Trinity Sunday
Father’s Day
June 15, 2025
Romans 5:1-5
Undivided Attention— On the Mystery and Majesty of Our God!
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces 4perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today is one of the more “interesting” Sundays that we gather together to celebrate here in God’s house. The reason I say that is because today is the day that we gather together to celebrate the fact that the one true God is the Triune God— three distinct Persons in one divine essence. It’s also “interesting” because as you may know, you will not find the word Trinity or the word triune anywhere on the pages of holy Scripture! What you will find— from Genesis to Revelation— is the teaching of the Trinity. Trinity Sunday is also “interesting” because it is the one Sunday when we confess our faith using the words of the Athanasian Creed. As you may have already read in your bulletin, “This creed is named after St. Athanasius, a staunch defender of the Christian faith in the fourth century.” The purpose of the Athanasian Creed is to explain in great detail what the Bible teaches about the one true God, namely, “Now this is the true Christian faith: We worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, without mixing the persons or dividing the divine being.”
Since it is impossible for us to fathom how God can be “three persons in one God,” the Scriptures don’t even try to explain this to us in a way that logically makes sense to us. Instead, the Scriptures go to great lengths to help us understand how each of the three Persons in the holy Trinity work together seamlessly for our eternal salvation. When we see how God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit individually and collectively guarantee that we are saved for all of eternity we gladly gather together to bring our thanks and our praise to our Triune God!
This year, Trinity Sunday also marks the beginning of a new sermon series. The overall theme of this sermon series is: Undivided Attention. With that in mind let’s study these words of the apostle Paul under the theme: Undivided Attention— On the Mystery and the Majesty of Our God!
Look at the opening verse of our text. Once again our text begins in a way that would be very easy for us to simply overlook. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul writes, “Therefore.” Anytime we come across the word “therefore” in any of Paul’s letters Paul is revealing to us that what he is about to say is based on and flows from what he has already told us. So when we look back to the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Romans, what do we see? We see that Paul has already emphasized that the message of the Gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). We see that Paul has already emphasized that no one could ever do enough works to get themselves into heaven, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:20). We see that he has already emphasized that the only way to be “justified,” the only way to be “Declared: Not Guilty!” by God, is through faith. “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Romans 3:28). And in the verse immediately preceding our text we see how clearly Paul declares what Jesus, the Son of God, has done for us, “He was delivered over to death for our sins, and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
“Therefore,” Paul says, on the basis of all that, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Note the verb forms that the Holy Spirit has Paul use here. We “have been justified,” we “have been Declared: Not Guilty!” by God! There is no question. There is no doubt. There is no debate. The cross on Calvary’s hill guarantees that our “justification” is complete! It is finished!
This unparalleled reality, the objective unchangeable “justification” that Jesus secured for us on the cross, becomes a subjective reality, it becomes our personal possession in just one way— “through faith.” Our faith— faith in what the Son of God has done for us— our faith brings us two priceless blessings.
The first blessing is found in Paul’s words, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” By nature our sins made us enemies of God. By nature we were terrified of God. By nature we wanted to do everything we could to get away from God the Father, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. We wanted to get away from Him as far as we could because we knew that He could and He would use His divine power and His divine justice to condemn us for all of eternity.
All that fear evaporates in the warm light of Paul’s words, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The “peace” that Jesus has established between us and God the Father is so much more than the cessation of the hostilities that our sins created. The “peace” that Jesus gives to us signifies the soundness, the wholeness, the health that our new status in God’s eyes automatically brings to us.
Along with that glorious gift of “peace” comes a second equally glorious gift. Paul says that through Jesus “we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Grace, the undeserved love of God the Father is embodied for us in the unforgettable words of John 3:16. Grace, the undeserved love of God the Father gives us unfettered and permanent “access” to the Father’s eternal heavenly throne at any time and for any reason.
With the confidence that comes from knowing that our heavenly Father has “justified” us, and with the comfort that comes from knowing that we “stand” enveloped by the Father’s amazing grace through faith in what the Son of God has done for us, Paul goes on to tell us, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
The word that is translated here as “rejoice” very literally means, “to boast.” What do we “boast” about? We “boast in the hope of the glory of God”! The key word here is the word that is translated as “hope.” The “hope” that God gives to us is far more than just wishful thinking. Think about it. All too often we use the word “hope” in the sense of “maybe” or “there is a fair chance that something will or will not take place.” All too often we say something like, “I hope it will/won’t rain,” or, “I hope the 49ers will win the Super Bowl this year!” That is not the kind of “hope” that Paul is talking about here.
The word that is translated here as “hope” very literally means, “expectation.” Notice the difference that makes! As Christians, as people who believe that the one true God is the Triune God, Paul says, “We boast in the expectation of the glory of God.” Knowing that God the Father has “justified” us, “Declared us: Not Guilty!” on the basis of what God the Son has done for us (Pointing to the cross), knowing that through faith in God the Son “we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand,” knowing this, my friends, leads us to “boast” in the “expectation” of receiving and enjoying and living in “the glory of God”! Yes, as Christians, as people who believe that the one true God is the Triune God, we live every day of our life with eternity in view!
Sadly, there are those who do not “boast” about God and what He has done for us. Sadly, there are those who have nothing good to say about God. Sadly, there are those who live their lives in opposition to God and what He says to us in His holy Word. Why? Because they do not believe that the one true God is the Triune God. Because they do not believe that God the Father Himself has “justified” them. Because they do not believe in what God the Son has done for them. On the basis of their own reason and their own logic they might say something like, “Why boast about what God can do when I can take care of myself?” “Why boast about a God who forgives sin when I know that I am basically a good person?” Since our old sinful nature automatically agrees with that line of thinking we need to make sure that we always stay focused on the cross so that we can always say along with Paul, “We boast in the expectation of the glory of God”!
Our boasting, however, is not only directed toward the “glory” that is waiting for us in heaven. We also “boast” about what is happening to us right here right now! Look at what Paul says to us, “We rejoice/we boast in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
To those who do not believe in the mystery and the majesty of the Triune God “boasting in our sufferings” sounds insane! But not to us! It helps to understand what Paul is telling us here when we understand that the word that is translated here as “suffering” can also be translated as “pressure.” There are many troubles that “pressure” us as Christians living in this sinful world. There is the “pressure” of maintain and confessing our faith in the face of ridicule and rejection. There is the “pressure” of not allowing the pleasures and the treasures of this world take our focus off the “glory” that God has waiting for us in heaven. There is the “pressure” that comes with accepting Paul’s words, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
No matter what “pressures” we face in our life we are able to “boast in our suffering” because we know that our mysterious and majestic God uses those “sufferings” as a means to bring us closer to Him. We know that God uses those “sufferings” to work “perseverance” in us. When we encounter “suffering” in our life we cling to the promises that our God has made to us in His Word and our faith in God becomes even stronger! As our “suffering” leads us to cling even tighter to God’s promises, He gives us the courage, the “perseverance” to live a life which openly “rejoices,” openly “boasts” in the mystery and the majesty of our Triune God! Through this “perseverance” God also works “character” in us. We are not weak and immature Christians. We have been tried and tested— which leads us to have a strong Christian character. “Sufferings” have come and gone, but we remain steadfast in God’s Word. In fact, after each encounter with “suffering” and “pressure” we emerge with an even stronger Christian character! Picture it this way: Just as silver and gold are tried by fire, we are tried by “suffering” which produces “perseverance” which in turn produces “character” which in turn gives us “hope.”
It doesn’t end there, however. Look at the closing verse of our text. Paul writes, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” This takes us right back to the beginning of our text. We “boast” in the justification that God the Father has pronounced on us. We “boast” in the “grace” and in the “glory” that God the Son has secured for us. And now Paul says we also “boast” in knowing that the “hope,” the “expectation” we have as believers in the Triune God will not “disappoint us.” Why? Because God the Holy Spirit is continually “pouring” God’s agape love into our hearts! The word that is translated here as “pouring out” is generally used for “pouring out” water. Water is “poured out” onto the ground to add moisture to the soil so that it can produce all sorts of good and wonderful things. In much the same way, God the Holy Spirit “pours out” God’s agape love into our hearts so that we can produce all kinds of good and wonderful fruits of faith in our life!
How does God the Holy Spirit “pour out” God’s agape into our hearts? That’s not a difficult question, is it! God the Holy Spirit “pours out” God’s agape love into our hearts through His holy Word and His holy Sacraments. This is yet another reminder of how important it is to gather together here in God’s house, to receive God’s holy Supper, and to study God’s holy Word— both here at church and at home!
Before we close today, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that today is not only Trinity Sunday, but today is also Father’s Day. As fathers and grandfathers— and especially as Christian fathers and Christian grandfathers— we cannot underestimate the important role that the Triune God Himself has given to us. We have the privilege and the responsibility of bringing our children and our grandchildren into regular contact with the Triune God. We have the privilege and the responsibility of doing everything we can to focus their attention on the mystery and the majesty of worshiping the one true God, the God who is “one God in three persons and three persons in one God, without mixing the persons or dividing the divine being.” We have the privilege and the responsibility of reminding them and assuring them that while we will do everything we can to help them live happy and successful lives, our number one priority is to do everything we can to help them stay focused on the most important thing of all— “boasting in the expectation of the glory of God”!
How do we do this? How do we carry out the important role that the Triune God has given to us? It starts by setting a good example for them to follow. Let them see and hear the joy that God’s agape love gives to you. Let them see and hear the confidence that comes from knowing that God the Father has “justified” us, God the Son has redeemed us, and that God the Holy Spirit has not only created the gift of saving faith in our heart but He continues to sanctify us by strengthening and nourishing that gift with His holy Word and His holy Sacrament. Let them see and hear that as much as you love them, their Triune God loves them infinitely more!
As fathers and as grandfathers we can teach our children and our grandchildren how to play sports. We can encourage them to do their very best in school and at work. We can support them through the hardships and the heartaches they experience in life. But more importantly than anything else, as Christian fathers and as Christian grandfathers our highest goal for children and our grandchildren is to enjoy eternity together with them in the very presence of mystery and the majesty of the Triune God!
To God be the glory!
Amen