)

The Bible points to this reality in several ways:

a. It says our sins are forgiven by the blood ( Isaiah 53:5 ; Ephesians 1:7 ; Colossians
1:14 ; Hebrews 9:22)
b. It says we are justified by His blood ( Romans 5:9)
c. It says we are sanctified through His blood ( Hebrews 13:12)

Under the Old covenant, sins were not completely washed away because “it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins ( Hebrews 10:4)
In the New Covenant , the blood of Christ does not simply whitewash over our sins, IT
ACTUALLY MOVES THEM SO THAT HE DOESN’T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT OUR SINS
WERE ( Hebrews 10:17)

2. Cleanses our garments

The redeemed of the Lord are clothed in linen garments that are “white and clean” (
Revelation 19:14) reflecting that dignity to which Christ has raised us .

Although Christ’s blood ran red, those who are cleanse their filthy garments in this
crimson tide are said to “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb( Revelation 7:14)

3. Purchased our redemption

 Jesus paid the price to buy us from our slavery to sin and make us “slaves to God”
( Romans 6:22) The blood of Christ has delivered us from sin’s power that once held
our lives. Now instead of serving sin, we are servants of God.

Jesus redeemed us from sickness, disease, poverty and death!

When Jesus looked at us, and then at the price ( his life) that was required to buy us, He
calculated the cost and determined that we were worth it.

4. Provides for our healing

Have you ever wondered why Jesus agonized for hours on the cross? Why didn’t He
die a quick death? Wouldn’t a quick death have been adequate for Jesus, the innocent
Lamb to atone for the sins of the world?
But instead, He died a slow, torturous , agonizing death. Why?
One reason is because His cross did more than atone for sins. It also paid the price for
sorrows, griefs, pains, sicknesses , iniquities, and peace of mind.
Isaiah 53:3-5 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar
with suffering. Like one form whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we
esteemed him not. Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we
considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted. But he was pierced for
our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us
peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
Take note ‘ we are healed” in the past tense because our healing was accomplished
that day during His scourging .

5. Silences the accusations of the Evil one

The devil is constantly accusing God’s people , pointing out their sins and shortcomings
and telling them they are unworthy to stand before God. But we have a weapon to
silence His accusations : THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.

Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the
authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our
God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the
 Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to
shrink from death.

Many of Satan’s accusation are based on sins we have actually committed. However,
the blood of Jesus is our weapon against his accusations. We receive the cleansing of
his blood , stand faultless in the presence of God and then declare to our accuser: You
have no right to accuse me of that sin because it has been washed away by the blood
of Jesus.

Preacher C.S. Lewis says “ on the back of Satan’s neck is a nail-pierced footprint” The
Lamb is the ultimate military strategist! In six hours , Jesus undid 6,000 years of the
accuser’s oppression over mankind.

6. Cleanses us from a guilty conscience

Our own conscience often accuses us of sin – because we are so frequently and painfully
aware of our failure. There may be nothing more immobilizing in man’s life than
feelings of guilt.

The conscience is strange, unpredictable thing. Sometimes it operates with total

accuracy ; other times , it misses the mark completely. It misses it during those times
when we are standing justified in the presence of God but our conscience is still
jabbering away trying to convince us that we are still unclean.

The blood of Jesus cleanses our conscience ! When your conscience is cleansed , you
actually feel clean. In the technical (legal) sense, justification means that you are clean
, whether you feel like it or not. But the blood of Jesus takes it further and actually
makes you feel clean!!

7. Cleanses us from the defilement of recently committed sins.

We live in a sin-riddled , defiled world in which its incredibly easy to get soiled -
sometimes without even realizing it. Even with the most sincere efforts to live in
godliness , we often become defiled simply by living in a defiled environment.

When we ask Jesus to cleanse us with His blood, we are immediately cleansed from
anything that might stand between us. Any distance that might have developed
between us is immediately removed and we are emboldened to wrap our arms around
our Father and abide in Hs embrace
 GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

A. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD

The very first thing we must understand about the Holy Spirit is that He is indeed
God

God has chosen to express Himself to mankind as Father , as Son and as the Holy
Spirit. These are the expressions of the three distinct Persons ( Personalities) , yet
the three are one.

B. THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to every believer . When a person believes in Jesus and
receives the salvation He offers, the Holy Spirit comes to live in the believer ,
imparting spiritual life.
“Peter replied , Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
sot that your sins may be forgiven . And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit .
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the
Lord our God will call ( Acts 2:38-39) see also John 7:37-39.

C. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. In the believer’s personal life

The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the believer to minister to him personally
a. He testifies of our relationship with God
Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s
children
b. He teaches
John 14:26 “ But the Counselor , the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in
my name, will teach you ALL things and will REMIND you of everything I have
said to you”.
c. He guides
 Romans 8:14 “ …. Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God
“
d. He helps us live a life pleasing to God
Galatians 5:16 “So I say, live by the Spirit an you will not gratify the desires of
the sinful nature”
e. He helps us in prayer
Romans 8:26 “ In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness . We
do not know what we ought to pray but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with
groans that words cannot express”
f. He gives life to our bodies
Romans 8:11 “ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in
you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through his Spirit , who lives in you “

2. In the believer for service

As well as giving the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer, God also wants fill and
baptize the believer with the Holy Spirit to empower him to serve and glorify God in
the world.

a. The Holy Spirit gives power and boldness to witness

Acts 1:8 “ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends
of the earth”.

b. He introduces the supernatural realm

1 Corinthians 12:8-10 “ There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit….To
one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom , to another the
message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the
same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another fights of healing by
that one Spirit , to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another
the ability to distinguish between spirits , to another the ability to speak in
different kinds of tongues”.

c. He testifies that Jesus is alive

Acts 5: 30-32 “ The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead….We are
witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit , whom God has given to
those who OBEY Him.”

d. He brings a fresh understanding of the Word of God

 1 Corinthians 2:9,10 “ …as it is written: no eye has seen, no ear has heard , no
mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him – but
God has revealed it to us by His Spirit . The Spirit searches all things , even the
deep things of God .”

e. He fills our Spirit with true worship to God

Ephesians 5:18,19 “ “…be filled with the Spirit, speak to one another with
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the
Lord .”

f. He glorifies Jesus
John 16:13-15 “ But when he, the Spirit of truth , comes , he will guide you to ALL
truth
He will not speak on His own, He will speak only what He hears and He will tell
you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine
and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is
why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you .”