Titus 3:3-5 V. 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. 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.

Titus 3:6-7 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.

Side One: What We Were, Titus 3:3. Foolish. (Anoetos) “not understanding, unwise, without understanding,” Weust. Because of a lack of information. Eph. 3:3-4. Like those described in Romans 1:21-22! Disobedient (apeithes), “obstinacy, obstinate rejection of the will of God (Vine) Ephesians 2:2; 5:6; Colossians 3:6 Deceived (planao), seduced, or led astray. Matthew 24:4-5,11; I John 3:7 Or self-deceived! Galatians 6:7; Ephesians 4:17-18.

What We Were (continued) Serving Divers’ lusts and pleasures.” “Enslaved to various lusts and pleasures (NASB) John 8:34; Romans 6:16. “Living in malice and envy.” “Malice,” (kakia) “ill will, desire to injure.” Thayer. Envy, “feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing the advantage…of others.” Matt. 27:18 “Hateful and hating one another.” “hateful” (stugetos), “hated, destable,” Weust. “hating one another” (active sense and natural result of being “hateful,”) Wesut.

Side Two – What We Are, Titus 3:5,7. “Saved” (sozo) “Deliverance from danger…” Vine. From the bondage of sin, Matt. 1:21; Heb. 7:25; James 1:21; I Peter 3:21. “Justified by his grace.” (Dikaioo) “to show to be right or righteous…the legal and formal acquittal from guilt by God..” Biblically, one is justified: By the grace of God, Titus 3:7. By faith, Romans 5:1. By the blood of Christ, Romans 5:9. By works, James 2:24.

What We Are (Continued) “Made heirs,” Titus 3:7. Kleronomos (Gk), “one who obtains a lot or portion, especially of an inheritance,” Vine. Romans 8:16-17; I Peter 1:4. Have “the Hope of Eternal life,” Titus 3:7. Elpis (Gk), “favorable and confident expectation; it has to do with the unseen and the future.” Rom.8:24 Christians live in hope of: Eternal life, Titus 1:2; 3:7 Salvation, I Thessalonians 5:8. Of the glory of God, Romans 5:2. cf. Hebrews 6:18-19.

The Process Which Made this Possible Viewed Negatively: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done…” Titus 3:5. Apart from the works of faith we cannot be saved, James 2:24. However, we are not saved because we have done enough good works to merit salvation! “When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly,” Romans 5:6. That includes us!

Positively, He Saved us “By” (dia) “by means of” “By the washing of Regeneration,” Tit 3:5. The “old man” of sin must be replaced by a new self. This involves “the washing of regeneration,” or the “washing” by which one is regenerated, or born again. John 3:3-5. This includes baptism, Romans 6:1-6; 6:17-18.

Positively, He Saved Us By “the Renewing of the Holy Spirit” Renewing (anakainos), “to make new.” People who are scripturally baptized must walk in “newness of life,” Rom. 6:4. “Renewing” and “Regeneration” are similar concepts. “Regeneration” occurs when one is baptized, John 3:5. “Renewing” is an on-going process, which begins when one obeys the gospel, but involves continually renewing the “mind,” Rom. 12:2 by feeding upon the word which was revealed by the Holy Spirit, and results in proper character development.

The Divine Motivations Which Made our Salvation Possible: “ The Kindness and love of God,” Tit. 3:4. In contrast to our being “hateful and hating one another,” Tit. 3:3; Eph. 2:7. “God is love,” I John 4:8. God’s “Mercy,” Titus 3:5. From eleos (Gk), “the outward manifestation of pity God is “rich in mercy,” Ephesians 2:4! “ His Grace,” Titus 3:7. “Charis” (charis), “that kindness by which God bestows favors upon the ill-deserving and grants to sinners the pardon of their offences… “By Grace… through faith,” Ephesians 2:8. God’s active grace and man’s obedient faith.

Conclusion: Titus 3:3 describes, in part or whole, every “alien sinner.” Titus 3:5,7 set forth the amazing results of becoming a child of God. One is saved, justified, he lives in hope of eternal life. In view of what happen when one becomes a Christian, why would anyone hesitate to become a Christian??? Could it be they don’t “see” themselves as they really are; they don’t sense their own lostness??