Notes from Linda:
12/1/22: I just found out that most of the commentaries on the Bible Study Tools website are no longer free. That's where most of the quotes that appear on the "Verse of the Day" and "Previous Verses" pages of my website are taken from, so from now on, many of the "Source:" links that I provide on those pages will not contain the quoted text.I was disgusted to read about the organization's new "PLUS" membership, and the only thing I can say about it is that the Bible has this warning in 1 Timothy 6:10 for the owner of Bible Study Tools: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
____________________
8/8/21: Something is wrong with my Christian forum. Everything seems to be working normally (i.e., the articles are there, and the links work), but for some reason, the forum's format has changed slightly, and I am currently unable to post anything new.
I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully, the problem is only temporay and will be fixed soon.
* * * * *
Note: Additional "Verse of the Day"
Bible verses can be found here:
Current Month
Previous Months and Years
Note: Additional "Verse of the Day"
Bible verses can be found here:
Current Month
Previous Months and Years
Notes from Linda:
12/1/22: I just found out that most of the commentaries on the Bible Study Tools website are no longer free. That's where most of the quotes that appear on the "Verse of the Day" and "Previous Verses" pages of my website are taken from, so from now on, many of the "Source:" links that I provide on those pages will not contain the quoted text.I was disgusted to read about the organization's new "PLUS" membership, and the only thing I can say about it is that the Bible has this warning in 1 Timothy 6:10 for the owner of Bible Study Tools: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
____________________
8/8/21: Something is wrong with my Christian forum. Everything seems to be working normally (i.e., the articles are there, and the links work), but for some reason, the forum's format has changed slightly, and I am currently unable to post anything new.
I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully, the problem is only temporay and will be fixed soon.
* * * * *
Note: Additional "Verse of the Day"
Bible verses can be found here:
Current Month
Previous Months and Years
Note: Additional "Verse of the Day"
Bible verses can be found here:
Current Month
Previous Months and Years
"Verse of the Day"
Bible Verse(s)
Bible Verse(s)
Today
November 16-18, 2025
We're Saved Through Faith, Not Works
In this letter, the apostle Paul was (and is) writing to born-again Christians:
Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness [or 'Not through good deeds or because of the good things'] which we have done, but according to his mercy [kindness and compassion] he [God the Father] saved us [from hell and the lake of fire] [Ephesians 2:8-9], by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost [i.e., through spiritual rebirth, or the process of being 'born again,' whereby we are cleansed from sin and become innocent, righteous, and new 'creatures' in God's sight (2 Corinthians 5:17)];"
Titus 3:6: "Which [referring to the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit] he [God the Father] shed [poured out, like rainwater] on us abundantly [plentifully, indicating a daily 'renewing of the Holy Ghost'] through Jesus Christ [the Son of God, who is also] our Saviour [Savior];"
Titus 3:7: "[God saved us so] That being justified [freed from sin, declared righteous] by his grace, we should be made heirs [of his, which means we should be adopted into the family of God] according to the hope of [having] eternal [never-ending] life [in heaven]."
"And this work of salvation which He [God] has wrought [brought about, produced] in us if we are Christians, was not because of any works that we had done in righteousness. It was not deserved in any way. It simply resulted from His [God's] compassion and mercy. And it was through 'the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit'. This does not mean that it was outwardly through baptism and inwardly through the Holy Spirit. That is totally to misunderstand the picture. (How we love to bring baptism in when water is mentioned as though water was never used for anything else. Even in a context like this we still have to keep God under our control). It is a picture drawn from the Old Testament where the coming of the Holy Spirit was likened to the pouring out of rain from above, washing the earth and regenerating it … And the result was to be life and fruitfulness. It was to be the renewal of the Holy Spirit which had been so long awaited.
"Alternately the washing of regeneration may have in mind the Old Testament examples of the washing away of sin (not defilement [uncleanness]) … where it is a picture of the removal of sin, not of a ritual washing. The new birth washed away all [of] their [the people's] old sins and their old ways … and they became new creatures in Christ Jesus … In this case the regeneration is seen in terms of the positive removal of their sin, not of ritual washing.
"All [of] the Gospels [i.e., the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] emphasise [emphasize] that it was a prime [main, most important] ministry of Jesus, to drench [wet thoroughly, soak, or (in this case) totally immerse] men in the Holy Spirit [in other words, he wanted them to be filled to overflowing with God's presence] … And it is this work of Jesus that Paul is describing here, a work that began while He was on earth … continued in the Upper Room [i.e., the place where Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples--see note below*] … flowered at Pentecost [i.e., the day the Christian church was 'born'--see note below**] … and has gone on ever since [then], a work that takes place in men and women [and children] when they hear the Gospel and truly believe …
"In fact baptism is never described as 'washing' (Acts 22:16, the only possible exception, is debatable). It is always seen as an indicator of life from the dead through the Holy Spirit. Nor did ritual washings in the Old Testament ever cleanse ('you shall not be clean until the evening' was the constant refrain [referring to a statement that was repeated frequently]). They simply washed away earthly defilement [impurities] so that men could then reach out to God, and Peter makes clear that that is not what baptism is all about … What baptism does of course signify is the working of the Holy Spirit, picturing it in terms of the heavenly rain. The Christian is baptised [baptized] as a picture of what has happened to him [during the 'new birth' (i.e., at salvation, when he was 'born again')], and as an act of his resulting total commitment to [Jesus] Christ as his Lord."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/pet/titus-3.html, "Pett's Commentary on the Bible," "Verse 5")
"The story of Pentecost describes the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, 50 days after his resurrection. As they gathered in a house, a sound like a mighty wind filled the room, and tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them, causing them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in different languages. This event, described in Acts Chapter 2 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202%3A1-15&version=KJV], is considered a pivotal moment, often called the 'birthday of Christianity,' as it empowered the disciples to begin preaching and is the origin of the Christian church.
"Key events of the story
"• The setting: About 120 followers of Jesus, including his mother Mary, were gathered in a house in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which is also known as Pentecost.
"• The wind: Suddenly, a sound like a 'mighty rushing wind' came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting.
"• The fire: Divided 'tongues as of fire' appeared and rested on each person's head.
"• Speaking in tongues: All were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
"• The crowd's reaction: People from various nations who were in Jerusalem for the festival heard the commotion and gathered, stunned to hear the disciples speaking in their own native languages.
"• Peter's sermon: The Apostle Peter addressed the amazed crowd. He explained that this was a fulfillment of prophecy and that Jesus, whom they had crucified, had been raised to life, exalted by God, and had sent the Holy Spirit.
"• Repentance and baptism: Hearing this message, many in the crowd were deeply moved and asked what they should do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized, and about 3,000 people did so that day.
"• The birth of the church: The event is seen as the birth of the Christian church, as the followers dedicated themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, and prayer."
In this letter, the apostle Paul was (and is) writing to born-again Christians:
Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness [or 'Not through good deeds or because of the good things'] which we have done, but according to his mercy [kindness and compassion] he [God the Father] saved us [from hell and the lake of fire] [Ephesians 2:8-9], by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost [i.e., through spiritual rebirth, or the process of being 'born again,' whereby we are cleansed from sin and become innocent, righteous, and new 'creatures' in God's sight (2 Corinthians 5:17)];"
Titus 3:6: "Which [referring to the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit] he [God the Father] shed [poured out, like rainwater] on us abundantly [plentifully, indicating a daily 'renewing of the Holy Ghost'] through Jesus Christ [the Son of God, who is also] our Saviour [Savior];"
Titus 3:7: "[God saved us so] That being justified [freed from sin, declared righteous] by his grace, we should be made heirs [of his, which means we should be adopted into the family of God] according to the hope of [having] eternal [never-ending] life [in heaven]."
_______________
If you're not yet saved (from hell) and want to become a born-again Christian, you'll find detailed instructions in the "Printable Gospel Tracts" section of my website. Here's a direct link to that page: https://www.mansioninheaven.com/PrintableGospelTracts.html.* * * * *
Some Bible commentators think that the phrase by the washing of regeneration in Titus 3:5 refers to baptism, but others do not. This is what Peter Pett said in his commentary:Note: Most references in the following quote have been omitted.
"'Not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he [God] saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,'"And this work of salvation which He [God] has wrought [brought about, produced] in us if we are Christians, was not because of any works that we had done in righteousness. It was not deserved in any way. It simply resulted from His [God's] compassion and mercy. And it was through 'the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit'. This does not mean that it was outwardly through baptism and inwardly through the Holy Spirit. That is totally to misunderstand the picture. (How we love to bring baptism in when water is mentioned as though water was never used for anything else. Even in a context like this we still have to keep God under our control). It is a picture drawn from the Old Testament where the coming of the Holy Spirit was likened to the pouring out of rain from above, washing the earth and regenerating it … And the result was to be life and fruitfulness. It was to be the renewal of the Holy Spirit which had been so long awaited.
"Alternately the washing of regeneration may have in mind the Old Testament examples of the washing away of sin (not defilement [uncleanness]) … where it is a picture of the removal of sin, not of a ritual washing. The new birth washed away all [of] their [the people's] old sins and their old ways … and they became new creatures in Christ Jesus … In this case the regeneration is seen in terms of the positive removal of their sin, not of ritual washing.
"All [of] the Gospels [i.e., the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John] emphasise [emphasize] that it was a prime [main, most important] ministry of Jesus, to drench [wet thoroughly, soak, or (in this case) totally immerse] men in the Holy Spirit [in other words, he wanted them to be filled to overflowing with God's presence] … And it is this work of Jesus that Paul is describing here, a work that began while He was on earth … continued in the Upper Room [i.e., the place where Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples--see note below*] … flowered at Pentecost [i.e., the day the Christian church was 'born'--see note below**] … and has gone on ever since [then], a work that takes place in men and women [and children] when they hear the Gospel and truly believe …
"In fact baptism is never described as 'washing' (Acts 22:16, the only possible exception, is debatable). It is always seen as an indicator of life from the dead through the Holy Spirit. Nor did ritual washings in the Old Testament ever cleanse ('you shall not be clean until the evening' was the constant refrain [referring to a statement that was repeated frequently]). They simply washed away earthly defilement [impurities] so that men could then reach out to God, and Peter makes clear that that is not what baptism is all about … What baptism does of course signify is the working of the Holy Spirit, picturing it in terms of the heavenly rain. The Christian is baptised [baptized] as a picture of what has happened to him [during the 'new birth' (i.e., at salvation, when he was 'born again')], and as an act of his resulting total commitment to [Jesus] Christ as his Lord."
(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/pet/titus-3.html, "Pett's Commentary on the Bible," "Verse 5")
* * * * *
*"What is the meaning and importance of the Last Supper?" is answered in the GotQuestions.org article by the same name. If you want to read it, click here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Last-Supper.html.* * * * *
**According to the AI overview in Google:"The story of Pentecost describes the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, 50 days after his resurrection. As they gathered in a house, a sound like a mighty wind filled the room, and tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them, causing them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in different languages. This event, described in Acts Chapter 2 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202%3A1-15&version=KJV], is considered a pivotal moment, often called the 'birthday of Christianity,' as it empowered the disciples to begin preaching and is the origin of the Christian church.
"Key events of the story
"• The setting: About 120 followers of Jesus, including his mother Mary, were gathered in a house in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which is also known as Pentecost.
"• The wind: Suddenly, a sound like a 'mighty rushing wind' came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting.
"• The fire: Divided 'tongues as of fire' appeared and rested on each person's head.
"• Speaking in tongues: All were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
"• The crowd's reaction: People from various nations who were in Jerusalem for the festival heard the commotion and gathered, stunned to hear the disciples speaking in their own native languages.
"• Peter's sermon: The Apostle Peter addressed the amazed crowd. He explained that this was a fulfillment of prophecy and that Jesus, whom they had crucified, had been raised to life, exalted by God, and had sent the Holy Spirit.
"• Repentance and baptism: Hearing this message, many in the crowd were deeply moved and asked what they should do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized, and about 3,000 people did so that day.
"• The birth of the church: The event is seen as the birth of the Christian church, as the followers dedicated themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, and prayer."
* * * * *
The GotQuestions.org article relating to today's verse is called "What is the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5)?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/washing-of-regeneration.html.
In case you're wondering, before adding my comments
in brackets to the above verse(s), I usually refer to Bible
commentaries by Albert Barnes, Matthew Henry, John Gill,
and others (which can be found online) and try to summarize
what they say. For verses from Proverbs, I also refer to the
Bible study notes written by Jim Delany, pastor of Salem
Bible Church. Word definitions are taken from online
dictionaries (including Bible dictionaries).
* * * * *
Note: The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters and is full of wisdom.
It's been suggested in the past that Christians should get in the habit
of reading one chapter from Proverbs each day, corresponding to
the date of the month. I think it's a great idea and have decided
to follow that advice. The chapter for today is posted below:
Proverbs Chapter 16
1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.in brackets to the above verse(s), I usually refer to Bible
commentaries by Albert Barnes, Matthew Henry, John Gill,
and others (which can be found online) and try to summarize
what they say. For verses from Proverbs, I also refer to the
Bible study notes written by Jim Delany, pastor of Salem
Bible Church. Word definitions are taken from online
dictionaries (including Bible dictionaries).
* * * * *
Note: The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters and is full of wisdom.
It's been suggested in the past that Christians should get in the habit
of reading one chapter from Proverbs each day, corresponding to
the date of the month. I think it's a great idea and have decided
to follow that advice. The chapter for today is posted below:
Proverbs Chapter 16
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
11 A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work.
12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.
15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.
30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.
31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.