"...He saved us...by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour..." (Titus 3:1-11).
God's mercy, not our own efforts, saved us. It was "not by works of righteousness we have done." But, simply saving us was not enough; God needed to be able to guarantee that, despite our humanity, we could walk with Him and live according to His plan.
The "guarantee," both for God and for ourselves, is the Holy Spirit. We experience "the washing of regeneration" when He forgives us our sins; then the "renewing of the Holy Spirit" as we seek Him, submit to Him, and heed His direction every day. This enables us to live out God's plan for our lives. We are not saved by works but we are saved to do good works.
There is no shortage of the Holy Spirit. He has been poured out on us abundantly so that when sin abounds, grace can abound even more. The Holy Spirit is inexhaustible. It is only through Him that we can do the things that Paul suggests with regard to submitting to government authorities, exercising self-control and relating to other people in the Church. Living the Christian life is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, please renew me each day so I can live daily as an heir of eternal life. Amen.
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