(Excerpt from my page “What I Believe”)
STATEMENT OF FAITH
God — True Christianity — orthodox, historical Christianity is Trinitarian. Meaning, there is one true God who exists as a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (three distinct Persons, but not separate). All three Persons have always existed as such – in their present forms – because God is unchangeable (immutable). If one Person of the Trinity is removed, God ceases to exist. If we add to the Trinity, it results in a false god.
The three Persons of the Trinity are one in essence, co-eternal, co-equal, and do all things in perfect unity. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present. He is the creator and Ruler of the universe.
In the Trinity of God, there is one will and one authority and one center of consciousness, for the Three are one in their Divine nature. Thus, the Trinity does all things as a single operation. This is commonly referred to as “inseparable operations.” Therefore, I believe the idea of ESS (Eternal Subordination of the Son) — also known as EFS (Eternal Functional Subordination) — is a serious error. I believe it’s a false understanding of the Trinity. The authority that was “given” to Jesus (Matt 28:18), was given to Him in His humanity, but something He shared with the Father and the Holy Spirit throughout eternity. When I say “shared,” I mean one authority, not one authority over the other. Nor is it the idea of three separate modes of authority that merely function as one in unity. Further, this authority could not have been given to Jesus in His humanity if He didn’t have it in eternity. That alone invalidates ESS. Nothing could be given to the Son in eternity when God has existed throughout eternity as a Trinity, and with all authority as the one true God.
Eternal generation of the Son: In regard to Jesus as the “begotten” Son of God, this does not mean that He had a beginning as the Son, because if He did, it would change who He is. Again, God is unchangable (immutable). Rather, Jesus is the eternally begotten Son of God. This refers to the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son. Thus, the term “eternal generation” refers to this begotten relationship (Jn 1:14,18; Jn 3:16,18) that has no beginning, but has always existed and continues to exist throughout eternity. In other words, Jesus is “begotten,” but there was no beginning, because God is unchangeable. Thus, the Son has always existed as the Son of God.
(You may read the rest of my “Statement of Faith” under “What I Believe”)
