The Work of the Trinity in Salvation

God plays the symphony of our salvation in three movements. Each of these movements is associated with and facilitated by a different Person of the Trinity.

The Father: Salvation originated with the Father.

Ephesians 1:3–6 tells how the Father chose us before the foundation of the world, and predetermined our adoption as this children through Jesus Christ. The Father is the administrator of salvation, and he oversees the process from beginning to end.

The Son: Salvation is brought to fruition in the Son.

Everything the Father does for our salvation, he does through Christ. The work of the Son means redemption, adoption to the Father, reconciliation, sanctification, and glorification (Ephesians 1:7-12). It operates horizontally as well as vertically, and it is for Jew and Gentile alike. It is through the Son that we achieve salvation and come into full relationship with the triune God.

Our Triune God

Philip Graham Ryken, Michael LeFebvre

Relating to God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can have a deep impact on one’s faith. Ryken and LeFebvre outline the saving, mysterious, practical, and glorious Trinity in this theologically rich resource.

The Spirit: Salvation is communicated by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit changes us from the inside out, preforming the gracious act of regeneration. With this comes the gift of faith and the spiritual ability to believe in the Resurrection. Through the Holy Spirit, our salvation becomes a present reality, applicable to our lives in our own specific context. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives that serves as a seal, establishing us as children of God (Ephesians 1:13–14).

This article is adapted from Our Triune God by Philip Graham Ryken and Michael LeFebvre.

Michael LeFebvre (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is an ordained Presbyterian minister and an Old Testament scholar. He is also a fellow with the Center for Pastor Theologians. Michael and his wife, Heather, have five children and live in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Philip Graham Ryken (DPhil, University of Oxford) is the eighth president of Wheaton College. He preached at Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church from 1995 until his appointment at Wheaton in 2010. Ryken has published more than fifty books, including When Trouble Comes and expository commentaries on Exodus, Ecclesiastes, and Jeremiah. He serves as a board member for the Gospel Coalition and the Lausanne Movement.

How Does the Trinity Practically Apply to Your Life Today?

Michael LeFebvre, Philip Graham Ryken

March 21, 2012

The Trinity is undoubtedly one of the most mysterious Christian doctrines.

10 Things You Should Know about the Trinity

Fred Sanders

April 06, 2017

God wants us to learn about and consider the Trinity. Here are 10 things you should know.

Differentiating the Work of the Son and Spirit in Salvation

Fred Sanders

August 25, 2010

A classic way of looking at the two-handedness of God’s work in salvation is the relationship between how the Trinity accomplishes redemption and how the Trinity applies that redemption to us.