Through the divinely established Sacraments, the invisible grace of God is given to man; he receives from God everything that he needs for spiritual and moral rebirth and salvation (1:1). St. Tikhon in his works gives a brief description of the seven Sacraments, describes their content, shows their meaning and the conditions that must be observed by both those who perform and receive the Holy Sacraments. The grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit given in the Sacraments testify to God's love for man and are a healing means in the matter of his salvation. But in order for them to become truly salvific, it is necessary, in the words of the Holy Father, to observe four conditions, without which the Sacraments cannot be performed. The first condition is that the priest is properly ordained. The second is in the correct observance of the substance of the Sacrament (there must be water for baptism, bread and wine for the Eucharist, etc.). The third is in the correct pronunciation of the formula of the Sacrament. Finally, the fourth condition is that both the celebrant and the recipient of the sacrament have in their hearts a sincere desire and desire to perform and receive it (1:1–2).

Speaking about the importance and necessity of all the Sacraments in the matter of human salvation, the saint pays great attention in his works to the Sacrament of Baptism, through which the path to salvation is opened to each person and he enters into communion with the Savior of the world and His Church. Only he who has received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity becomes a member of the Church of Christ, becomes a relative of God and "cohabitant with the saints" (5:197). In Baptism a person is washed from the defilements of sin, dying to sin, and is quickened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and therefore holy Baptism "is a new, spiritual, holy, second birth..." (3:234). If in bodily birth all people are born in sin, as children of Adam, then in the Sacrament of Baptism a person is born spiritually of God (2:93) and is clothed in a new Adam – Christ (3:402), Who gave to His Church this "mysterious bath of our existence, with which we are washed by defilement, and the dead are quickened, and the lost are saved, and the worn-out and decayed are renewed, and those who have been separated from God return to God... and we become heirs of His eternal Kingdom" (4:243; 3:234; 3:402). This birth is higher than natural, because in it all those spiritual forces that were in Adam before his fall are restored. According to the thought of the Zadonsk saint, here "the heart, thoughts, reason, will, desires" are purified, and man becomes a new creature in Christ (3:56; 4:296), born "from above... from God", becomes a son of God by grace (3:402).

Explaining the process of spiritual and moral rebirth in the Sacrament of Baptism, the Holy Father says that in Baptism a person "is freed from the unclean spirit and its dark power (3:38) and is betrothed "to the Heavenly Bridegroom, Christ, as pure virgins" (4:298). The Savior of the world, entering into union with the soul of the one being baptized, mortifies in it all that is old and sinful and "does not remember his former sins and iniquities, leaves him every transgression of the law, the righteous wrath that He had against him...; He strips him of the stinking rags of sin, washes him with pure water, clothes him with the beautiful purple of Christ's justification, and makes him His son" (4:32). In the Sacrament of Baptism, a person again enters into a covenant with God (3:56), receives the pledge of spiritual resurrection and resurrection (3:233), the inheritance of a future blessed life with Christ (3:56, 4:296). Only Baptism revives in man the image of God, darkened by sins after the disobedience of Adam (5:198). In this salvific Sacrament, the Lord communicates to man the original gifts, and the newborn "is enrolled in the service of Christ and promises Him to work faithfully with the Father and the Spirit, to listen to His commandments and to fulfill His commandments" (3:36). In other words, the person being baptized becomes a living part of the Church's organism, living the Divine life of Christ.

Thus, in the Sacrament of Baptism, each person is grafted into Christ like a branch to a vine, but not everyone is saved, for the reason that, although Baptism cleanses us from sin and blots out our guilt before God, so that we become justified and holy before Him, it does not eradicate our inclination to sin at all. After all, even after Baptism, a person lives in this world, which, according to the Holy Scriptures, "lies all in evil" (1 John 5:19); consequently, this evil captivates, and sometimes even leads "to a far country" (Luke 15:13) the one who is born again in the font of Baptism.

That is why the Holy Father calls all Christians to fulfill their vows given at holy Baptism. "The spiritual and new birth, in which a Christian is born by water and the Spirit," he says, "requires spiritual fruits from him. Both carnal and spiritual birth have fruits... A natural man... when he lives, he does not dwell on idle, but shows signs to his living creatures. For example, feels, sees, hears, talks, walks, eats, drinks, and so on. So it is for the new inner man, when he lives... he must show the signs of his living creatures, which befit a new spiritual birth and a new spiritual life" (3:235). Only he can abide in grace-filled communion with Christ and attain eternal salvation, who throughout his life remains faithful to his lofty calling, fights and struggles against evil. Moreover, this faithfulness to God and the struggle against evil must be resolute and self-sacrificing even unto death, and only in this case can one receive "His merciful promise according to what is said: 'Be thou faithful even unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life' (Rev. 2, 10)" (3:37). On the path leading to salvation, in addition to the flesh and worldly temptations, according to the teaching of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, the author of all evil builds his intrigues – the devil, who, although he does not have the power over God's creation that he had before the Baptism of man, can nevertheless incline the will of Christ's followers to a vicious life and thereby make them his prisoners. Hence the task of the Christian is to arm himself even more against the spirit of malice and not to weaken his podvig, but with even greater zeal to struggle against its subterfuges and to continue his march along the path of salvation (4:315). In spiritual warfare, a great deal depends on the person himself. He can either take the side of good, removing from his heart everything vicious and contrary to God, or turn his gaze to an "alien god", darkening and defiling his inner man with sinful desires and deeds. The human heart is like a vessel that can be filled with anything, both worldly whims and love for God. The Holy Father writes about Christians who have deviated to the side of sin: "Thus baptism does not benefit Christians, who turn their hearts to the world, as Egypt, and work for the lusts of their flesh, love honor, glory, riches, and the rest of the world's vanity, and all have and worship as their god. For man has all things instead of God, to which he has added his heart" (3:37-38).

Continuing his thought about sinful Christians, the Zadonsk saint, on the basis of the words of the Holy Scriptures: "And having fled from the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by these are the packs woven, overcoming me" (2 Pet. 2:20) — says that "a misguided and depraved Christian is a bitter heathen... and thus, where the unclean spirit was one, there are already seven unclean spirits living in iniquity, wherefore they are the last bitter of the first" (Luke 11:26)" (3:38). In another place, quoting the words of the Apostle Peter, he emphasizes: "For it is better for them not to know the way of righteousness, than to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them. For a true parable will happen to them: the dog returned to his vomit, and the swine washed in the feces (2 Peter 2:21-22)" (3:38).

Thus, according to the teaching of the Holy Father, Holy Baptism can be effective and salvific only when the person who has accepted it will lead his life in accordance with the vows given to him, that is, exert all his efforts and aspirations towards a God-pleasing life, by means of which he will be able, with God's help, to defeat the devil and be forever united with his beloved Savior.

As has already been said above, although man received in the Sacrament of Baptism the beginning of a grace-filled, new life in Christ, he still needs other grace-filled actions of God, which would contribute to his spiritual growth and the closest unity with the Creator. A person receives these grace-filled actions within the fold of the Church through the subsequent Sacraments. Thus, in the Sacrament of Chrismation, the forces are abundantly poured out on the Christian, strengthening him on the path leading to salvation. To the question: "What is Chrismation?" the Holy Father replies that it "is a mystery, in which power is given to us through the Holy Spirit, that we may firmly confess the name of Christ and the Orthodox faith" (1:2). Chrismation, which is performed immediately after Baptism, clearly testifies to the fact that each person who has been baptized has a need for further Divine help for strengthening and perfecting himself in a virtuous life, the beginning of which was laid by holy Baptism. "Human! – exclaims the saint, – you are dear to God... God has honored you in this way: you also honor God with your heart... God has poured out upon you wondrous goodness and love" (4:280). "For as the body is life is the soul, so is the grace of God to the soul" (2:101). Further, the Zadonsk saint, warning those who perform the sacrament of Chrismation, teaches that the Holy Chrism should not be corrupted and, moreover, that the formula should be pronounced correctly ("The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen") (1:2), which is a necessary condition for the celebration of the Sacrament.

In his work "Spiritual Treasure Gathered from the World," the Holy Father, comparing a person blessed with grace to the sun that illuminates the entire celestial realm, says: "When the sun shines in the sky, everything is clear; everyone sees the path along which one must go and where to go, what to do and what to deviate... Such is the case in the soul, which Christ, the Righteous Sun, will enlighten. Such a soul sees everything clearly, cognizes the charm and vanity of this world, cognizes good and evil, vice and virtue, harm and benefit, the path to perdition and the path leading to eternal life, goes out to deeds pleasing to God and useful to itself. Such a soul (has) in mind, as it were, to please God its Creator, and to be among those who are saved" (4:9). However, despite the fact that a person has received the salvific means to strengthen his spiritual strength and has become a worthy heir to heaven, further success in spiritual growth depends on his free will: to preserve through good deeds the grace received in the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation, or to remove it by his vicious life.

The evil spirit and the world with its temptations are fighting for the human soul. A Christian, although he has received grace-filled help from God, can fall into temptation and incline his will to the path of sin. Therefore, there is also a need for a God-established remedy that would cleanse man of sinful scum and reunite him with the Source of life – God. Such a means is the Sacrament of Repentance. Its essence, according to the teaching of the saint, is that the sinner should have in his heart "pity and sickness for the sins committed after baptism, which through unfeigned and true confession and contrition of heart, through priestly absolution, are felt" (1:2; cf. 4:34). This salvific Sacrament was established by the Redeemer of the world with the words: "If ye bind on earth, they shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye loose on earth, they shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 18:18). The efficacy of the Sacrament, according to the Holy Father, depends both on the one who performs it and on the one who receives it. "Confession shall also be before the Orthodox spiritual father, but a heretic and an apostate will not absolve the penitent from his sins" (1:3). The saint also points out the need for the correct pronunciation of the formula, without which the Sacrament, as such, cannot be salvific (1:1). To the presbyters he gives the following instruction regarding the Sacrament: "When during confession you notice in the confessor a contrition of heart and sorrow for sins: good; Thanks be to God! And if you do not notice in him that desire and contrition of heart, then try in every way to bring him to it" (1:7). As for the confessor himself, the following conditions are required of him: first, he must declare his sins "in detail and one by one" before the priest (1:3); secondly, to have sincere contrition in sins and a firm intention not to return to them again (5:161; cf. 1:3). Sincere repentance contributes to the retention of Divine grace in the soul of a person, which strengthens the will of the penitent in good and gradually regenerates him for eternal blissful life (4:341). Those who sincerely accept this Sacrament of Repentance always feel inner peace and relief from the burden of sin in their hearts. That is why every Christian should approach his healing power as often as possible.

Having been cleansed of sinful defilement in the Sacrament of Repentance, a person can be most closely united with his Savior in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, without whom, according to the Redeemer, there is no salvation. "Unless ye bear the flesh of the Son of man, nor drink his blood, ye have no life in yourselves. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:53-54).

Following the instruction of the Divine Teacher, the Zadonsk saint in his works also points out the importance and necessity of this Sacrament in the matter of human salvation. He says that "the Eucharist is a mystery, in which the true Body and the true Blood of Christ our God are given to us, in the form of bread and wine, and in it Jesus Christ is truly and sovereignly substantial" (1:3-4).

The saint also puts forward the requirements necessary for the validity of this holy Sacrament: first, the priest must be "lawfully ordained" (except for him, no one can perform this Sacrament); secondly, the bread must be pure wheat, leavened, the wine must be pure grapes, not sour, not mixed with anything (at the proskomedia, according to the rule of the Church, only a small amount of water must be poured into it); thirdly, the altar table or antimension on which the Holy Eucharist is celebrated must be consecrated by the bishop; and, finally, fourthly, the priest must with heartfelt concern, with sincere reverence, with deep faith, pronounce the words of perfection: "And make this bread the precious Body of Thy Christ, and into this cup the Precious Blood of Thy Christ, having changed it by Thy Holy Spirit." "Then the bread and wine," the archpastor concludes, "are changed into the true Body and into the true Blood of Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit" (1:4). This mystery is inherently incomprehensible not only to the human mind, but also to the heavenly powers that wish to penetrate it (1:64). In the Divine Eucharist, under the guise of bread and wine, there is "the Saviour Himself" and "the Holy Spirit descends upon the Holy Gifts offered, performs the sacrament, sanctifies the worshippers" (1:64). The Holy Mysteries impart to man a new direction in life, a new way of being—an eternal beginning. He who partakes of Communion dies to sin in order to be resurrected with Christ... "If we die with Christ," says the Apostle Paul, "we believe that we also shall live with Him" (Romans 6:8).

This Divine food is for a Christian a pledge of immortality and incorruption. In addition, his soul begins to "be the dwelling place of God and the temple of the Holy Spirit; is vouchsafed to have communion with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, to be a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (5:350). That is why the Holy Father in his work "Spiritual Treasure Gathered from the World" exclaims: "Oh, how great is this work! How great is the goodness of God! How great is the reverence for man! Man, earth and ashes, touches the Body and Blood of God!" (4:186).