Renewing of the Holy Spirit
Renewing of the Holy Ghost
Titus 3:5 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;
Washing and renewing
The Holy Spirit’s workings in our lives are brought together in an interesting way in this verse. The word regeneration is used only twice, the word renewing is used only five times and the word washing is used three times. (Jn 13:10). All three of these are involved in our salvation and applied to us by the Holy Spirit for eternal purposes.
Washing
The word washing is used here and in Eph 5:25-26 where Jesus refers to it in regards to the word. Jesus said that He would cleanse the church, His bride, by using the word. Jesus also spoke to the disciples about the word in regard to cleansing (Jn 15:3), Peter also alluded to the word (1 Pet 1:22). Often when we think of cleansing we think of sanctification and Jesus says the word is instrumental in this (Jn 17:17).
In this passage Paul uses it in regards to our initial salvation as Peter does in 1 Pet 1:23 alluding to Jesus’ words to Nicodemas in Jn 3.
Regeneration
Regeneration is also only used twice in the NT and means birth again and refers back to Jesus’ declaration of needing to be born again to even understand about the kingdom. Washing of regeneration could be literally translated as “washing of restoring to a pristine state”. The only other place regeneration is used is Matt 19:28 where He has in mind the re-making of this earth at the kingdom. This tells us that when we are saved the regeneration and washing is a total cleansing of our sins and past – being justified.
Renewing
The word renewing is used five times in the NT – Rom 12:1-2; Eph 4:23; 2 Cor 4:16; Col 3:10. Renewing in Titus means a complete change for the better; in the other passages the same idea is seen but in variation of meaning. Renewing and regeneration are so close in meaning you could translate the verse: the Holy Spirit’s bath of regeneration and renewing. However, as we look at other passages relating to our salvation experience, we see the Scriptures indicate two separate actions or works of the Spirit – Heb 10:16; 1 Cor 2:16. The Holy Spirit makes us new and with the abiding presence of God’s Spirit, we now are said to have a new mind, the mind of Christ, in the capacity to think Christianly and Godly, but this does not mean we do nothing – we are to purposely and actively pursue the renewing of our thinking and reasoning by the transforming and informing power of God’s word.