Titus 3:4-8 English Standard Version
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 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, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
While pondering the issues of what we must do to be saved I discovered these passages that is the gospel in a nutshell. Nutshells protect the seed inside and make it difficult to expose to contamination.
Paul has written so much about behaviors in the early church and laying out the foundational behaviors for us to help one another, we can get bogged down in the miry clay of our lives together.
The simple answer to what we must do to be saved is to trust and believe. That is simple, so simple that it does not explain all that God has done to assure our salvation to eternal life. The basic principles are all here in the opening passages.
In verse 8 Paul says “I want you to insist on these things”. These things that need to be insisted upon are what God has done and has nothing to do with us beyond trust and belief. Devotion to good works has nothing to do with our salvation and yet some will want to link good works to salvation. Note Paul says “who have believed” past tense, a thing done.
These things are excellent and profitable for other people, not ourselves. We have already received mercy and grace and now are allowed to extend it to others in need.