Wrong, Saul was made a new man, David was given a new heart after God's own heart, all those whom God anointed of His Spirit were born again inwardly and circumcised in the heart. If being born again of God's Spirit only happened after the cross, then why did Jesus expect the Pharisee Nicodemus to know this truth before the cross?
John 3:1-10 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
[SUP]2 [/SUP]The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
This is a very open question. It rests on what it means to be born again.
Some hold being born again is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Luke 2:26
I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
John 17:6
Knowing Christ is a revelation of God to a person. That person does not need
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be spoken to in this way.
Being born of the Spirit is probably what all the believers in God have had happen
to them throughout history. The difference appears to be the intimacy at pentecost
was empowering of the Kingdom through the Holy Spirit which was not there before.
We are born sheep, we do not become sheep.
God speaks to our hearts and we follow.
Those not following but who have heard the words are not His sheep.
On the mountain of transfiguration Moses and Elijah appear. If they were not born again,
how did they have such a communion with God? How is it possible to be part of the
Kingdom unless the shadow reality was as important as its realisation.
If you say the cross is the ultimate expression of Christ love and acceptance of man
and payment for sin, then even before this demonstration you can be saved through
knowing God, repenting of sin, confessing it and walking in faith in His ways.
It is possible because it is the love and acceptance that saves us, not just its demonstration.
The whole reason for the temple etc was to work towards the demonstration, because it is
working out for us who God is and how he works that is what saves us.
The sacrifice matters, but it is illogical. Why blood, why a lamb, why so intimate, why so
perfect? Because it all draws us to a deeper place within ourselves, so we can know God
speaks here, we need to drop the defences and submit and accept and let love out and let
love in. The gospel is a mystery and also simple and also profound.
The more you look the more the walk with Israel is the walk with ourselves.