If the Holy ghost is always with us or in us. What is the washing all about, and are we being regenerated every day? My question is coming from this portion of scripture in Titus 3:5 part (B) per say. Where it states He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. I want to add I really appreciate the help in understanding the scriptures.
Hello Keron. I believe this verse, Titus 3:5, speaks to us of a one-time act of the Holy Spirit. As you read from verse 4, we can understand that "the kindness and love of God our Saviour" continues onto verse 6, "Which (Love - that Love of God) he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour", with verse 5 being parenthetical between verses 4 & 6.
So Paul is writing about God's Love poured out to us through His Son; & to receive His Love & appropriate it in our lives, the work of His Holy Spirit has to be involved. This work cannot be done by us ("Not by works of righteousness which WE have done", v5), but can only be done & done perfectly by the Holy Spirit. So the rest of verse 5 tells us that the Spirit washes us (our hearts) clean to give us a regenerated life, & also renews us (giving us His Spirit, Acts 10:45, that we can & should 'from henceforth no longer live for ourselves but to live for Christ'). All this simply cannot be done by our volition or power - only by the Spirit & Power of God.
Some folk believe that the "washing of regeneration" pertains to the regenerative act being accomplished when one is water baptized. And this alludes to the 'laver (basin) of washing', i.e. water baptism for whence comes the full regenerative work in a believer. I don't subscribe to this & Scripture doesn't support an extra act to complete regeneration, which would mean something done that is added to saving faith, which then negates the real meaning of 'faith'. Rather, I think of Paul, who also writes about the Church in Ephesians 5:25-27, that not only individually, but also corporately (the Church) whom Christ loves by sanctifying & washing it with the water by the Word, so that she might be presented spotless & faultless in that day. Here we see the same author (Paul), using water as a metaphor of purifying the Body of believers, just as His Spirit washes our individual hearts clean from all past sins & filthiness that once separated us from God.
So Paul is writing about God's Love poured out to us through His Son; & to receive His Love & appropriate it in our lives, the work of His Holy Spirit has to be involved. This work cannot be done by us ("Not by works of righteousness which WE have done", v5), but can only be done & done perfectly by the Holy Spirit. So the rest of verse 5 tells us that the Spirit washes us (our hearts) clean to give us a regenerated life, & also renews us (giving us His Spirit, Acts 10:45, that we can & should 'from henceforth no longer live for ourselves but to live for Christ'). All this simply cannot be done by our volition or power - only by the Spirit & Power of God.
Some folk believe that the "washing of regeneration" pertains to the regenerative act being accomplished when one is water baptized. And this alludes to the 'laver (basin) of washing', i.e. water baptism for whence comes the full regenerative work in a believer. I don't subscribe to this & Scripture doesn't support an extra act to complete regeneration, which would mean something done that is added to saving faith, which then negates the real meaning of 'faith'. Rather, I think of Paul, who also writes about the Church in Ephesians 5:25-27, that not only individually, but also corporately (the Church) whom Christ loves by sanctifying & washing it with the water by the Word, so that she might be presented spotless & faultless in that day. Here we see the same author (Paul), using water as a metaphor of purifying the Body of believers, just as His Spirit washes our individual hearts clean from all past sins & filthiness that once separated us from God.
Thank you and may the Lord continue to bless you.
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