Is faith enough? Born-again & overcoming are necessary

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Baptism and the rebirth of man are not merely formal matters. True conversion entails real changes, and these are absolutely necessary for overcoming this world.

After rebirth comes overcoming

Man’s redemption from certain death because of his sins is by the grace of God. Neither good intentions nor good deeds can save a person from the death they deserve. The justification by Jesus Christ is a pure, undeserved gift. It is righteousness by grace based on faith, not righteousness by works. Anyone who has internalized this statement, emphasized repeatedly in the Gospel, is nevertheless in danger of falling victim to another misunderstanding. And this, in turn, despite (imperfect) faith, still misses the justification by Jesus Christ.

The robe of justice covers

In the Gospels, the righteousness of Jesus is often symbolically depicted as a “white robe” or “garment of white linen.” Humans cannot put on this “white robe” of righteousness themselves. Only Jesus Christ can do that. It is His righteousness that is bestowed upon humankind. This possible and unfortunately widespread misunderstanding lies in the idea that this robe of righteousness is simply put on humankind. In the sense that Jesus’ robe covers sins and outwardly, sinful humankind appears righteous.

This is precisely not the case. For, as in all other things, God is straightforward, does not do things by halves, and does not patch things up. Before Jesus Christ puts the robe of righteousness on the former sinner, the old robe of sin must already have been removed.

Shed the old dress with rebirth

God doesn’t paint over stains (sins), but rather removes them. The garment of righteousness isn’t placed over the stained garment of sin, but the person who precedes it stands “naked,” like a newborn, in this case, a born-again person. And this connection is also described with the term “born again” (Info).

Many believe that one simply believes in God, in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, gets baptized, and that’s the end of it. One’s previous life can simply continue as it is, since one experiences grace through faith and is thus redeemed. This is a mistake! For rebirth is the death of the old person, and rebirth is the birth of the new person—the person who, after being reborn, walks in faith and obedience to God.

The born again stands naked

A truly born-again person stands naked before God after their conversion. The sins of previous lives are not whitewashed, but washed away. They no longer cling to the person, and for this reason, this newly born-again person also stands without sin. However, the life to come does not consist of simply continuing one’s previous sinful way of life, only to confess it regularly in prayer and ask for forgiveness—a seemingly never-ending routine. This routine, however, only leads somewhere—but not to justification by Jesus Christ, and certainly not to sanctification. The future life must not consist of confessing habitual sins over and over again, but rather of staying away from all sin.

Overcoming is keeping the Commandments

However, anyone who concedes at this point that fallen mankind is incapable of keeping God’s laws (Commandments) should also be aware that with this claim they are joining forces with the great adversary. For this is precisely one of his accusations: that mankind cannot keep the laws and that God “is unjust.”

Commandments can be honored

Are the Ten Commandments truly impossible for humans to keep? To do this, one must first be aware of one’s own fallen state. Humans truly cannot accomplish anything reasonable on their own, especially not something that would be pleasing to God. However, for those who are truly born again—that is, those who stand firmly in faith in Jesus Christ and bear His testimony—keeping the commandments is not an act of “mighty overcoming.” For the Holy Spirit performs this work. It is the power of God, and this by grace.

The apostle John put it in a way that was easy to understand, 1. John 5:3:
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

Jesus Christ summed up the 10 commandments in “love of God and love of his neighbor”, as in Luke 10:27:
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

This is not an abolition of the 10 commandments, but their summary, or the logical consequence. Of course, those who love God do not worship anything or anyone else. Those who love God do not slander His name either. Those who love God also keep His fourth commandment, the Sabbath. (Exodus 20:8-11). The principle also applies to fellow human beings. Those who love their neighbors do not steal, cheat, defame, discredit or murder them, nor take their belongings or spouse. Therefore, the 10 Commandments also describe the character of God, because He is love, is faithful and just.

Jesus Christ’s statement in John 14:15 is therefore all too logical:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

The keyword is: Overcoming

A truly born-again person, in their true faith, strives to be as like as possible to the character of Jesus Christ. They will obviously not be able to achieve this, for even a born-again person is still inclined to sin in the flesh. It remains a lifelong struggle between spirit and flesh (Galatians 5). However, the human being’s striving is in the heavenly realm, with his constant gaze fixed on Jesus Christ. The key word for the born-again person, too, is “overcoming.” Jesus Christ himself overcame, as he himself said, in John 16:33:
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

It is therefore important not only to overcome sin, but everything that represents a superfluous and therefore usually harmful passion. Peter gave the reason why in 2 Peter 2:19:
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”

Overcoming sin as well as all other harmful influences cannot be achieved by humans alone, but with the help of God through His Holy Spirit. So in 1 John 4:4:
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

and also in 1 John 5:4:
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

Jesus Christ himself also emphasizes the necessary overcoming, as in Revelation 3:21:
“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Here Jesus Christ clearly shows how enormously important overcoming is, namely the overcoming that He himself has shown.

The practice showed overcoming & purification

In the gospel there are some “practice examples” that clearly indicate that true faith also includes overcoming sin.

overcoming sin

A woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus Christ by the Pharisees and scribes to set a trap for Him. How should one proceed with this woman, because she actually deserved her stoning? Jesus Christ then said the well-known saying: “He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone”. The Pharisees and scribes then disappeared. All the accusers were gone. Jesus Christ did not accuse the woman either and said to her: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more!” (John 8:11)

This scene alone includes Jesus’ grace and also the law in force. “Sin no more!” is the clear command of Jesus Christ. In other words, the sins are to be overcome.

The immediate cleansing upon born-again

The cleansing from sins immediately with the new birth shows the healing of a leper in Matthew chapter 8. A leper was considered unclean and could not even be touched. Impurity is also a symbol of sin. A leper came to meet Jesus Christ and asked Him for help: “Lord, if you want, you can cleanse me! Jesus Christ didn’t have to be asked twice and answered: “I want; be cleansed!” The leprosy was gone instantly, instantly. Man was “cleansed.”

This also shows that the born-again of man is not a purely formal matter, but causes an actual change in man.

Already described in the Old Testament

The new birth, which is presented in clear words in the New Testament, was the sanctuary doctrine for the people of God in the Old Testament based on the tabernacle or its temple. The altar of burnt offering (repentance, remorse) in the forecourt is immediately followed by the washing basin (cleansing of sins, baptism, rebirth). Only then did we go into the tent, i.e. into the sanctuary, after the rebirth.

The first baptism, the “initial baptism” of the people of Israel, took place by crossing the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:2).

Summary:

The forgiveness of sin is not just a mere declaration of righteousness, but actually a liberation. Sin is not painted over, it is removed. Therefore, the depiction of superiority of the robe of Jesus’ righteousness over sin-stained robe is misleading. The stained and wrinkled dress must be discarded. Nothing is painted over, it is only exchanged.

Jesus Christ certainly does not place His garment of righteousness on any person who has clung to his sin, for that sinner knew what he was doing. As Paul explained to the church in Corinth, 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.“

The born-again experiences total change

True faith in the gospel and rebirth lead to a total transformation of a person’s heart and actions, with the help of the Holy Spirit. The result is not constant repentance due to continually committed (old) sins, but rather keeping oneself away from all sin.

The born-again person can also fall into sin again, a “slip-up.” But where sin has filled the measure, the grace of Jesus overflows. Those who are truly born again certainly do not understand this as a license, but rather strive to sanctify themselves unfailingly, with their eyes on Jesus Christ. The godless person and half-baked believer fail to achieve this, but the truly born-again person does. With God’s help, for what Jesus Christ began, He will also complete.

Change, or rather, the removal and filing away of all bad character traits, doesn’t happen, or only rarely, at the push of a button. God knows best what is ideal for each individual and what path is necessary. Humanity’s constant waiting, hoping, pleading, and begging, despite the lack of visible change, is a clear demonstration of faith. Abraham and Jacob (later Israel) also experienced this.

Jesus’ words sum it up completely:

Bible verses from King James Version

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