The Regenerating Power of the Spirit

Titus 3:5-6 says, “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”. Paul tells Titus the washing of regeneration and renewal came to us through the person of the Holy Spirit, whom God poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ. 'Washing' describes our baptism into Jesus Christ - our identifying with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection - which is spiritual, but we commemorate this with the outward, visible sign of water baptism which speaks of an inward cleansing from the old flesh.

Regeneration is an important theological term which simply means rebirth. It was Jesus who told Nicodemus:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Of course, Nicodemus couldn't grasp the idea of a grown man being back inside the womb and being born a second time, so Jesus clarifies in John 3:5-8:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Jesus here seems to be using similar language that Ezekiel uses in chapter 36, to describe the work God will do in the new covenant of grace:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

The dead, stony heart will not be reformed or improved; it will be replaced! This new heart will not be hardened or dead but soft and alive. God will put His own Spirit within us and then cause us - enable us - to walk circumspectly in obedience. One of my favorite verses that show us this in real-time is with Lydia, the wealthy fashion designer who sold a lot of purple:

The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message (Acts 16:14 NIV).

Lydia's heart was opened, and she responded. That is because the Spirit regenerated her, bringing her to spiritual life.

Paul tells Titus we were saved when the Holy Spirit made us alive and continues to make us new - and He was poured out richly upon us. Look at Titus 3:6 - that phrase Paul uses "poured out" - describing the Spirit - is actually the fulfillment of a great OT promise, in:

Joel 2:28

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;