3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Titus 3:3-8
These are among my favorite verses. They give the whole gospel.
We were lost. No matter to what extent we were guilty of the sins listed, we are all guilty enough to be lost without hope of reforming, much less of making ourselves righteous before God as He is righteous (and as He demands).
Jesus kindly and lovingly and mercifully saves us. God appears, seemingly out of nowhere. He saves us because of Christ’s righteous works, since we have none. God, through the generous outpouring of the Holy Spirit, gives us new lives. He declares us righteous in Christ and makes us joint heirs of eternal life with Christ.
Our response—and it is a response, never the cause of salvation—is (a) to hear the gospel of grace over and over, never tiring of it, and (b) to live a changed life of righteousness in grateful obedience.
The gospel is indeed good and profitable to men!