Q089_060126 John 3:3 What Is It To Be Born Again?Q089_060126 John 3:3 What Is It To Be Born Again?
How it Happens with Colin Cook
Colin Cook explains what it means to be born again, linking this idea to grace, faith and life in The Kingdom Of Christ. He challenges performance-based religion and encourages trusting that reconciliation with God is already given, even in the middle of addiction, fear and struggle.
14:37•1 Jun 2026
Born Again Without Earning It: Colin Cook on Grace, Faith and New Life
Episode Overview
- Being born again is presented as simply believing the good news about the kingdom of grace, rather than achieving a pure heart first.
- Colin contrasts Adam’s kingdom of sin and death with Christ’s kingdom of righteousness and life, received by faith.
- Repentance is described as turning from the belief that you still belong to Adam’s kingdom and accepting that you are already in The Kingdom Of Christ.
- Listeners are urged to stop begging God for acceptance and instead thank him that reconciliation and peace with God are already given in Christ.
- Giving thanks in all circumstances, especially in worry, fear and guilt, is offered as a practical way to live as someone who is born again.
“"Do not strive to be born again. Do not say, I've got to repent of every sin and surrender every sin to be born again."”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? In this episode of *How it Happens with Colin Cook*, the focus shifts to what it means to be “born again” and why that matters if you're wrestling with alcohol, drugs, food, sex, or relentless worry. Colin takes a straight-talking, scripture-soaked approach, drawing heavily on Romans Chapter 5 and John 3:3.
He contrasts the "kingdom of Adam"—marked by sin, guilt, shame and fear—with "The Kingdom Of Christ", where grace, peace with God and a new identity are already given, even while someone still feels weak, ungodly or like an enemy of God.
As he puts it, "Being born again is receiving the gift of faith to believe what Paul and others have said… about the kingdom of God." Rather than piling on pressure to clean up every sin first, Colin challenges the idea that only a pure heart qualifies for new birth. He argues that many people are "striving to be born again" and turning repentance into a new kind of law that blocks them from God.
His alternative is simple but demanding: stop begging God for what has already been given and start thanking him for it, especially in the middle of anxiety, temptation and financial or health worries. You’ll hear practical language you can use in your own prayers, such as thanking God for his presence in the very moments you feel most panicked or ashamed.
With a touch of humour—"Do you think a baby has to be trained on how to be born again?"—he keeps a serious subject from feeling heavy or complicated. If you’ve ever thought, "I can’t be born again until I fix myself," this teaching might gently blow that idea apart. Could simply trusting that you already stand in the kingdom of grace change how you face your addiction today?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.