Being born again (the "new birth") from the word
of God, is not primarily about never committing physical or moral sin; it is
about a new nature, identity, and rest in Christ — trusting Jesus as your
salvation rather than depending on your own performance.
Physical sinning does not annul the substitutionary
sacrifice of Christ nor invalidate salvation if one is genuinely born again
because of the spiritual reality and efficacy of Jesus' finished work.
Faith rest is a crucial concept that emphasizes resting in
Christ rather than striving through personal efforts or works. And this is what
so many fail to understand, that there is a faith rest that has nothing to do
with you struggling.
It has nothing to do with your performance.
As highlighted in
Hebrews 4:9, entering this state of rest means ceasing from one's own labors
just as God did. This understanding underscores that salvation is a gift of
grace, free from the need for human striving to gain God's approval.
This passage supports the truth that salvation is "faith
rest"; believers enter a rest that is not achieved by struggling, works,
or performance but by faith.
You don't have to do anything to try to impress God.
And as a matter of truth, you can't do anything at all to
impress him.
Goal of Being Born Again
The goal of being born again is not to eliminate sin or
shortcomings from our lives, as individuals will inevitably stumble while
living in a physical body.
For as long as you live in this present world, this present
physical body, you will sometimes stumble.
And this is just to say it mildly.
To make this clearer, let's look at this question.
Why did Jesus die?
Why did he die for us?
Was it to make us stop having shortcomings? Was that the
reason he died?
Jesus died not to prevent us from making errors, but to put
sin away through His sacrifice, affirming that our salvation is not dependent
on our actions. And what this implies is that sinning in the physical or moral
sense does not invalidate the efficacy of Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice, nor
does it invalidate or annul our salvation.
Thus, the efficacy of
Jesus' sacrifice remains intact regardless of our physical or moral failings.
That is the new birth.
Sin doesn't change it.
It doesn't make it any less potent.
You see, that you sin physically does not alter Jesus'
perfect finished work for you, nor does it change or invalidate the reality
that you are born again (if you are), any more than not sinning makes you
saved.
The salvation that Jesus' sacrifice provided for us is not
dependent on our individual actions or performances, such as not sinning.
Misconceptions About Sin
The belief that being born again hinges on not sinning is a
misconception propagated by religion, leading many to feel condemned and
powerless.
The lie, that not sinning is what makes them born again or
that not sinning is what helps them maintain their salvation or that being born
again is about them not sinning in the physical or moral sense.
And that if they sin physically, then they've lost
everything.
They've lost their salvation and that they have to start
afresh or unless they repent from their sins, they cannot regain salvation.
In reality, salvation is not maintained by personal efforts
or the avoidance of sin, but is entirely preserved by the power of God. While
believers may stumble, the desire to overcome sin mirrors the natural instinct
to recover from sickness, reflecting the truth that true repentance and a
longing for righteousness are inherent to a genuine faith.
So we now know, that being born again is mistakenly equated
with not sinning; a false teaching that causes many believers to doubt their
salvation when they stumble. This lie, propagated by Satan, leads to a lack of
assurance among Christians, making them feel they are no longer saved. However,
true believers will always desire to overcome their sins because their nature
reflects that of God, underscoring that stumbling does not negate their
born-again status.
What being born again produces
New nature and new desires: the new birth imparts a
new spirit/nature (the nature of Christ) that produces a genuine dislike for
sin — even when a believer stumbles, that new nature creates remorse and a
desire to repent and be freed from the habit.
Reactions to sin differ between believer and unbeliever:
a born-again person will want to come out of sinful acts (like a sick person
wanting healing), while an unbeliever will generally remain indifferent to such
sinning; this desire to turn away is evidence of the new nature.
Sin’s power is broken, not erased: the new birth
makes sin powerless as a barrier between the believer and God, but it does not
physically prevent all sinful acts while living in a fallen body and world.
Errors of religion and common misconceptions
Religion falsely teaches that not sinning is the criterion
for being born again; this leads many believers into ongoing condemnation and
lack of assurance when they stumble.
Such legalistic claims that a single sin nullifies salvation
is "religious" lies used by Satan to induce doubt and bondage — the
practical consequence being fear-driven performance religion and uncertainty
about salvation.
But the new birth grants believers a new nature that
inherently rejects sin, instilling a deep-seated dislike for sinful acts. Even
if one stumbles into sin, the desire to escape it and seek healing remains
strong due to the nature of Christ within them. Ultimately, being born again is
about recognizing one's new identity in Christ and relying on Him for strength,
making sin powerless and non-threatening to one's relationship with God.
The law vs. grace dynamic: under the Mosaic law
people still sinned (the suggestion is that law can function as a license to
sin), whereas grace does not authorize sin — grace rather changes the heart and
secures salvation by Christ’s work, not human perfection.
Trust Christ as your salvation, not merely as your Savior:
believers should rest in Christ’s finished work and stop relying on their own
efforts or sin-avoidance to maintain salvation.
When you stumble: look to Jesus, repent, and rely on
God’s sustaining power rather than entering self-condemnation — the right
response flows from the new nature (the inward dislike for sin) and from faith,
not from fear of loss of salvation.
Avoid religion-driven guilt: recognize the difference
between conviction that leads to restoration and legalistic condemnation that
produces doubt; use Scripture and the knowledge of being kept by God to combat
sin-consciousness.
Purpose of Christ's death: Jesus died to "put
sin away" by his sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26), addressing the root power of
sin rather than guaranteeing we will never err physically.
Being kept by God's power: assurance and preservation
of the believer come from God's power (1 Peter 1:5 is cited) rather than from
human effort to avoid sin.
Sickness analogy: sinning is compared to becoming
sick — no one wants to remain sick, and likewise a born-again believer will
want to be delivered from sinful habits; this illustrates the new nature’s push
toward recovery, not license to remain in sin.
Rest analogy: salvation is faith rest (Hebrews 4:9),
so maintaining assurance is resting in God's preservation rather than swimming
to keep oneself afloat by works.
Short answers to common questions raised
Does sinning mean I've lost salvation? No — stumbling or
erring in the flesh does not invalidate the efficacy of Christ’s
substitutionary sacrifice or cancel genuine new birth.
Is being born again a license to sin? No — the new birth
produces a dislike for sin and a desire to come out of it; grace does not
authorize sin.
If I sin repeatedly, am I still born again? Repeated
stumbling does not automatically mean loss of the new nature; the born-again
person’s consistent desire to leave sin and to look to Christ is a
distinguishing mark of genuine new birth
.
One-paragraph synthesis to memorize
Being born again is a transfer into a new nature, identity,
and destiny in Christ that secures a believer by God’s power and produces an
inner dislike for sin; it does not guarantee perfect physical behavior while
living in a fallen body, and occasional moral failings do not annul Christ’s
finished work or a genuine new birth — therefore assurance comes from resting
in Jesus as your salvation, not from performance or sinlessness.
Call to action:
If you struggle with assurance, rehearse that you are kept
by God's power and that the new nature inclines you away from sin; act in
repentance when you fail and look to Christ rather than to your performance.
Religion may suggest one is unaccepted, yet the gospel
assures acceptance as one is, prompting spiritual growth. Emphasizing the
distinction between trusting Jesus as Savior versus understanding Him as
salvation highlights the importance of dependence on Him alone rather than on
personal efforts.
Teach others the difference between legalism and gospel rest
so they are freed from fear-based religion and can live in confident trust in
Jesus as their salvation.
(A Prize
Chukwuka Teaching)
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