What role does the Holy Spirit play in our attainment of divine salvation?

The Archangel Gabriel appeared to a poor young girl from Nazareth and announced: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). In astonishment, she asked him, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34). So, he proceeded to reveal to her the role of the Holy Trinity in this divine work that all generations had anticipated, from the fall of Adam until that very moment, when he said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore also the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

The incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ, was born, and never ceased to direct the attention of His listeners to the Father, affirming, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). In His parting words to His disciples, He directed their attention to the other Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will abide with them forever (John 14:16): “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). He drew a connection between His own work for our salvation and this other Comforter, saying, “He will guide you into all truth … He will take what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13–14).

We know that the Father has given to us His fatherhood and love, and takes care of humanity. And the Son says, “All things that the Father has are Mine” (John 16:15), which is to say, “all of the Father’s surpassing love for you, I also bear, translated into action upon the cross. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Also, through the Cross, the Holy Spirit began to guide the Church, raising her up towards the heavens.

792 See Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Divine Love (Arabic) Books 1–8, second edition, revised and updated (Sporting, Alexandria: St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church, 2010), Book 6: pp. 970-988; and Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, The Gospel of John: A Patristic Commentary, Part 2, Chapters 9–21, trans., Mary Rose Halim and Mary Barsoum (Sporting, Alexandria: St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church, 2003) Chapter 17.

The Holy Spirit’s pastoral journey of caring for humanity began in practice from the moment when He hovered over the face of the waters, when the earth was without form and void (Gen. 1:2). Then, over generations, He anointed prophets, priests, and kings for God’s people, and prepared the way for the incarnation of the Word of God. He also witnessed, together with the Father, to the Lord Christ who was baptized in the Jordan River that he might make children of God out of those who believe in Him. And His journey continues until now, until He crosses us over with us to the heavenly Jerusalem.

St. Irenaeus encourages us, describing the role of the Holy Trinity in the Church, saying, “The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, affirm that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature; also that they ascend through the Spirit to the Son , and through the Son to the Father , and that in due time the Son will yield up His work to the Father, even as it is said by the apostle [1 Cor. 15:24].”⁷⁹³

He also says, “the Father planning everything well and giving His commands, the Son carrying these into execution and performing the work of creating, and the Spirit nourishing and increasing [what is made], but man making progress day by day, and ascending towards the perfect, that is, approximating to the uncreated One.”⁷⁹⁴