Titus 3:5 (KJV)

Passage

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;

Nearby Context

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

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

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;

Titus 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

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

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "But after that the kindness and love..." into verse 6's "Which he shed on us abundantly through...", so "saved" and "mercy" 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 "saved" and "mercy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.