The Deep Things of God

1. The Trinity is the essential framework of evangelical faith, often unrecognized.

Sanders shows us how the Trinity is the essential framework on which our faith is built, the hidden skeleton that gives shape and meaning to the flesh and blood of daily experience.

Hidden framework. The doctrine of the Trinity, though often treated as an awkward guest or abstract concept, is the fundamental structure of evangelical faith. It's the "hidden skeleton" that gives shape and meaning to our daily Christian experience, even if we don't consciously acknowledge it. Evangelicals are, in essence, "Trinitarian deep down," whether they realize it or not.

Trinitarian roots. Historically, evangelical Christianity has been profoundly Trinitarian. Core evangelical practices and beliefs—such as personal evangelism, conversational prayer, devotional Bible study, and assurance of salvation—all presuppose a life lived in communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Forgetting the Trinity means forgetting the very essence of who we are as gospel Christians and why we do what we do.

Beyond mere belief. The goal isn't just intellectual assent to the doctrine, but a deeper immersion in the Trinitarian reality that already surrounds us. As Nicky Cruz, the former gang leader, discovered, moving from merely believing in the Trinity to experiencing God personally as Three-in-One transformed his discipleship, making it "the single most important fact of my Christian growth." This shift from tacit to explicit Trinitarianism changes everything.

2. Evangelical shallowness stems from neglecting the Trinity's inherent link to the Gospel.

The central argument of this book is that the doctrine of the Trinity inherently belongs to the gospel itself.

Shallow faith. A pervasive problem in contemporary evangelicalism is a theological and spiritual shallowness. This isn't just an external perception; many evangelicals feel a lack of depth in their own churches and spiritual lives, often sensing that their faith is reduced to the moment of conversion without a clear path forward.

Trinity-gospel connection. This shallowness is directly linked to a forgetfulness of the Trinity. The book argues that the gospel is inherently Trinitarian, and the Trinity is the gospel. Christian salvation originates from, happens through, and ultimately brings us home to the Trinity. When this profound connection is lost, the gospel itself appears less deep and comprehensive.

Reductionism's danger. Evangelicalism, in its desire to emphasize core truths like the Bible, the cross, conversion, and heaven, can become reductionist if these points are isolated from their broader Trinitarian context. The Trinity provides the "hefty, solid steel behind the cutting edge" of these emphases. Without this background, the gospel message, though true, can feel incomplete or "all emphasis" without substance.

3. The Trinity is God's self-sufficient being, the ultimate source of grace.

God is God in this way: God’s way of being God is to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit simultaneously from all eternity, perfectly complete in a triune fellowship of love.

God in Himself. The Trinity is not a means to an end, but the ultimate end itself. God's triune existence as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is eternal, perfectly complete, and infinitely blessed, independent of creation or redemption. This "happy land of the Trinity" is God's self-sufficient being, the ultimate foundation of all His works.

Freedom and grace. Contemplating God's absolute self-sufficiency highlights His freedom in creation and redemption. God did not create or save because He was lonely, unfulfilled, or needed anything from us. His actions flow from an astonishing abundance of generosity, making grace truly "amazing." As Susanna Wesley eloquently stated, "He loved us because he loved us, he would have mercy because he would have mercy."

Beyond our understanding. While we cannot fully comprehend the infinite depth of God's triune life, recognizing it is crucial. It corrects unworthy ideas of God as lonely or bored, and reveals His love as an eternal, dynamic activity within the Godhead. This "profoundly impractical doctrine" is the background of the gospel, ensuring that God's grace is rooted in His immutable character, not in any external need.

4. God's economy of salvation reveals His triune nature through the Son and Spirit.

The economy of salvation is the flawlessly designed way God administers his gracious self-giving.

Divine administration. The "economy of salvation" refers to God's perfectly ordered plan for administering His gracious self-giving to humanity. This isn't a haphazard process but a meticulously designed arrangement where God intentionally expresses His character and identity. It's His "home away from home," where He makes Himself known.

Central revelation. The central events of this economy—the choosing of Abraham, the Exodus, the giving of the Promised Land in the Old Testament, and supremely, the advent of the Son and the outpouring of the Spirit in the New Testament—are where God actively and definitively reveals who He is. As Hebrews states, "in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son."

Trinitarian shape. The economy of salvation takes on a distinct threefold shape because it is molded by the Father through His two personal emissaries: the Son and the Spirit. To understand salvation's form, we must see Jesus not in isolation, but in His relationships to the Father who sent Him and the Spirit who empowers Him. This Trinitarian perspective reveals the depth and breadth of God's saving work.

5. The Father's "two hands"—the Son and the Spirit—distinctly accomplish and apply redemption.

For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom, freely and spontaneously, He made all things, to whom also He speaks, saying, “Let Us make man after Our image and likeness.”

Unified yet distinct. The Father's work in salvation is carried out through the Son and the Spirit, whom Irenaeus of Lyons metaphorically called the Father's "two hands." While unified in purpose, the Son and the Spirit have distinct roles. The Son is God With Us by becoming one of us (incarnation, atonement), while the Spirit is God With Us by dwelling among us (indwelling, regeneration).

Accomplishment and application. A classic distinction in salvation theology is between redemption accomplished by the Son and redemption applied by the Spirit.

• Son's work: Incarnation, vicarious atonement, substitution. He takes our place and completes salvation once and for all.
• Spirit's work: Indwelling, regeneration, empowerment. He applies the finished work of Christ to individual lives, making it effective.

Mutual implication. Though distinct, their works are intimately linked. The Spirit enables the Son's incarnation and ministry, and the Son sends the Spirit to make His work present. As John Flavel emphasized, the Father's plan and the Son's accomplishment are "all unavailable and ineffectual to our salvation without the Spirit’s application of Christ to it." This dynamic reveals the comprehensive glory of the entire Trinity.

6. Union with Christ is a profoundly Trinitarian adoption into divine sonship.

God sent forth his Son . . . so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

In Christ. Salvation is fundamentally about being joined to Christ, or being "in Christ." God accomplishes salvation in Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, and then places believers into that saving reality. This union with Christ is the core of Christian soteriology, and it is inherently Trinitarian.

Trinitarian adoption. When we are adopted as sons of God, we are brought into the very relationship of sonship that defines God's divine life. The eternal Son became the incarnate Son, extending divine sonship into human history. The Holy Spirit, the "Spirit of adoption," then incorporates believers into this sonship, enabling us to cry "Abba! Father!" This means our sonship is not merely a legal status but a participation in the Son's own relationship with the Father.

Deepest privilege. Adoption is considered by some, like J. I. Packer, as the "highest privilege that the gospel offers," even higher than justification, because of the richer relationship with God it involves. This Trinitarian understanding of adoption elevates our view of salvation, showing that God's self-giving means we become children of God in God the Son, a truth that is both profound and deeply personal.

7. Hearing God's living voice in Scripture is a Trinitarian encounter.

We cannot speak, think, and feel too highly of Scripture in its vital connection with Christ and the Spirit.

Beyond mere text. Evangelicals approach the Bible not just as an ancient text, but as a living means of grace where God's voice is heard directly. This high view of Scripture's authority and inspiration is rooted in a tacit Trinitarian understanding: the Bible is the Father's word, delivered by the Son, and carried by the Holy Spirit.

Divine communication. As Adolph Saphir argued, God speaks in and through the Word. The written Word of the past becomes the living Word of the present, not as a substitute for God, but as the channel through which He Himself speaks, comforts, and confirms the soul. This process is Trinitarian: "God reveals Himself continually to us in the Word—God in Christ and by the Holy Ghost."

Life-giving power. Philip Mauro, in "Life in the Word," emphasized that the Bible possesses a "divine life" that imparts eternal life. It's not just a source of information, but a vehicle for the risen Christ, the Incarnate Word, to impart life through the Spirit. This Trinitarian dynamic ensures that evangelical biblicism is not "bibliolatry" but a profound encounter with the living God.

8. All Christian prayer inherently flows to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.

God is the thing to which he is praying—the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing inside him which is pushing him on—the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal.

Prayer's "grain." Christian prayer has an inherent, Trinitarian "grain" or directionality: to the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit. This isn't just a theological formula but the actual, built-in logic of mediation designed by God. Recognizing this structure allows us to pray "with the grain," aligning our prayers with the reality of God's triune being.

Double intercession. We are not left to pray alone. Romans 8:26-34 reveals a "double intercession":

• The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with "groanings too deep for words."
• Christ Jesus, at the right hand of God, also intercedes for us.
  This divine support removes the daunting pressure of prayer, as God Himself facilitates our communion.

Joining the conversation. When we pray, we are invited to join an eternal conversation already ongoing within the Trinity. As C.S. Lewis vividly described, "The whole threefold life of the three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary little bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers." Our prayers, offered in the family style learned from the Son, are received by the Father through the Spirit of adoption.

9. The Trinity provides the ultimate, objective ground for assurance of salvation.

The Father’s love gave Christ to them, Christ’s love gave Himself for them, and the Holy Ghost’s love reveals and applies to them the salvation of God.

Beyond subjective feelings. Assurance of salvation can be a slippery doctrine, often veering into subjective experience or abstract theological propositions. However, the Trinitarian understanding of salvation provides a robust, objective foundation for confidence in our salvation, moving beyond mere feelings or isolated doctrines.

Threefold security. Our security in salvation flows from the concerted action of the entire Trinity. As Marcus Rainsford articulated:

• The Father loves us with an everlasting, unchanging love.
• Christ, who died for our sins, lives to intercede for us, pleading His finished work.
• The Holy Spirit dwells within us, revealing and applying God's salvation.
  This comprehensive Trinitarian work ensures that our salvation is secure, as it "cannot fail in a single point except through a schism in the Godhead itself."

God's unwavering commitment. The Trinitarian nature of salvation ensures that our assurance is grounded in God's own being and unwavering commitment, rather than our fluctuating faith or performance. This perspective allows believers to rest confidently in the fact that they are "in Christ," brought to the Father by the Son, in the power of the Spirit, a reality far greater than any personal doubt or external challenge.

Last updated: February 10, 2026