You are born again when you stop sinning
There are billions of professed Christians on earth today. How many can say that they no longer willingly disobey God—ever? How many people do you know who can say that they are without sin? How many can truly say they no longer desire to do evil? And yet, this is what it means to fully submit to God. This is what it means to be born again.
Sin is the choice to do less than you know is best.1 Sin requires that you know what is better2 and that you have the power to choose it.3 Therefore, sin is always a choice.4 Repentance is not a question of willpower. It is a question of value, honesty, and trust in God. Anytime you improve these things, you will move towards repentance.
You will choose to stop sinning when you believe that following God’s example is preferable to anything else. Whenever you are tempted to sin, stop and ask yourself if you really believe in Jesus. Do you really believe that everything he tells you is for your greatest benefit? Do you really believe that he loves you and knows better than you what will lead to the greatest possible joy? If so, how can you desire to do anything contrary to what you believe he would do in your place? The Lord will provide you with a stream of sufficient evidence that his way is preferable to all others. As you continue to live up to what he has already shown you, he will continue to confirm the wisdom of doing so.5
This change of heart is fundamental. Why should anyone expect to draw nearer to the Lord while in active rebellion against him?6 Should those who have not been born again call themselves Christians?7 After all, while they continue to willfully disobey God, they do not actually believe in Jesus,8 have not been converted,9 and have not been saved.10
Those who are born again do not sin.11 They do not knowingly deviate from their understanding of how Jesus would live in their place.12 They always think, feel, and do the best they know.13
Footnotes
- 1. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17) ↩
- 2. ...where there is no law given there is no punishment....For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them.... (2 Nephi 9:25-26) ↩
- 3. And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free. (Helaman 14:30) ↩
- 4. Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. (2 Nephi 10:23) ↩
- 5. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17) ↩
- 6. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18) ↩
- 7. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10:38-39) ↩
- 8. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do; ( 3 Nephi 27:21) ↩
- 9. And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3) ↩
- 10. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved. (2 Nephi 10:24) ↩
- 11. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:8-9) ↩
- 12. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. (1 John 3:5-6) ↩
- 13. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29) ↩