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Being Born by the Spirit Foretold in the Old Testament?
(The New Birth)
| When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, in the 3rd chapter of
John, about the new birth, He seemed to imply that Nicodemus should know the scriptures
enough to understand the spiritual birth. |
"Art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these
things?" John 3:10b (KJV)
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| Surely the old testament prophets foretold of this spiritual newbirth.
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Looking first to Jeremiah 31:33 " But this shall be the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in
their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be
my people.
34 And they shall teach no more
every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall
all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will
forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
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| Ah, the glorious "new birth"
something not seen by outward appearance. Like the wind, we can't see where
its coming from or where it goes. It is in the inward man. The part we call
the heart. The true inner being of mankind. |
There is more in Jeremiah 32:39 "And I will give them one heart,
and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children
after them:
40 And I will make an everlasting covenant
with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in
their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."
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| This is also described by Ezekiel:
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Ezekiel 11:19 KJV And I will give them one heart, and I
will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and
will give them an heart of flesh:
20 KJV That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine
ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
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| Here we have an insight into the very heart of God
crying out to Israel. |
Ezekiel 18:31 Cast away from you all your
transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit:
for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that
dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
Ezekiel 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon
you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I
cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will
give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
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| We now turn to the Psalmist, David:
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Psalm 51;10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and
renew a right spirit within me. |
| We naturally can't conclude without prophet Isaiah.
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Isaiah 1: 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good
of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured
with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be
found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and
to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
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| A Cry for God's People Who are Called by His Name
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2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which
are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.
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The Way of Salvation
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John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is
not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
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| In both the Old and New Testament we see our God
calling people to His provided salvation.
Our God and Heavenly Father wants us to be
saved.
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Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto
you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
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Bible Study Index
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