Titus 3:5

It is true we have not yet risen as Christ has, but we are said to have risen with Him on account of the hope which we have in Him. So again he says: "According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration." Evidently what we obtain in the washing of regeneration is not the salvation itself, but the hope of it. And yet, because this hope is certain, we are said to be saved, as if the salvation were already bestowed. Elsewhere it is said explicitly: "We groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope. But hope which is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." The apostle says not, "we are to be saved," but, "We are now saved," that is, in hope, though not yet in reality.

Little children alone who have performed no deeds of their own, either good or bad, will be condemned solely because of original sin, unless the grace of the Savior has freed them from it through "the laver of regeneration." All others [are condemned], who have used their free will to add their own sins to original sin, but also for the deliberate acts of their own will. This is so unless they are delivered from the power of darkness and translated to the kingdom of Christ by the grace of God.

I should prefer no good to a vain good: what profits it that that should exist whose existence profits not? It is our own good things whose position is now sinking; it is the system of Christian modesty which is being shaken to its foundation-(Christian modesty), which derives its all from heaven; its nature, "through the layer of regeneration; " its discipline, through the instrumentality of preaching; its censorial rigour, through the judgments which each Testament exhibits; and is subject to a more constant external compulsion, arising from the apprehension or the desire of the eternal fire or kingdom.

And this very thing the prophet before had announced in the words: No ambassador, nor angel, but the Lord Himself saved them; because He loved them, and spared them, and He took them up, and exalted them. And all this was, not of works of righteousness which we have done, nor because we loved Thee,-for our first earthly forefather, who was honourably entertained, in the delightful abode of Paradise, despised Thy divine and saving commandment, and was judged unworthy of that life-giving place, and mingling his seed with the bastard off-shoots of sin, he rendered it very weak;-but Thou, O Lord, of Thine own self, and of Thine ineffable love toward the creature of Thine hands, hast confirmed Thy mercy toward us, and, pitying our estrangement from Thee, hast moved Thyself at the sight of our degradation to take us into compassion.

But what a thing it is, to assert and contend that they who are not born in the Church can be the sons of God! For the blessed apostle sets forth and proves that baptism is that wherein the old man dies and the new man is born, saying, "He saved us by the washing of regeneration." But if regeneration is in the washing, that is, in baptism, how can heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, generate sons to God by Christ? For it is the Church alone which, conjoined and united with Christ, spiritually bears sons; as the same apostle again says, "Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify it, cleansing it with the washing of water." If, then, she is the beloved and spouse who alone is sanctified by Christ, and alone is cleansed by His washing, it is manifest that heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, nor can be cleansed nor sanctified by His washing, cannot bear sons to God.

"There came out from his side water and blood." Beloved, do not pass this mystery by without a thought. For I have still another mystical explanation to give. I said that there was a symbol of baptism and the mysteries in that blood and water. It is from both of these that the church is sprung "through the bath of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit," through baptism and the mysteries. But the symbols of baptism and the mysteries, water and blood, come from the side of Christ. It is from his side, therefore, that Christ formed his church, just as he formed Eve from the side of Adam.

For this reason, charity, which has more regard for the common good than for its own, is said "not to seek the things that are its own.…" Hence, this charity is practiced now in the good works of love, by which it reaches out to give aid in whatever direction it can, and this is its breadth. It bears adversity with longsuffering, and perseveres in what it holds as true, and this is its length. But it does all this in order to attain eternal life which is promised to it on high, and this is its height. This charity, indeed, is hidden in the place where we are founded and, so to speak, rooted in depth. Hence we do not search into the reasons for God's will, by whose grace we are saved. This has come "not by the works of justice which we have done but according to his mercy." "For of his own will he has begotten us by the word of truth," and this will of his is hidden.

Then, when he says, not by the works, he states the reason why he saves: first, he rejects the supposed reason; second, he mentions the true reason. The supposed reason is that we are saved because of our own merits. But he rejects this when …

He saved us not by works which we had done, in other words: we had not even done works worthy of justification, nor were we saved by them, but His grace accomplished everything. Alas, we were so immersed in evil that we could no longer …

Grace arises in us through the Word inspired. However much God sent His Son into the flesh, unless you believe Him crucified, you will not have grace. Whence the Apostle to Titus: "Not by works of justice which we have done, but according to His …

There is a charity in act, and there is one in affection. And concerning that which is of work, I think the law was given to men and a commandment was formed: for who so possesses it in affection as it is commanded? Therefore the …

The cause of it; not our works or righteousness, but "the kindness and love of God our saviour." 2. The effects; which are, (1.) Justification; "being justified," pardoned and accepted through the alone merits of Christ, not from any desert in us, but according to his own mercy, "by his grace," his free, unmerited goodness.

We read of riches of goodness and mercy, Rom. ii. Let us acknowledge this, and give him the glory of it, not turning it to wantonness, but to thankfulness and obedience. (3.) Here is the means, or instrumental cause--the shining out of this love and grace of God in the gospel, after it appeared, that is, in the word.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done,....

Not by works of righteousness which we have done - The plan was not based on our own good works, nor are our own good works now the cause of our salvation. If people could have been saved by their own good works, there would have been no need of salvation by the Redeemer; if our own deeds were now the basis of our title to eternal life, the work of Christ would be equally unnecessary.

Not by--Greek, "Out of"; "not as a result springing from works," &c. of righteousness--Greek, "in righteousness," that is, wrought "in a state of righteousness": as "deeds . . . wrought in God." There was an utter absence in us of the element ("righteousness") in which alone righteous works could be done, and so necessarily an absence of the works.

LAST Thursday evening my sermon was based upon the contrast in the second chapter of Ephesians, between the expressions "not of works" and "created in Christ Jesus unto good works." I tried to show the true place of good works in connection with salvation. Many of you were not present then and I felt that the subject was of such extreme importance that I must return to the same line of thought in this greater congregation. I shall endeavor by another text which contains the same contrast, to set before you the usefulness, the benefit, yes, and the absolute necessity for our abounding in good works if indeed we are saved by faith in Christ Jesus. Let us come at once to our text. Our Apostle tells us that we are to speak evil of no man but to show meekness unto all men. And he adds this as an all-sufficient reason—we ourselves also were sometimes like the very worst of them. When we look upon the world today, it pains us by its folly, disobedience and delusion. He that knows most of this modern Babylon, whether he observes the richer or the poorer classes of society, will find the deepest cause for grief. But we cannot condemn with bitterness—for such were some of us. Not only can we not condemn with bitterness but we must look upon our sinful fellow creatures with great compassion—for such were some of us. Yes more—we feel encouraged to hope for ungodly men, even for the foolish and disobedient—for we ourselves also were, not long ago, like they. We feel that we must give the thought of our heart and the energy of our lives to the great work of saving men out of gratitude to the Lord our God, who, in His kindness and love, has saved us. "I am a man," said one, "and everything that has to do with men concerns me"—but the child of God adds to this, "I am also a sinful man and owe my cleansing to the loving favor of the Lord.

LAST Thursday evening my sermon was based upon the contrast in the second chapter of Ephesians, between the expressions "not of works" and "created in Christ Jesus unto good works." I tried to show the true place of good works in connection with salvation. Many of you were not present then and I felt that the subject was of such extreme importance that I must return to the same line of thought in this greater congregation.

Not by works of righteousness - Those who were foolish, disobedient, and deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, could not possibly have works of righteousness to plead; therefore, if saved at all, they must be saved by mercy. See the note on Eph 2:8; and see a discourse entitled, Salvation by Faith proved, 8vo., 1816, in which I have examined every system invented by man for his restoration to the Divine favor and image: and have demonstrated, by mere reason, their utter insufficiency to answer the end for which they have been invented; and have proved that the doctrine of salvation by faith is the only rational way of salvation. By the washing of regeneration - Δια λουτρου παλιγγενεσιας· Undoubtedly the apostle here means baptism, the rite by which persons were admitted into the Church, and the visible sign of the cleansing, purifying influences of the Holy Spirit, which the apostle immediately subjoins. Baptism is only a sign, and therefore should never be separated from the thing signified; but it is a rite commanded by God himself, and therefore the thing signified should never be expected without it. By the renewing of the Holy Ghost we are to understand, not only the profession of being bound to live a new life, but the grace that renews the heart, and enables us thus to live; so the renewing influences are here intended. Baptism changes nothing; the grace signified by it cleanses and purifies. They who think baptism to be regeneration, neither know the Scriptures nor the power of God; therefore they do greatly err.