Titus 3:4-6 – But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Christianity has a variety of different cultures that may emphasize different truths as well as use different terminology to say the same things. One example of this is the terminology for revival. Some use the term revival while others use the term renewal and still others may go with the phrase awakening. These words can sometimes be used interchangeably but often times reveal the theological leaning depending on the term that is used. Today’s verse uses the word renewal and clearly makes the difference apparent between regeneration and renewal. Regeneration refers to the new birth or born again experience where the term renewal is something that happens or should happen repeatedly. Renewal is the work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life to make spiritual realities new and alive in their lives. Here is how Vine’s New Testament Wordbook defines renewal.
“Anakinosis is a renewal, the adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon the life; in Titus 3:5, where “the renewing of the Holy Spirit” is not a fresh bestowment of the Spirit, but a revival of His power, developing the Christian life; this passage stresses the continual operation of the indwelling Spirit of God; the Romans passage stresses the willing response on the part of the believer.”
So how does this term apply to our daily walk with the Lord? Once we are born again we begin to become aware of the spiritual world and our need to grow spiritually. Spiritual growth happens primarily in our lives through the combined effect of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in our lives. I often experience the renewal of the Spirit in my private devotional times when soaking my mind in God’s Word and worshipping and praying in the Holy Spirit. This is my daily activity that allows the work of God to deepen in my life. On top of that I need to spend time around the body of Christ. It is in that atmosphere of the Spirit found in congregational worship that I find the most powerful place of renewal.
