Titus 3:5
“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;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God saved us not because of righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.
What Does Titus 3:5 Mean?
Paul states plainly how that saving love reached us. It was not because of righteous works we had done; the rescue did not originate in our own goodness. Rather, it came according to God's mercy. He saved us, and Paul names the means: the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, language pointing to the cleansing and new life God works in those who come to Him.
The accent falls squarely on God's mercy as the wellspring of salvation. When we were helpless in the condition of verse 3, mercy moved God to act, cleansing and renewing us by His Spirit. The new life we have is His gift and His doing. For the reader, this brings deep humility and deep assurance. Salvation rests on the mercy of God, not on the ledger of our deeds. We come to Him empty-handed and receive new birth, and the same Spirit who renewed us goes on making us new.
In the Original Language
palingenesia (παλιγγενεσία), "regeneration" — literally new birth or rebirth, the fresh beginning God grants.