The happiness of God and the Trinity isn’t something that is often discussed by Christians. How many of us think ever about a happy God? It is important to think about it.
How often do we think of a wrathful God? Yet it is also true that love is a divine attribute of God. In fact this attribute of God has bearing on the doctrine of the Trinity. The reasons for this were first brought home to me by Michael Reeves in his must-read book “Delighting in the Trinity.” See Tim Challies’ review HERE.
C. S. Lewis also understood the importance and connection between our happiness, the happiness of God, and the Trinity. In his fictional work “The Great Divorce,” it is said of one of the heavenly characters that, “The Happy Trinity is her home: nothing can trouble her joy.”
In “The deep Things of God – how the Trinity Changes Everything” Fred Sanders mentions the phrase – “Happy Land of the Trinity”. He connects this to Lewis via Walter Hooper. Whatever the case may be the great Christian thinkers, writers, Puritans and theologians understood the happiness of God in the Trinity.
Perhaps it’s time we paid closer attention. I certainly can’t claim to have given this truth its due consideration. I’m glad David Steele has addressed this in a brief three-part blog. Here’s an excerpt from Part One:
“It is of infinite importance … to know what kind of being God is. For he is … the only fountain of our true happiness,” writes Jonathan Edwards.” Paul refers to “the glory of the blessed God” (1 Tim. 1:11). The same verse could be rendered, “the good news of the glory of the happy God.” The term blessed indicates “supreme happiness.” “The gospel … is the gospel of happiness,” writes Spurgeon. It is called, “the glorious gospel of the blessed God.’ A more correct translation would be ‘the happy God.’ Well, then, adorn the gospel by being happy.”
Steele cites Henry Scougal:
It should delight us, beyond all expression, to consider, that the beloved of our souls is infinitely happy in himself, and that all his enemies cannot shake or unsettle his throne: “that our God is in the heavens, and doth whatever he pleaseth.”
See also Part Two and Part Three
We live in trying and uncertain times. Each one of us has their own personal struggles and worries. Sometimes I feel totally inundated with the cares of this world and depression sets in. We must find time to remind ourselves that we are loved by an eternally Happy Trinity. And we cannot now even imagine how awesome that is.
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor 2:9
Maranatha!
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