Titus 3:5, "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." 1. HE Salvation begins with God. The glorious subject of this verse is none other than the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. "He"--the eternal, omnipotent, all-wise, and perfectly holy God--has taken the initiative. It was not man who sought God, but God who sought man. Left to ourselves, we were "foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved" (Titus 3:3), utterly without hope. But God, in His infinite mercy and loving-kindness, moved toward us. This great act of salvation is not the product of man's desire, decision, or deeds--but of God's own purpose and grace. "Salvation comes from the Lord" (Jonah 2:9). He alone is the Author and Finisher of our faith. What a humbling truth: the One most offended by our sin, is the very One who provides the remedy. 2. SAVED What a word! Not helped. Not improved. Not rehabilitated. But saved! This is a strong word that speaks of deliverance from danger and destruction. In the biblical sense, it is a rescue from the wrath of God, from the penalty of sin, from eternal damnation. Salvation is no minor adjustment to our behavior or character--it is a radical deliverance from guilt, corruption, and condemnation. And what is the cause? "Not because of righteous things we had done." No amount of good works, religious rituals, or moral efforts could ever earn this salvation. It comes because of His mercy. Grace flows from mercy. Mercy is God's heart of compassion toward those in misery and ruin, and grace is the action that flows from it--redeeming, restoring, and raising us from death to life. To be saved, is to be made a new creation in Christ