Titus 3:5 (ASV)

Passage

not by works [done] in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Nearby Context

Titus 3:3 For we also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

Titus 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared,

Titus 3:5 not by works [done] in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Titus 3:6 which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Titus 3:7 that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "saved", "mercy", "works", "done", "righteousness", "ourselves", and "through". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "saved", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "But when the kindness of God our..." into verse 6's "which he poured out upon us richly...", so "Spirit" and "saved" belong inside that flow. In Titus context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "saved" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.