In Titus 3:5 the Apostle Paul writes, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us …”

The language of “saved” and “salvation” is the language of rescue. Imagine for a moment that you are on the Titanic. The ship has gone down, and you are floundering in the icy waters of the Atlantic. Then a rescue ship appears and pulls you out of the freezing water, and now you are safely onboard, warm and dry.

From your point of view, you might say, “I got saved.” But from the captain’s point of view, he would say, “I saved you.” This is the point of view Paul pr...