He Saved Us

Today, we’ll finish the series on the trustworthy sayings.

This is a formula Paul used in the letters to his mentees Timothy and Titus

It basically means “Listen Up” “Hear this” take note and learn.

Today’s saying is found in Titus 3:8

Titus was one of Paul’s most trusted co-workers.

He was a full Gentile that Paul refused to circumcise.

He accompanied Paul to Jerusalem for the Council in Acts 15 on how to deal with the Gentiles coming into the church.

This book focuses on advice Paul gives to Titus about his work in Crete.

There was a group of false teachers on Crete who opposed Paul’s gospel.

Their error related to what a godly lifestyle was expected of all believers.

The focus then was on heresy among the church and culture.

The brief message of this book is seen in two ways.

Christian character is emphasized in 1:16; 2:7, 14; 3:1–2, 8

Christian doctrine is summarized in 2:11–14 and 3:4–7

Believers are to live right because they have been made right with God.

We are to take on the family characteristics of our Father.

The goal of Christianity is not only heaven when we die, but Christlikeness now.

The purpose of our new life is to reach the lost with the gospel.

But Paul wants to make sure that his appeal to “good living” is not confused with “works righteousness.”

Let’s look at the passage of our study found in Titus 3:4-8

Titus 3:4–8 CSB

4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. 8 This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.

In the first two verses, Paul takes up the matter of standards for Christian conduct with regard to pagan society in general.

He reminds them to obedient to the civil authorities.

Then wanted them to show respect for all people.

He gives a list of behaviors they needed to project.

In verse 3, he reminds us of our condition prior to our commitment to Christ.

God Shows Mercy

Don’t you love the word “but”?

Verse 4 begins the word “but” that shows a strong contrast to what was previous stated.

As you look at verse 3 you would think there is no hope for any of us.

How could God love us, much less change us into a new creation?

After showing who we once were, Paul reveals what has been done for us.

At on time in our lives we were dead, doomed, and depraved, “But God”.

We were a spiritual corpse, controlled by our own sin nature, condemned with no hope, no future.

“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love....appeared.”

God Cares For Us

The most basic truth of the Bible is that God loves us.

His goodness and His love have made an appearance in His Son Jesus, Christ.

His very character compels Him to loves us, the crown of His creation.

This kindness and love has its source in God our Savior.

Kindness root in Greek is the same as get our term “philanthropy”.

It’s a combination of two words “brotherly love” and “mankind”

God loves people made in His image, even the fallen ones.

His love provides the only way to be saved — Jesus

By his death, he saved us from our deserved punishment for disobeying God, taking that punishment upon himself.

When we become Christians, we can experience personally the kindness and love of God provided for us through the death of Christ.

A beautiful illustration of “the kindness of God,” read 2 Samuel and note David’s treatment of Mephibosheth, a little lame prince.

Because Mephibosheth was a part of Saul’s family, he expected to be slain.

But David, in kindness, spared him and treated him as one of his own sons at the palace table.

God love for us lead to

God Changes Us

This whole passage is one long sentence in the Greek.

The verb “He saved us” is the main verb of the sentence.

It’s tense implies completed action in past time.

This is the greatest verse in the Bible on the doctrine of regeneration, the new birth experienced by those who repent of their sin and put their trust completely and exclusively in Jesus Christ.

Paul begins by first telling how regeneration did not happen, countering the false thinking that has plagued humanity for all of our existence.

His words could not be clearer: “He saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done.”

Salvation is not earned.

Regeneration is not something you can work up.

You were dead, spiritually—without a heartbeat, no pulse, nothing.

Any good you had done was “like filthy rags” in the eyes of a holy God (Isa 64:6 NKJV).

On your best day you had nothing to give God, and if you have never realized that, then you have never been saved.

“But,” Titus 3:4–5 says, “he saved us … according to His mercy.”

He delivered us from sin and its slavery, rescued us from death, hell, and the grave.

Why? Kindness, love, mercy.

What? Saved us.

How? Washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Regeneration consists negatively of removal of filth and positively of a renewing, both brought about by the Holy Spirit.

This is literally “through the bath of regeneration.”

It can refer to (1) the place of bathing, (2) the water of bathing, or (3) the act of bathing.

In Leviticus washings were a symbol of cleansing or purifying persons or things.

The term “regeneration” (palingenesia) is also a rare term, found only in Matt. 19:28 and here.

It is a compound from “again” (palin) and “birth” (genesis).

Therefore, it refers to the new birth brought about by the finished work of Christ and the wooing of the Spirit.

This is not a text that supports baptismal regeneration.

Baptism was the occasion for the public confession/profession (cf. Acts 2:38) and the symbol of the believer’s death, burial, and resurrection with Christ in symbolic action

In the early church baptism was the opportunity of a person’s public profession of faith (“Jesus is Lord” cf. Rom. 10:13).

The focus is the action of the Holy Spirit (i.e. birthing and renewing).

“Renewing” means to cause someone or something to become new.

Grammatically it is synonymous with “rebirth.”

This is not two works of grace, but two aspects of one work.

This implies they are one event administered by the Holy Spirit.

This would be similar to John 3:5–8.

This is a way to say that the Spirit and the Word of God make us brand-new in Jesus Christ.

God Has Come For Us

These words remind us of the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit filled that first group of believers.

Paul and his associates (us) received the Holy Spirit abundantly (also translated “richly,” “generously”).

God is not stingy, he gives in abundance.

What God did then for the believers gathered in the upper room, He now does for every believer in and through regeneration.

His Spirit comes to be with us and in us abundantly.

God Comforts Us

Verse 7 begins with “So that”.

This a purpose statement.

It’s a result of an action.

So that what?

The phrase having been justified by his grace summarizes the our problem (needing justification) and God’s solution (justification by grace).

From Adam we inherited guilt, a sinful nature (the tendency to sin), and God’s punishment.

Because Jesus took the punishment we deserved for sin and “justified” us before God, we can trade punishment for forgiveness.

We can trade our sin for Jesus’ righteousness.

Christ offers us the opportunity to be born into his spiritual family.

If we do nothing, we will die in our sins; but if we come to God by faith, we inherit eternal life through Christ.

This is a comforting word about our future.

To be heirs refers to our being children of God who inherit all his riches: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are … heirs according to the promise…. So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God” (Galatians 3:29; 4:7 NRSV).

In the human setting, heirs don’t inherit until the owner of the estate dies (though they may enjoy many benefits in the meantime).

But in the spiritual realm the opposite occurs: We do not fully inherit until we have died; yet in this life we can experience many joys and benefits of being “heirs” of God.

Those riches are summed up in the hope of eternal life.

Eternal life began the moment we gave our life to Christ, but there is more to come!

Our experience now is only a foretaste of what God has guaranteed to us in the future!

The Trustworthy Saying

We come to the trustworthy saying found in verse 8.

This refers to the long sentence found in verses 4-7.

So Titus ought to constantly affirm (teach) it.

In this verse, the saying referred to the basics of the gospel message—the miracle of salvation, rebirth, and eternal life given to the believers by God’s mercy alone—and the life-style changes required of all who claimed the name of Christ.

Those who have been regenerated and renewed by the Holy Spirit are now described simply as “those who have believed God.”

And, because they have believed and do believe, they should “be careful to devote themselves to good works” which is a theme for this book.

You see, the new birth will result in a new life.

Death is replaced by life.

The flesh is captive to the Spirit.

Evil works are overcome by good works.

Such works are more assuredly good and profitable for everyone, saved and unsaved, the latter seeing the beauty of our new life and being drawn to the Christ who changed us, the Christ who can change them too!

This is indeed a great reward for those of us who have been regenerated by the gospel of King Jesus.

Let’s Pray