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.² Sin requires that you know what is better³ and that you have the power to choose it.⁴ Therefore, sin is always a choice.⁵ 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.⁷⁴⁴

This change of heart is fundamental. Why should anyone expect to draw nearer to the Lord while in active rebellion against him?⁷⁴⁵ Should those who have not been born again call themselves Christians?⁷⁴⁶ After all, while they continue to willfully disobey God, they do not actually believe in Jesus,⁷⁴⁷ have not been converted,⁷⁴⁸ and have not been saved.⁷⁴⁹

Those who are born again do not sin.⁷⁵⁰ They do not knowingly deviate from their understanding of how Jesus would live in their place.⁷⁵¹ They always think, feel, and do the best they know.⁷⁵²