Why Doesn’t the New Birth Come by Works?
In the scriptures we find that works are not the means by which a person is born again. Scriptures that make this clear are found in several places. A few are given here.
(Titus 3:5) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
(Eph 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {9} Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(Rom 4:4-5) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. {5} But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
These scriptures are clear relating to the fact that the New Birth does NOT come by the means of a work or a deed. Works are those things that a person performs. Works are acts of performance. A person is utterly without the ability to deliver their own soul by their own abilities. There is nothing that they can do for their self, by means of performance, to enjoy the New Birth. What then has God set in order that mankind can be born again? We find this answer in Roman 4:16.
(Rom 4:16) Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.
Here we find that it is by faith that it might be by grace. God has ordered creation in such a way that He can offer gifts to man by the means of grace. In His plan, we find that in order for gifts to come by grace, they would have to be received by faith. This is where we find man’s part in receiving grace from God. Man must exercise faith in order to find grace. One of the best descriptions of this is found in the Acts.
(Acts 17:27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.
Notice that it is for the individual to feel after and seek after God. Hence, the person must not only believe that God is but that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. This is proven in Hebrews.
(Heb 11:6) But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
If one will find the grace of God to be born again, they must do so by faith without any confidence in performance what so ever. Let’s be careful to rightly divide the Word of Truth.