WERE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS BORN AGAIN BEFORE JESUS CAME?

This is a topic that can be easily misunderstood. I once heard a preacher teach his congregation that the law was to be kept perfectly in the Old Testament times. 

One would think that God encourages absolute external religion in the Old Testament times. But do they have to keep the law perfectly? If that’s the case then no one was saved in the Old Testament times. Furthermore, can God have two ways of saving mankind, or is it just through the Cross of Christ?

However, this article will prove that Old Testament saints had to be born again before they can be saved. Also, we’ll discover how the Cross applied to them before Jesus came.

THE CALL TO BE BORN OF GOD

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 ESV

Jesus seriously warned a man to be born again or born of the Spirit (John 3:6). He was speaking to an Old Testament theologian who was surprised at this idea. 

However, during the period of Jesus’ life on earth, God’s people were plagued with false teachings and practices. The Pharisees had taught the people external religion and they believed that they can attain salvation through the works of the law. 

This was the belief of Nicodemus when Jesus told him that he needs to be born again before he can see the kingdom of heaven. Nicodemus was oblivious to this concept but Jesus questioned his ignorance 

“ Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things”? John 3:10. But the question is, is this teaching foreign to the Old Testament?

THE CALL TO SEEK GOD

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. Deuteronomy 10:16 ESV

In his final message to the Israelites, from the book of Deuteronomy, Moses urged the people to seek God with all their hearts. 

Furthermore, Moses commanded the Israelites to internalise the law, as a result, it will affect their minds, wills and that of every area of their lives (Deuteronomy 6:6, 11:8, 32:46). 

Hence, the context for this circumcision was for the people to be loyal to God so that they will not wander away from God (Deuteronomy 11:16). Also, this will prevent them from repeating the failures and wickedness of their parents.

They should not harden their hearts or live a life of unbelief. Israel should fear and worship the Lord of the universe who chose them to be His special people. This was the conditional nature of the covenant relationship Israel had with God (Deuteronomy 11:26-28).

It’s important to note that deliverance precedes obedience. God delivered them from slavery in Egypt before the law was instituted at Sinai. Therefore, the grounds for obedience to the law was based on God’s grace (Exodus 19:5-6, 34:6-7).

Prior to Abraham’s physical circumcision, God commanded Abraham to walk before Him and he obeyed (Genesis 17:1-13). Years later, his trust and obedience were confirmed with covenant blessings (Genesis 22:16-18)

Similarly, his descendants were commanded to be obedient to God. As a result of their loyalty in which they should fulfil their side of the covenant stipulation, it therefore results in covenant blessings (Deuteronomy 11:16-23). 

Despite, the Patriarchs failures and their descendants, God still fulfilled His covenant promises as this was the unconditional nature of the eternal covenant.

The Mosaic Covenant was not exclusively external but spiritual in that it’s a religion that is internal and comes from the heart (Matthew 5:27, Romans 7:14, Psalm 51:10).

Physical circumcision was an external demonstration of the true spiritual circumcision. However, this act is beyond human comprehension.

THE NEW HEART THAT LOVES GOD

And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV

Circumcision of the heart is the work of God in the human heart. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus that it’s the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8). Therefore, the new birth was done by the Spirit of God without taking up residence on Old Testament saints (John 7:39).

The result of this operation is the ability to perceive and know God (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). Interestingly, God didn’t indwell believers in the Old Testament but lived amongst them. The presence of God was in the place of worship which was the tabernacle and later temple. 

God’s people attended worship at a specific location to be in His presence (Deuteronomy 12:5). It is the way that God blesses and transformed His people’s hearts (2 Kings 8:57-58). They were able to grow and rejoice in God through His Spirit amongst them. They had to be in His presence in the temple (Psalm 73:17, 2 Kings 19:14-19).

Centuries later, Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke of the added blessings of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27). The New Covenant promised by Jeremiah had a spiritual divine dynamic that results in everyone that know God will benefit and participate in the blessings of salvation.

The age of the indwelling of God’s Spirit on all believers began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). New Testament believers are privileged to be anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit to leave a holy life and offer spiritual sacrifices to God (Ephesians 1:13).

Old Testament saints were saved through being born again or having a circumcised heart. Most importantly, an Old Testament believer cannot keep the Torah without a circumcised heart. So also, the New Testament believer must be born again to be able to obey the commandments of Christ. It's important to note that not all Israelites were born again or have a circumcised heart.

THE ETERNAL WORK OF CHRIST FOR ALL THE SAINTS

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. Romans 3:25 ESV

The wisdom and grace of God was captured in the Old Testament sacrificial system. Amazingly, it was a temporal system to deal with sin but also a pointer to the Lamb of God. 

Therefore, it gives the people access to have a relationship with Yahweh. Nevertheless, every convicted sinner has to be pardoned through faith in the blood of the Lamb.

It was through the cross of Christ that both Old and New Testament saints were saved. God’s promise of His Son was the guarantee that will later vindicate His righteousness through Christ.

Those who are regenerated are the ones who put their faith in Christ. Isaac, Jacob, Moses and others were looking forward to their saviour by faith (Hebrews 11:26-28).

Also, as the Apostle Paul wrote that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Hebrews 4: 1-3). Therefore, Abraham’s physical circumcision was a sign of his spiritual circumcision of the heart (Hebrews 4:10-12).

In the final analysis, the circumcision motif has an external and physical aspect to it as well as an internal and spiritual aspect. Hence, every child of God was born from above. Were Old Testament saints born again before Jesus came? Yes.

Lastly, the saints of the old dispensation never had the indwelling of the Spirit except for those with special office that the Spirit rested upon.