I was listening to a short video clip recently sent to me on social media. In this clip, a self-professing prophet was sharing how God visited her in a vision and explained to her the mystery of oneness in God. She relayed how God said He had revealed this mystery to St. Patrick as she held a four-leaf clover in her hand, stating that God told her everything in creation points to His character and attributes by showing her a three-leaf clover. However, the four-leaf clover in her hand now represents the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and herself. This was the mystery of oneness in God, a brief teaching seeming to point to what is termed by some “the fourth member of the Trinity.”

This was not presented as an understanding from a Biblical standpoint of what it means to be in Christ as a born-again believer. Rather, there were subtle statements of concern along with extrabiblical revelation presented alongside Scripture. Anytime revelation such as this is presented, it is to be tested against Scripture, and if it does not agree with Scripture, it is to be rejected.

The teaching of the fourth member of the Trinity is not a novel one. As I searched online for the source of this belief, I came across several sites referencing it. There was one article discussing this very topic and mystics who had concluded that creation was to be seen as the fourth person of the Trinity, focusing on a panentheistic view of God and the world. Another article written by a spiritual ecclesiologist revealed the fourth member of the Trinity as us, sharing various Scriptural references and concluding we hold the Trinity within us.

Searching through these sites and pondering on the reel I had watched; I could not help but notice neglect of the very definition of Trinity. Three does not equal four, and unlike the Creator, we are not coeternal or coequal to the Godhead. To insert oneself into the Trinity is a concept as old as the snake in the garden. There was no need to search out the origin. There is a need to search the Scripture for the understanding of the Trinity and what it means to be one in Christ.

Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit

Evidence of the Triune Godhead can be seen all throughout Scripture, beginning in Genesis 1:26 at creation when God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Christians acknowledge God as one in essence yet three Persons. We know that Jesus Christ was truly God yet truly man, and He was worshipped by His disciples in the account of calming the storm (Matthew 14:33). He referred to Himself as I AM when addressing some believing Jews who were questioning Him (John 8:58). We know that the Holy Spirit is God and that He was sent by the Father after Christ was resurrected and ascended into heaven. There are also numerous passages referring to all three Persons of the Trinity (Romans 15:30, 2 Corinthians 13:14). Here is a helpful article about the Bible and the teaching of the Trinity.

So, what does it mean to be in Christ? I also found this explanation to be encouraging and helpful: “To be “in Christ” means we have accepted His sacrifice as payment for our own sin. Our rap sheets contain every sinful thought, attitude or action we have ever committed. No amount of self-cleansing can make us pure enough to warrant forgiveness and a relationship with a holy God (Romans 3:10-12). The Bible says that in our natural sinful state we are enemies of God (Romans 5:10). When we accept His sacrifice on our behalf, He switches accounts with us. He exchanges our list of sins for His perfect account that is totally pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 5:21). A Divine Exchange takes place at the foot of the cross: our old sin nature for His perfect one (2 Corinthians 5:17).

To enter the presence of a holy God, we must be hidden in the righteousness of Christ. To be “in Christ” means that God no longer sees our imperfections; He sees the righteousness of His own Son (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 8:12). Only “in Christ” is our sin debt cancelled, our relationship with God restored, and our eternity secured (John 3:16-18, 20:31).”

Being one with God does not make us divine. Being a Christian is Christ centered, not man centered. Yes, Christ Jesus made a way for us to be reconciled to the Father and to be made new. We praise God for regeneration through faith in Him. He has engrafted us into the vine. He did not make a way for us to be inserted into the Godhead and to be equal with Him. When faced with extrabiblical revelation, it is good practice to ask questions and to return to the foundation of truth testifying of our Beloved Savior. Four is a crowd in the Trinity.

For a more in-depth discussion on this topic, check out this latest episode from The Lovesick Scribe podcast: Four Is A Crowd – The Lovesick Scribe Podcast | Podcast on Spotify