Titus 3:5 Not By Works of Righteousness But According to His Mercy

Titus 3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Titus explained the way by which sinful men estranged from God are brought to His presence is through the work of the Holy Spirit that brings forth the new birth. Man is undeserving is the emphasis, he could not save himself.

Salvation comes through Jesus Christ our Saviour who bore our sins by His suffering for sins on our behalf and His resurrection from the dead the third day – Titus 3:6 (KJV) Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

In the new birth, one is cleansed from the inward filthiness of sin – by the washing of regeneration.

Before the new birth, we were dead in trespasses and sins (the analogy is that the dead person can only decompose and rot), but when he is made alive, he sees the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which God shined upon his heart. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing for the new life. Amen.