ISB ~ Titus 3 v5

he saved us:Salvation springs entirely from the mercy and grace of God. It is not an achievement on our part or a payment rendered for services. Apart from grace, even our most heroic efforts to please God fall short of his glory and his plan for our lives (Rom 3:23). Both the faith to believe in Christ and grace to live the gospel are undeserved gifts (Eph 2:8; Phil 1:29). Only after God has bestowed these gifts can we begin to please our heavenly Father through a lifetime of service and good works (Tit 2:14; Eph 2:10; Heb 11:6) (CCC 1996-2002).