How the Divine Persons are Distinguished from Each Other.
"Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Gal. 4:6.
Some things are said of each person in the Godhead that can not be said of the others. The three divine persons are differentiated in Scripture as three distinct persons by their personal properties. There is a difference between them, not a difference in their divine essence, but a personal difference. The Athanasian Creed says: “Another person is the Father, another the Son, another the Holy Ghost.” The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten; but He has begotten the Son from eternity. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten of the Father from eternity. The Holy Ghost is neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding from the Father and the Son.
Ps. 2:7 the Father says to the Savior of mankind: “ Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee.” And the Lord Jesus says to His disciples, John 15:26: “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.” Here we see the difference between the three divine persons.
And this is not an imaginary difference, but a real difference, marked by divers operations and works. We ascribe preeminently the work of creation to the Father, the work of redemption to the Son, and the work of sanctification to the Holy Ghost, though the three persons cooperated in all their works directed toward the world. Also the Son and the Holy Ghost took part in the work of creation; nor can the Father and the Holy Ghost be excluded from the work of redemption, though the Savior in the fullest meaning of the term is the Son of God, who became man and died on the cross to reconcile us with God. This can be said only of Him, not of the Father and not of the Holy Ghost. Again, the Bible speaks of the conversion of man and of the whole work of sanctification in a way which points chiefly to the Holy Ghost. It is preeminently His work.
Prayer.
O God, my Father, I entrust myself fully to Thy care, Thy grace, love, and truth. O Jesus, my Redeemer, I clothe myself with Thy merits, with Thy blood, Thy wounds and am happy in Thy blessed communion. O Holy Spirit, my Comforter, I com mit myself wholly to Thy guidance, power, light, and comfort. O Triune God, Thou art mine, I am Thine; Thou art my Father, I am Thy child; Thou art my Shepherd, I am Thy sheep; Thou art my Lord, I am Thine own. Amen.
