Born Again in the OT?

[HamletsChoice]

I think the elect of the OT were born again, wanted to see the thoughts of this group. If you say no, if you don't mind pls elaborate as to how you think they were saved.

 

[McWilliams]

"Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness". Yes, they were born again I believe!

 

[ghs1994]

I don't know that folks in the OT were born again. I don't even know if any of them were saved. Was their righteousness enough to save them, or did they have to wait for Christ to die and raise again from the dead in order to have life? If the Spirit brings forth life and the Spirit was not indwelling folks in the OT, but merely empowering them for a time, I don't know if their spirit was made alive by the Spirit or not. Maybe someone can shed a bit of light on this. I have some idea of what I believe, but never studied it in depth concerning OT folks and salvation.

 

[Erinwilcox]

I think the elect of the OT were born again, wanted to see the thoughts of this group. If you say no, if you don't mind pls elaborate as to how you think they were saved.

I believe that they were saved! David was a man after God's own heart. The elect in the OT truly loved God and God loved them.

 

[HamletsChoice]

I believe that they were saved! David was a man after God's own heart. The elect in the OT truly loved God and God loved them.

But were they born again?

 

[McWilliams]

I don't know that folks in the OT were born again. I don't even know if any of them were saved. Was their righteousness enough to save them, or did they have to wait for Christ to die and raise again from the dead in order to have life? If the Spirit brings forth life and the Spirit was not indwelling folks in the OT, but merely empowering them for a time, I don't know if their spirit was made alive by the Spirit or not. Maybe someone can shed a bit of light on this. I have some idea of what I believe, but never studied it in depth concerning OT folks and salvation.

Actually people before Christ were saved exactly like we are, by placing their faith in Christ! They looked forward to that day as we look back to the cross and resurrection! There were many saved and godly people in the OT!

 

[battlepig]

If they were not born again, there would not have been a single faithful or righteous man in the whole OT. A man must be born again before he can even start his spiritual walk. Surely men like abraham, david, moses, elijah etc were born again?

 

[janny108]

I think the people in the OT had the spirit upon them, before Jesus came to earth. AFter he died, it was possible to believers to have the spirit within them. People in the OT could lose the spirit upon them.

Jan

 

[Imblessed]

I don't know that they were "born again" in the sense that we are, since the Holy Spirit did not dwell within them like he does us, but they were certainly saved; by looking forward to Christ.

However, I don't think any of them went to heaven at death until Jesus died and was ressurected. I believe they went to Abrahams Bosom...and that is where Jesus went when it was said that he desended into "hell" to preach to the souls and take them to heaven.

my .02 cents worth....

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

Yes. All in the Old Covenant, that were saved, were saved just as we are today.

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3)

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Gal. 3:6)

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.(James 2:23)

In Christ,
Kenith

 

[HamletsChoice]

Yes. All in the Old Covenant, that were saved, were saved just as we are today.

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3)

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Gal. 3:6)

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.(James 2:23)

In Christ,
Kenith

I think there is general agreement that the OT saints were saved. The question before us is were they born again by the Holy Spirit?

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

I think there is general agreement that the OT saints were saved. The question before us is were they born again by the Holy Spirit?

Yes. Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus is telling here. What did He say "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? " Jesus believed Nicodemus should have known that you had to be born again (circumcised heart).

In CHrist,
Kenith

 

[mlqurgw]

I think the elect of the OT were born again, wanted to see the thoughts of this group. If you say no, if you don't mind pls elaborate as to how you think they were saved.

The Gospel was first preached by God in Gen. 3:16 and typified in God clothing Adam and Eve in the skin of a slain animal. It continued in a progressive way to be revealed throughout the Old Testament and culminates in Isaiah 53. We know that Job looked for and to a Redeemer.

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

We are also told in Gal. 3:8 that the Gospel was preached to Abraham. So yes the saints of the Old Testament were saved in the same way we are and that would include being born again. They would have been just as the rest that did not see in the sacrifices the type of Christ. While they did not have as clear a view as we they did understand that the Redeemer was coming.

 

[HamletsChoice]

Yes. Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus is telling here. What did He say "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? " Jesus believed Nicodemus should have known that you had to be born again (circumcised heart).

In CHrist,
Kenith

Exactly! Paul then followed that up with this:

• GAL 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
• GAL 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

It's so interesting to see that God saved His elect in all ages by the new birth by His Spirit with faith in Christ. We have been so inundated with dispensationalism today and all its baggage of different ways of salvation in different ages that I think we have lost sight of the unity of Scripture and salvation in Christ that is taught in God's Word.

 

[ghs1994]

Maybe it's a question of where they were and not so much being born again? Were they in the presence of the Lord or were they seperated from God until Christ rose? Is Abraham's bosom heaven as we know it or was it some other type of alternate.....??????? Is there a difference between the heaven we will know and the comfort they knew? I only ask because of what's written in Hebrews 11 concerning OT saints. See what it says and let me know what you believe that to be.

 

[JM]

How does Joel 2 and Acts 2 play into this idea that the OT saints were born again? Is Spirit Baptism different then being born again?

 

[HamletsChoice]

How does Joel 2 and Acts 2 play into this idea that the OT saints were born again? Is Spirit Baptism different then being born again?

Yes, the Spirit regenerated the Apostles and they were saved before Pentecost and He abided with them. At Pentecost He lived in them.

The Holy Spirit “abided” with the elect, Israel and the disciples since creation and now He was going to “be in the elect.”

• JOH 14:16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
• JOH 14:17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

 

[reformedfan]

in Psalm 51 David asked that God not take away the Holy Spirit from him, so clearly they had the same treatment we do: faith in Christ justifies after regeneration of the Spirit, (Which Ezek told of in um...like ch 37 or someplace)

 

[HamletsChoice]

in Psalm 51 David asked that God not take away the Holy Spirit from him, so clearly they had the same treatment we do: faith in Christ justifies after regeneration of the Spirit, (Which Ezek told of in um...like ch 37 or someplace)

The OT Prophets did have the Holy Spirit indwelling in them. Ezek and Isaiah referred to the day when all the elect would have the Holy Spirit indwelling in them.

 

[reformedfan]

The OT Prophets did have the Holy Spirit indwelling in them. Ezek and Isaiah referred to the day when all the elect would have the Holy Spirit indwelling in them.

since the HS is nec for regeneration, which is essential for a person's salvation & the ontological (or economic, whichever deals with the attributes) nature of the HS, specifically immutability, all believers had to have the HS in them, not jes the prophets, not just NT & beyond saints. Unless you are proposing that OT people weren't dead in their sins, that is....