Joel M Bradshaw

4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.—Titus 3

1. Who is saved? Taking into consideration chapter 1, the elect. These are the ones God chose to save.
2. Who saves? All three members of the Trinity are here. But it is God the Father who saves.
3. Do I earn my salvation? Absolutely not. The loving God showed me mercy. I didn’t receive the punishment my sins deserve. My works accomplish nothing to save me.
4. Why I chose God? It’s because God the Holy Spirit regenerated me and renewed me. If that didn’t happen first, I would never have trusted Jesus for my salvation. God had to act first, had to choose first. Only a regenerated and renewed me would ever deny myself to follow Jesus. God’s work made that possible.
5. Jesus? He secured my legal justification before God the Father. In the most unfair moment in history, He took my sin and shame and transferred upon me his righteousness. My sins were thus fully paid and I stand justified in His righteousness.
6. Hope? As my life on earth continues, the Holy Spirit progressively makes me more like Jesus and less like Joel. One day that sanctification will be full and complete and I will spend eternity in heaven. There is jo greater hope than that.

The Father saves. The Son accomplishes that salvation. The Spirit takes us off the path of self and onto the path of Jesus. What a passage!—JMB