For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he 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, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:3–7 (ESV)
Ed Hartman comments:
How does God change us? Verse 5, “He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” Regeneration and renewal both by the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is where He began a new work within us. He took us from being spiritually dead and He made us spiritually alive. He gave us eyes to see what we were otherwise blind to. He removed the heart of stone and gave us a heart of flesh. He inclined our hearts to want to know Him and want to follow His decrees. He gave us new desires. That’s all the work of regeneration – once for all. But He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to the work of renewal where, by the Holy Spirit, He is continuing the rescue operation. He doesn’t just leave us now spiritually alive to figure it out for ourselves; He is now committed to finishing what He’s begun and He’s doing that today in your life and in mine.
MEMORY WORK – Shorter Catechism Q/A 16
Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.