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Catechism of the Orthodox Eastern Church (1888)
Ignatios Moschakis, tr. Baker, 1894
3. Part 1, Chapter 3: Concerning the Holy Ghost
§ 25. What Does the Creed Say Respecting the Holy Ghost?
“And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the prophets.”
§ 26. What Do These Sayings Teach Us?
They teach us that, as we believe in the Father and the Son, so we ought to believe in the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. He is named the Holy Spirit, because, as the fountain of holiness, He sanctifies the faithful; Lord, because He is not the servant of the Father and the Son, but has the same Divine power. The Spirit is called the Giver of life, because through Him God gives life to all created things, and especially to men. He was not created like other creatures, but proceeds, that is, He wells forth—from the Father alone. And, being such, the Holy Spirit is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son. The prophets spake as they were enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called also, in the Holy Scripture, the Spirit of Christ (Rom. viii. 9), and abides ever in the Church with His disciples (Matt. xxviii. 20). He is the Spirit of truth and holiness Who guides Christians to do everything that is good and well-pleasing to God, proves them to be the children of God, and bestows upon them peace and happiness: “Now the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. v. 22, 23).
§ 27. Regeneration and Righteousness.
The Holy Spirit is naturally communicated to us, and through our communion with Him we are guided to a new moral life, and this life is called regeneration and justification. And this new life is through repentance and faith toward Jesus (St. Mark i. 15). Through repentance we put off the old man—that is, unrighteousness,—and put on the new man—that is, virtue. From being evil we become just. True repentance consists in recognizing evil, in being grieved on account of it, and deading it in holding steadfastly to what is good. Such true and pure repentance was shown by David, by Peter, by Zacchæus the publican, and by the prodigal son. Faith in Jesus consists in believing in Him as our Saviour, in loving Him, and exactly keeping His commandments. When we believe in Him only, without keeping His commandments, our faith is dead: “Faith apart from works is dead” (St. James ii. 20).
§ 28. Sanctification.
A Christian must needs fight against evil at all times, and suffer in order that he may conquer it; and only thus is it possible for him to complete his regeneration and justification and to attain to holiness—that is, to his own moral perfection. He that has a living faith in Christ gradually overcomes evil, and draws near to God. But a Christian cannot possibly attain to perfection, because man is imperfect, and for this reason he tries only, and must needs try, in order that he may do what is good; nevertheless, he is never able to reach perfection.