Titus / Question
Titus says God saved "not because of works" done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, "by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." The language describes God’s saving action as mercy-based and Spirit-worked. See Titus 3:5.
In Titus 3:3–7 the writer contrasts “what we were” with “what God did.” He begins by reminding believers that they once shared the same tangled, self-ruining patterns found in wider society. Then he shifts to God’s initiative: God’s kindness and love showed up in history, and the rescue was not earned by their right actions. This paragraph sits inside a practical section urging believers to live in a way that fits their public setting: cooperate with authorities, be peaceable, and avoid needless conflict (3:1–2). The reminder “we were once like that” supplies the emotional and moral logic for patience toward outsiders.
Titus 3:3–7 sets up a strong contrast between “what we were” (verse 3) and “what God did” (verses 4–7). The earlier life is described as confused thinking, refusal to listen, being misled, and being controlled by desires, with relational damage following (malice, envy, mutual hatred).
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with Titus 3:5, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
5not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,