Part 2

"Believing" includes trusting in Jesus to guide us in the way of salvation. Jesus tells us that “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16a) However, many people believe baptism is a work of ourselves and to require this of salvation is to somehow earn our way into heaven. But what do the scriptures say…

Titus 3:5-7 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of generation and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The apostle Paul tells us that God saved us, "not on the basis of deeds", which are works of our own righteousness, but He saved us "according to His mercy". And how did He save us? "...by the washing of generation and renewing by the Holy Spirit".

Now let's compare what Paul wrote with what Jesus said during His ministry…

John 3:3-5 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

The word "washing" is from the Greek word "baptizo", which is also translated as "baptism". The word "generation" or "regeneration" is from the Greek word "paliggenesia", which is translated as "new birth" or "born again". The "washing of generation" is "baptism"… there is little argument among scholars about this translation. Notice how Jesus explains being "born again" as the same as being "born of water and the Spirit"… while the inspired apostle Paul affirms what Jesus taught when he explains being “born again” as the "washing of generation and renewing by the Holy Spirit".

We compared what Paul wrote vs. what Jesus wrote... let's now compare how Paul again affirms what he previously wrote. When Paul wrote to Titus he explained... Titus 3:5(a) “He saved us, not out of works of righteousness that we did,” Then he wrote to the Philippians …

Philippians 3:9 And be found in Him, not having my righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God based upon the faith.

Paul explains how we are found "in Him" (in Christ). To Titus he wrote "not out of works of righteousness that we did". To the Philippians he wrote "not having my righteous which is of the Law". Paul affirms twice how the works we do for salvation are not of ourselves. Then Paul tells us how the works we do are... "through the faith of Christ"... and "the righteousness which is from God based upon the faith."

Clearly "believing" and “baptism” are not works of ourselves whereas we earn our way into heaven. Both are "works of God" and according to His mercy. These works of God that we are commanded to obey are how we are "justified by His grace". (Romans 3:24 and Titus 3:7).

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In Christ,
brother Sonnie

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'