“Man of himself is powerless to fulfill God’s commandments, wherefore it is said, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you’ (Mt. 7:7). And we if we do not ask, we torment ourselves and deprive ourselves of the grace of the Holy Spirit; and without grace many things perplex the soul because she does not comprehend the will of God” (Saint Silouan the Athonite)
“Sin leading to death is willful, continual disbelief in the grace of the Holy Spirit toward us.” (Orthodox Study Bible, 1 John 5:15)
“The souls of those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in His great and fearful Sacrifice [on the Cross] are resurrected by God in this present life; and a sign of this resurrection is the Grace of the Holy Spirit which He gives to the soul of every Christian, as if giving a new soul.” (St. Symeon the New Theologian)
“We, human beings, were and are created as body and soul. We become fully human through the grace of the Holy Spirit. By the will of the Father, Christ the Son, sends us the Holy Spirit (John 20:22, Acts 2:1-13) so that we may receive grace and become Christ-like over the course of our lifetime. The tragedy of today’s society is that many engage in what they think are spiritual activities (e.g., new age religious practices, spiritual but not religious practices) but they have nothing to do with acquiring the Holy Spirit. They are simply exercises that feel good for the soul but are not formational because they lack the Holy Spirit.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
“The Holy Fathers always accepted both fortune and misfortune as coming from God, and they achieved humility. When He sees that a soul is ready, the Lord sends the Grace of the Holy Spirit upon that person, and he receives the gift of freedom, peace, joy, and consolation. There is no more fear. As for us, we are always full of fears…Until a person is illumined by the Holy Spirit, fear is always present. Afterwards there is no fear. Such a soul has compassion for everyone.” (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica)