Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

What an excellent verse to let us know that no one can work for their own salvation.  “Not by works of righteousness which we have done…”  How does the Lord view the works of the unsaved when they are trying to earn their salvation by their good works?  We read in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”  Unrighteous people CANNOT produce righteous works!  What an insult to the Lord for someone to reject His free gift of salvation and try to work for their own salvation. 

If we cannot work for our salvation, then how can we be saved?  As we just read, “according to his mercy he saved us.”  It is the mercy of God that allows us to be saved.  We read in 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which ACCORDING TO HIS ABUNDANT MERCY hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  The Greek word for mercy can also be translated as ‘compassionate’.  We read of the Lord in Psalm 103:8, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”  Our compassionate God does not want anyone to perish in Hell for eternity, so He sent His Son into the world to give Himself as sacrifice for our sins.  We cannot save ourselves, but the Lord can…and He will when we accept His free gift of salvation by putting our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.  We are told in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” 

You asked about regeneration and Titus 3:5 says it is “by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

REGENERATION – This “washing of regeneration” has nothing to do with water baptism.  Where water baptism is a washing of the body (Read Romans 6:3-6), this washing has to do with a moral cleansing through the Word of God.  When one receives Christ as their savior, they are made completely new.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  The word ‘regeneration’ signifies a spiritual rebirth…a NEW creature in Christ where all things become new.  The Lord Jesus spoke of the permanence of this regeneration when He said, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is CLEAN EVERY WHIT: and ye are clean, but not all.” (John 13:10).  When one is born again (regenerated, made new), he need not ever be washed again.  This act of regeneration is permanent and never needs to be repeated.  The Lord spoke of the permanence of our salvation in John 10:28, “And I give unto them ETERNAL LIFE; and they shall NEVER PERISH, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

RENEWING OF THE HOLY GHOST – It is the work of the Spirit of God (Holy Ghost) to bring about this incredible regeneration.  The Lord Jesus, prior to His crucifixion, spoke to His disciples of the Holy Spirit whom He would send.  He said in John 16:13-14, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”  It is the working of the Spirit in our hearts that will bring us to Christ and teach us of Him through the study of the Word of God.  It is said of the Spirit in Titus 3:6, “Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”  This shows that ALL believers on the Lord Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.  We read in Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”  (CC)  (581.2)