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The Washing of Regeneration and Its Wonderful Power.
v. 4. But after that the kindness and love of God, our Savior, toward man appeared,
v. 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,
v. 6. which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior;
v. 7. that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
v. 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
This is another excellent example of the remarkable manner in which the apostle brings out the motive for a life of holiness. By reminding the Christians of the great contrast between their former lamentable condition and their present blessed state, he finds the strongest possible reason for a life of gratitude toward God: But when the kindness and benevolence of God, our Savior, appeared. God the Father is also in this passage expressly called "our Savior," a designation eminently fitting for Him whose love was manifested so wonderfully in the sending of Jesus Christ. Joh_3:16, and in the fact that He was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, 2Co_5:19. This love of God as our Savior is brought out by two virtues which are here ascribed to Him. The kindness of God appeared. His warm-heartedness, favor, benignity, according to which His treatment of us, as Luther writes, is such as to prompt love in return. The other attribute is His benevolence, literally, His philanthropy, by which the Lord, in the Gospel, not only shows His kindness: but also offers to all men the full and free use of all the gifts of His heaven, His everlasting friendship and grace. Thus the unmerited, the free grace of God appeared to all men, was revealed and brought to the attention of men in Christ Jesus, with the incarnation of Christ and the unequivocal proclamation of the Gospel connected therewith, which He has brought in its full glory.
The consequences of this wonderful revelation and manifestation are named: Not on account of works (performed) in righteousness which we did, but according to His mercy He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. With the revelation of the kindness and benevolence of God in Jesus Christ the wonderful work of salvation was brought about. It was done by God with the total exclusion of all merit on the part of man. The emphasis upon this fact is necessary as often as the subject of the grace of God is mentioned, for the pride of the human heart clings to every straw of its own righteousness. There are no works on the part of men which are able to earn eternal salvation for them. Even in the best works of man as he is constituted by nature there is nothing that could have merited the love of God in Christ Jesus. No matter whether such works make ever so fine a showing as a righteousness of life before men, they cannot be urged as possessing merit in the sight of God. Thus the mercy of God is revealed before us in the full beauty of its splendor. Only according to, for the sake of, His mercy did He save us. Salvation is represented by the apostle as a finished fact: salvation has been made, has been performed; there is nothing to be added: nothing to be corrected. The believers are in full possession of their salvation, even though they are not yet enjoying its blessings to their full extent. And this salvation is transmitted to us, has been given to the believers, through the washing of regeneration. God uses a washing of water. Holy Baptism, as a means to transmit and seal to the believer the inestimable benefits of salvation. Through Baptism, regeneration is wrought in the heart of man; he is born anew to a wonderful spiritual life. At the same time, therefore, the water of Baptism also works a renewing of the heart and mind. Regeneration is a single act, but the renewing thus begun by the Holy Ghost continues throughout the life of the Christian. The new spiritual creature wrought or created in Baptism is renewed from day to day, 2Co_4:16; 1Pe_4:1. Thus the water of Baptism, in itself simple water, is endowed, by the power of God and the Holy Spirit, with such wonderful properties that it actually becomes the bearer of the salvation of God to the heart of man.
With great emphasis the apostle stresses the fact that the work of the Holy Ghost in the heart of the believer continues from day to day when he says that the Holy Spirit is shed, poured out, upon us abundantly, richly. What the Lord had repeatedly promised in the Old Testament, Joe_2:26-32; Zec_12:10; Isa_44:3, was fulfilled in the time of the New Testament, beginning with the great Day of Pentecost. In Baptism especially, as one of the means of grace, the Holy Ghost comes to us with the fullness of His gifts of regeneration and sanctification. He impresses upon our hearts not an indistinct, blurred picture of our Redeemer, but one that gives us a clear idea and understanding of His vicarious satisfaction in its application to us. This sending and imparting of the Holy Ghost in Baptism is done through Jesus Christ, our Savior, the exalted Lord of His Church. Joh_14:26; Joh_15:2-6; Joh_16:7. This fact, that the Savior, who gained redemption for us in its entirety, now also. in His state of exaltation, makes it His business to appropriate to us the gifts and graces of this salvation through the Holy Spirit, and that this rich imparting of His blessings is done even in Baptism, is full of comfort to us, and gives us great confidence in our faith. Jesus Christ, by His perfect redemption, has restored the original relation between God and man, and the fruit of this mediatorial activity of Christ is imparted to the believers in Baptism through the Word. Note: Tit_3:4-6 contain a clear proof for the trinity of God, since it is God the Father who poured out upon us the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
The work begun in Baptism, however, by no means exhausts the loving-kindness and benevolence of God toward us. His purpose rather is this: That, being justified through His grace, we may become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Regeneration and conversion are properly treated as synonyms; for in working in us the new spiritual birth, God has also given us the forgiveness of all our sins and imputed to us the full righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are justified before God: He Himself has returned the verdict of "Not guilty" in our case. We are redeemed and declared justified, not only with reference to sin, but also with regard to the guilt and punishment of sin. Not, indeed, as though any works which we might have done or even our acceptance of the salvation in Christ made us worthy and gave us merit in the sight of God, but we are justified by His grace, by the grace of God in Christ. By receiving this grace through faith, which is wrought in us in Baptism, we enter into the proper relation to God once more, into that of children and heirs: Rom_8:17; Rom_6:15-23. Eternal life, the life of eternal salvation in and with Christ, is open to us. It is ours according to hope, in hope; both its possession and enjoyment are certain, because they are guaranteed to us by God. As heirs of heaven all the goods and blessings of eternity are actually ours. Our incorruptible, undefiled inheritance is reserved for us in heaven. Here we enjoy only the first fruits of salvation in the midst of many miseries and tribulations; there the Lord will throw open to us the rich treasures of His boundless store and invite us to partake of them in undisturbed happiness, world without end.
It is to this whole paragraph that Paul refers when he adds: Trustworthy is the word, and I want thee to insist upon these things strongly that they who have their belief centered in God may take care to lay the proper emphasis upon good works. This is fine and useful to men. The summary of the Gospel as Paul has included it in that one beautiful sentence is a word upon which a person may rely with absolute certainty. His purpose, however, is not merely to remind Titus of these beautiful truths, but also to encourage and stimulate him to make these same facts-the subject of his teaching. He should affirm and asseverate, speak from the firm conviction of his heart. For the Christians of all times, all the true believers, those whose faith actually rests in Christ, should show their appreciation of the blessings of salvation in their entire life, letting good works be the sphere in which they move and have their being. Believers take care to do this, they make it their business to be found engaged in good works. For the latter are like goods that have been entrusted to the Christians, to their stewardship, that they use them, that they exercise themselves in them. Such teaching, such counsels, are good and useful for the Christians. It is altogether acceptable in the sight of God if both the faith and the life of the Christians are duly referred to in public as well as private teaching and admonition. It is the most practical lesson in the world.