Recently I wrote a blog discussing when the eleven disciples were born again. See here. I suggested that three were born again at the very start of Jesus’ ministry in John 1. And an unstated number of other disciples came to faith at the wedding of Cana (John 2:11). But we know that all were born again before the end of His ministry since Jesus said that they were all clean (John 13:10; 15:3).

That blog led to this question by John:

I read your article on when the Eleven were born again and was just curious. Since they didn’t receive the Holy Spirit until Pentecost, wouldn’t that technically be the point they were born again? If they had died prior to the cross, wouldn’t they have gone to Abraham’s bosom in anticipation of the promised redemption? Can someone be “born again” prior to receiving the Holy Spirit?

I’ve completed an article on assurance after watching a video of John MacArthur answering a woman’s question about it, where he pointed toward her works and desires as evidence instead of asking her if she had heard the gospel and believed, which I believe should be our only foundation for assurance.

There is some confusion regarding the new birth prior to Pentecost. The reason is that people assume that the situation which exists today always existed. So, if people today receive the permanent indwelling of the Spirit when they are born again, then no one was born again before Pentecost. That is because believers first received the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

But the book of Acts indicates that prior to Cornelius in Acts 10, people were born again before they received the Spirit. Compare Acts 8:12-17. Philip led Samaritans to faith in Christ and baptized them. But they did not receive the Spirit until Peter and John came and laid hands on them.

John also asks where believers went who died before Pentecost. According to Luke 16:19-31, believers who died prior to the cross went to the good part of Hades, where Abraham was. We know that the thief on the cross was with Jesus in Paradise, that is, the good part of Hades, after they both died.

Jesus rose on the third day. But when did He take the believers from Hades to the third heaven?

The answer is not Pentecost. Jesus took all believers out of Hades ten days before Pentecost, when He ascended into the third heaven.

Look at John 3:16. Whoever believes in Jesus has everlasting life. When did that become true? It did not become true after Jesus said that. It was true then. But when was it first true? It was true in Gen 3:15 and the first gospel proclamation. Adam and Eve likely came to faith in Christ for everlasting life on the very day that they fell. Abraham was surely born again (cf. Gen 15:6; John 8:56; Rom 4:1-5) as well, though the expression used is was justified.

According to John 3:17, to be saved in a spiritual sense is to have everlasting life (v 16).

If the OT saints were not born again before they died, then they died unsaved and spiritually dead. But if they were spiritually dead when they died physically, then they would have remained that way (John 5:39-40). A person cannot be born again after he has died.ⁱ

I like to use the acronym RIBS in order to remember the work of the Spirit at the moment of faith. RIBS stands for Regeneration, Indwelling, Baptizing, and Sealing. Prior to Pentecost, all believers were regenerated and sealed. Between Pentecost and Cornelius, believers were regenerated and sealed, but indwelling and being baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ occurred after the new birth.

I very much agree with the questioner John about assurance. Our certainty of our eternal destiny is not found in our works, which are imperfect. Assurance is found in believing the promise of everlasting life that the Lord Jesus makes to all who believe in Him.

I hope that helps, John. Good questions.

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i Unless, of course, the person who died was a child under the age of accountability or someone without the mental capacity to understand and believe in Christ. Such people could gain everlasting life after death, either by living out their natural life during the Millennium and coming to faith then or by God simply giving all of them everlasting life.