Does the Hadith "The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin" mean that a person who repents from a sin is equal to one who never committed that sin at all and strived in obedience to Allah?

This phrase is a hadith (definition) narrated by Ibn Majah from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin." Its meaning is that his sins are erased as if he never committed them in the first place, and it does not mean that he is equal in virtue to one who has never sinned. Indeed, the repentant person may become in a better state than before the sin due to repentance, remorse, and an increase in acts of obedience and seeking forgiveness. Sincere repentance makes the servant like one who has no sin, but this does not mean equating him with the infallible. Ibn al-Qayyim discussed whether the repentant person returns to his previous state, or becomes better, or worse.