In defence of the traditional view of 'new birth'.

I am asking: is there any scriptural justification for extrapolating backwards from the time of Christ, to declare that Old Testament saints were actually [u]born again[/u]?

[i]Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
[b]Born to give them second birth[/b]

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

Charles Wesley[/i]

In another thread, KingJimmy opened his post with this sentence.

[b][i]'Noah wasn't merely a preacher of righteousness, he was righteous, and found favor with God. If God declares you righteous, you cannot help but become born again, no matter what dispensation you were born under.'[/i][/b]

As Noah was before Abraham, Moses and the Law, it seems Paul may have summed up the basis of his righteousness in [color=003366]Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.[/color]

What say ye all?

Excellent post, Ginnyrose!

Permit me to ask the question [devils advocate here] If the Blood of Jesus alone redeems and one believes that, why is the issue of "born again" placed into the equation as we suppose it is for salvation? In this I am assuming Nicodemus was justified by his faith in God, per Romans 5.1 with peace with God still something he could not enjoy since the cross needed to happen. Had he died before hand, that peace would not have been actualized for him to benefit. I hope I am being clear in my question. Please think this through before answering to consider that the Blood, cleanses mankind from the sin [penalty] of Adam's transgression. Is it necessary for something to indwell us, for that to be *"actualized"?

*Two words I use a lot for making distinctions: "reality" and "actuality". They require pondering.