SAVED BY GRACE

October 11

Bible Reading: Titus 3

Titus 3:3-7, “For we were once foolish ourselves, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

It is commonly and erroneously assumed by most that people are saved through human or religious effort.  We tend, in sin, to over appreciate man’s goodness and under appreciate the degree of God’s holiness.  We are all born sinners (Romans 5:12, 3:23).  “No one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12).  No one is deserving of salvation.

Grace has commonly been defined as “unmerited favor.”  There are two elements to that definition.  There is the “unmerited” part.  No one is deserving.  There is the “favor” part.  In salvation, God imparts favor.  The full measure of God’s grace is better appreciated when we consider what we have received in view of what we deserved.

This passage speaks to both these aspects.  In a glorious revelation of that which has transpired in the life of the saved person, this passage speaks to both aspects of this.  There is a before and after aspect to the passage.  Verse 3 speaks to the “way we were.”  Verses 4-7 speak to the manifold blessings we have received.

The folks to which Paul was referring to were undeserving of salvation.  They were foolish and disobedient.  They were ignorant of the truth.  They had foolishly denied their Creator and lived in a state of rebellion (Psalm 53:1; Romans 1:20-21; Colossians 1:21).  They had been led astray.  “The devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” was having his way with them (Revelation 12:9; Ephesians 2:2).  They were enslaved to “various passions and pleasures” wasting their days away in malice and envy.  They were hated by others, and hating one another.  There was nothing in them or about them that could deem them worthy of salvation.  They were lost sinners without God and without hope.  What was true of them is true of all in sin.  As the hymn puts it, “Guilty, vile and helpless we.”

These folks had heard the gospel and had responded to it by trusting in Jesus.  At the moment of saving faith, they became recipients of God’s grace that was manifested in them in various ways. 

In his “Systematic Theology,” Lewis Sperry Chafer speaks of the “thirty-three stupendous works of God which together comprise the salvation of a soul.”  He explains: “They are wrought of God; they are wrought instantaneously; they are wrought simultaneously; they are grounded on the merit of Christ; and, being grounded on the merit of Christ, are eternal.”

Lewis Sperry Chafer

Some of these works of grace are referred to in this passage.  This passage refers to some of these works of grace, emphasizing that they indeed constitute God’s “works of grace,” as seen in the statement “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness” (Titus 3:5). By grace, believers are born again and made new in Christ. They are cleansed from sin, filled with the Spirit, declared righteous before God, and given an inheritance. None of these blessings were deserved.  They can be traced back to their source — “the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7) and the ministration of Christ, who because of His grace, “became poor, so that (we) by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

How incredibly blessed we are as recipients of such grace!  We should shrink back with dread from the temptation to take any credit for that which God has done in saving us.  We are indeed God’s trophies of grace, displayed before all that they might behold the “immeasurable riches of his grace” (Ephesians 2:7).

“And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story—Saved by grace.”

Wonderful grace of Jesus,
reaching the most reviled,
by its transforming power
making me God’s dear child,
purchasing peace and heaven
for all eternity,
for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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