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“According To His Mercy He Saved Us (Tit. 3:1-8) – Part 2”
According To His Mercy He Saved Us (Tit. 3:1-8) – Part 2
Wade Webster
Last week, we considered the reminder and the revelation of mercy. This week, we will cover two additional points.
The Restriction of Mercy
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done...” (Tit.3:5). Please note the first phrase of the verse. We are not saved by works, but by God’s mercy. As you know, Paul said the same thing about grace (Eph. 2:8-9). Grace is unmerited favor. We don’t deserve it. We haven’t earned it. A very similar point is made concerning mercy in our text. Grace and mercy seem to be two sides of the same coin. Neither grace nor mercy can be earned. We don’t deserve to be saved or to escape judgment. When we have done all that is required of us, we are still unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10). We enjoy salvation simply because of God’s love and kindness and grace and mercy. It should be noted from Jesus’ statement that we must do what is required of us that we might receive that which we don’t deserve.
The Remission and Regeneration and Renewing of Mercy
“…but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Tit.3:5). Please note the last two phrases of the verse - but according to His mercy He saved us. Remember that mercy doesn’t give us what we deserve. We deserve punishment, but we receive pardon. Why? Because there is remission and regeneration. How? It is through the new birth or baptism. No doubt, you recall the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus (John 3:3-8). Surely, you can see the connections between our text - Titus 3:5 and John 3:3-5. We have connections to regeneration and renewing - “born again” (John 3:3). The word born suggests a beginning. The “again” implies a second time or a new time. We have connections to the Holy Ghost - “Spirit” (John 3:5). We have connections to washing - “water” (John 3:5). As you know, water is a key ingredient in washing. A passage from Paul’s pen to the saints at Ephesus may clarify this connection and others. Paul wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27). Notice the reference to washing - the washing of regeneration. Paul spoke of the washing of water by the word. Here, we have washing connected with water and the word. Paul knew something about this. He had experienced it. The word of God had come to him telling him what he must do to be saved. The must was baptism (Acts 9:6,18). It was by being baptized that his sins were washed away (Acts 22:16). This was the washing of water by the word. This was being born of water and of the Spirit. This was being born again. This was the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. Water and Spirit in John 3 are parallel to water and the word in Ephesians 5. As you know, the word is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). The Spirit uses the word to pierce men’s hearts and to make them clean (Acts 2:1-4, 37-38; John 15:3). It is fitting that the New Testament speaks of being born of the Spirit and being born of the word (1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Pet. 1:22-23). Let’s now connect another part of our text to baptism or washing - renewing. To the saints at Rome, Paul declared, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). Those who are baptized into Christ and His death arise to walk in newness of life. Old things are passed away and everything has become new (2 Cor. 5:17). Let’s connected one more part of our text to baptism. Please note that according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. Having already connected washing and baptism and renewing and baptism, let’s connect the most important piece of all - salvation. We are saved by mercy. We are saved by baptism. Listen to Peter: “There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” (1 Pet. 3:21). We are saved by mercy when we are baptized (washed, renewed).
