In God's grand plan of redemption, each member of the Holy Trinity have their respective functions and roles to play. Working together in unity, they produce something beautiful and life-saving called salvation.
Soteriology is the study of the doctrine of salvation. The term comes from the Greek word "soterion" which means "salvation."
1 Peter 1:1-2 aptly summarizes the roles each member of the Holy Trinity play to wrought salvation in a human being.
1 Peter 1:1-2 "... who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood..."
The word "trinity" is never found in the Bible though the concept therein is taught in various passages across the Bible. Trinity means "tri-unity" or "three-in-oneness." The three persons of the triune Godhead work together towards the salvation of a soul.
#1: Role of the Father in Salvation
a. The Father's Grand Plan
Salvation originates with God the Father. Even before the world began, in His omniscient wisdom and knowledge, the Father authored His grand plan of salvation for the entire world. Before time began, the Father also arranged the means by which His plan must be accomplished: the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). The Father's grand plan of salvation began before time began and it will reach its consummation when time ends and eternity is rolled in.
b. The Father's Generous Sending
The Father is the first and greatest Missionary. Mission comes from the Latin word "missio" which means 'to send.' The act of sending is very significant. The Father sent His Son to the world to accomplish salvation (1 John 4:14). The Father also sent the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and advocate (John 14:26).
c. The Father's Glorious Election
The Father chose and predestined us for salvation (Romans :29-30). Ephesians 1:4 declares that God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 says that God chose us as the firstfruits to be saved. We are saved because of the Father's generous election on which our ethnicity, background, culture, mistakes, good deeds and so on have no bearing.
d. The Father's Gracious Drawing
Unless the Father draws a person, they cannot come to Jesus Christ (John 6:44). We are saved because the Father drew us unto His Son, opened our spiritually blinded eyes and enlightened our hearts to the truth of the Gospel.
e. The Father's Great Sustaining
Without the Father's sustaining role in our life, our faith will collapse and be ship-wrecked. The Father is the sustainer of our faith. He preserves and protects us (1 Peter 1:5) till the end when He brings to completion the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6).
#2: Role of Christ in Salvation
a. Grace and Truth through Christ
The two important elements of salvation, grace and truth, came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Jesus Christ is grace and truth personified. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). The truth who is Christ Himself, liberates us from spiritual darkness and causes us walk into a new life (John 8:32).
b. Redemption through the Atonement of Christ
The Father accomplishes salvation only through His Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to the world so that whoever believes in His Son would have eternal life. Because of the atonement of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
c. Perfect Obedience and Righteousness through Christ
Humanity is guilty of failing to obey the law and fulfill its strenuous requirements and meet its demands. Consequently, humanity deserved the wrath of God. However, Christ suffered the wrath of God on the cross and achieved perfect righteousness and justification for everyone who would believe in Him (Romans 5:19; 3:22).
d. Reconciliation with the Father through Christ
It is only through Christ that we are reconciled to God the Father and enjoy a relationship with Him. Prior to our salvation, we were the enemies of God. However, through Christ's finished work on the cross, we get to enjoy peace with the Father (Romans 5:1).
#3: Role of the Holy Spirit in Salvation
a. Conviction through the Holy Spirit
Conviction is a gift. The giver of this gift is the Holy Spirit. There can be no repentance and forgiveness without conviction. The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16:8).
b. Regeneration through the Holy Spirit
In His conversation with one of the members of the Jewish ruling counsel, Nicodemus, Jesus stresses the importance of being born again. Being born again refers to being born of the Spirit (John 3:6). A person is saved through the Holy Spirit's transformative and regenerative work in their life (Titus 3:5-6).
c. Sealed with the Holy Spirit
At the moment of our salvation, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit who is given to us as a pledge guaranteeing our inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). Biblically speaking, a seal refers to ownership (to whom the sealed person or thing belongs), and authentication of relationship. When the world looks at our Spirit-driven/led life, they receive a demonstration of who we belong to and how genuine our faith is.
d. Adoption into God's Family through the Holy Spirit
Through the reception of the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation, we are baptized into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). The Spirit of God causes us to be adopted into the family of God. A person in whom the Holy Spirit does not reside, does not belong to God. The Holy Spirit enables us to become the children and heirs of God through adoption (Rom. 8:15 & Gal. 4:6-7).
e. Sanctification through the Holy Spirit
There are three stages in salvation: justification, sanctification and glorification. The first stage, justification, is a one time event where the believer is declared as having right standing before God. The second stage, sanctification, commences the moment we are justified. Sanctification is a lifelong process that will consummate at the moment of our glorification. The primary agent of sanctification is the Holy Spirit who works within us and causes us to be progressively and increasingly transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
It is only appropriate to conclude this brief study with an ode to the Holy Trinity using the words of the Athanasian Creed:
"Nothing in this trinity is before or after, Nothing is greater or smaller; In their entirety the three persons are coeternal and coequal with each other. So in everything, as was said earlier, we must worship their trinity in their unity and their unity in their trinity. Anyone then who desires to be saved should think thus about the trinity."