Old Testament New Birth

by Scott Price

"...Except a man be born again He cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

    Many have say that there was no such thing as regeneration by the Holy Spirit (or the new birth, quickening) in the Old Testament times. How can this be? How could a person in the Old Testament dispensation who is void of spiritual life have the ability to exercise true faith? Does man have a potential to be able to work up true faith from within himself, then or now? Is man wise enough in his totally depraved state to do that, then or now? Is the idea of sinful man needing the new birth only a New Testament idea, as if the Old Testament folks were not quite in such a need of it? Were the people in the Old Testament times in a better spiritual condition when they came out of the womb? It is obvious for anyone who has even an elementary knowledge of Bible doctrine to see that the Old Testament people were in need of being born again just as much as people in our day. Here are some reasons why that are related to the New Birth or need of it:

#1) Mankind is in the SAME spiritual shape from the womb since the time of the sin of Adam to the present.

In Romans 5:12 ".. by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." John makes this clear in John 1:5 "And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not."

#2) Mankind was not righteous, he did not spiritually understand, did not seek God, and was not good, from the sin of Adam to the present.

Romans 3:10-12 says "As it is written (in the Old Testament in Psalm 14) There is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God They are all gone out of the way, they together have become unprofitable; there is none good, no not one."

Isaiah 64:6 says "But we are all an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..."

#3) Mankind has always not met the God's standard from the sin of Adam to the present.

Psalm 39:5 says "....every man at his best state is altogether vanity."
Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Jeremiah 13:23 says "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard change his spots? Then ye may also do go that are accustomed to do evil."

#4) Mankind has always needed God to choose him and the Spirit of God to cause him to come to God from sin of Adam to the present.

Psalm 65:4 says "Blessed is the man whom the thou choosest, and causeth to approach unto thee....."

#5) Mankind has always had a need for the love of God, in Christ, from the sin of Adam to the present.

Jeremiah 31:3 says "....I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness I have drawn thee."
Jeremiah 10:23 says "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."

#6) Mankind has always been in need of a new heart (mind) to know God from the sin of Adam to the present.
Jeremiah 24:7 says "And I will give them a new heart to know me, that I am the LORD.."

    These are only a few examples of the scriptural testimony of the need of being born again at ANY point in history, Old Testament days or today. The gospel is the means that God uses to bring His people to himself. If you are in need of Him, hear His gospel until you really hear it with a spiritual ear that only He can give. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17