Landmark Baptist

What is the work of the Trinity in Salvation?

1. God The Father,
2. God The Son,
3. God The Holy Spirit.

Please give Scripture references and detailed conversation. I look forward to this one. To be fair, I am preaching on this suject in a couple weeks at a Bible Conference I already have my research and outline compiled, but I wanted to chat it up with you brothers....

Thanks for your input.

Bro. Steve,
I do not have scripture references at the moment but I heard it explained this way,"The Father THOUGHT it, The Son BOUGHT it and the Holy Spirit WROUGHT it." I hope it helps.

That's the premise of my sermon, but I'm hopin' I get some insight to something I may be missin'. It's amazing how amazing salvation becomes the more we realize what we have and how it was truly provided to us.

Bro. Ridings,
"Please give Scripture references and detailed conversation."

Like Bro. Dornan, I shall make a quick point on the run and have hopes of adding scripture and more detailed thoughts another time.
It's interesting how the three Persons of the Godhead all honor each other in salvation.
The Spirit draws attention to and honors the role of the Son; the Father draws attention to and honors the role of the Son; the Son honors both the Spirit and the Father - the Ones Who give Him the honor.
But, by each of them putting the focus on the other Person(s), they graphically show how all three play a vital role better than if each grabbed the honor for self.

I also like to use creation as a way to illustrate the work of the Trinity in salvation.
We normally apply creation to the Father, but plenty of NT verses declare the role of the Son, such as Heb.1:2 and the thought of "by whom also he made the worlds."
This central principle of the Father being the source but the Son being the means is shown in 1Cor.8:6, "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."

But, what of the Spirit?
Genesis 1:2,3 "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."

These are two of the greatest gospel verses found in the OT, esp. since this is speaking of original creation and salvation is part of the new creation.
The first part of verse two so graphically describes our condition before salvation - lost and hopeless.
To use Bro. Dornan's apt ditty, even though the Father "thought it" and the Son "bought it" we required the Spirit to move upon the face of the darkness that was our lost souls in order to "wrought it."

When the Spirit moved on my heart and brought me to Christ in humble repentance and faith, the Father declared to my heart, "Let there be light.....and there was light!"

Any understanding of "salvation" must take into consideration the broader us of the term in the Scriptures as the general deliverance of God as opposed to the narrow sense of being delivered from eternal damnation. The failure to acknowledge and deal with this distinction has led multitudes into the error of salvation by works.

Mark Osgatharp
Wynne, Arkansas

I thought I'd post the outline I used for the Bible Conference. Maybe this will draw more discussion.

What is the Work of the Trinity in Saving an Individual?
Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:23

Genesis 1:1-2 (KJV)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

John 1:1-4 (KJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

I. Creation Of Salvation
a. The Father Willed It
i. Romans 3:21-25 (KJV)
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

ii. 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

b. The Spirit Enabled It
i. 1 Corinthians 6:11 (KJV)
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

c. The Son Fulfilled It
i. John 3:16-17 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

ii. John 8:42 (KJV)
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

II. Calling To Salvation
i. Father
1. John 3:14-17 (KJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

ii. Son
1. John 14:5-7 (KJV)
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

iii. Holy Spirit
1. Acts 7:51 (KJV)
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.


III. Continuance Of Salvation
a. Ephesians 1:11-14 (KJV)
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: [GOD]
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

b. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (KJV)
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.