I agree. The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit comes after one places faith in Jesus Christ.You could not find even one OT verse that explicitly talks about regeneration happening in OT times. That proves my point, thank you.
If the Spirit of God was already in people washing and regenerating them
- Why would God promise in Ezekiel 36:25-27, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."
- Why would God promise in Joel 2:28, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions."?
- Why would John the Baptist say, "He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" if it was a common occurance?
- Why would our Lord say to the people during the festival of booths, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."?
- Why would our Lord cry "out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." And why would the Apostle John follow up what our Lord was meaning by writing, "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39)
- Why would Jesus tell the disciples, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees-recognizes Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you". (John 14:16-17)
- Why would Jesus tell the disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you". (John 16:7)
- Why would our Lord tell the disciples, "behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you" and then instruct the disciples to "stay in the city until they are clothed with power from on high"?
- Why would Peter testify to the Jewish crowd, "This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing." (Act 2:32-33)
- Why would Peter say to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”(Act 2:38-39)
The answer is quite simple, the Spirit of God was with the Jewish people not in them. The Apostle John mentions this in John 7: 39 and our Lord did too in John 14:7.
And Nicodemus being a teacher of Israel was rebuked by the Lord for not already knowing the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit was necessary to see the Kingdom of God. Why did the Lord rebuke him? Because of the prophecies of the spiritual blessing in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Joel. If he understood those promises of God and the period when they would occur as stated by Joel, Nicodemus would not have questioned the Lord but worship Him as the promised Messiah.
I could continue but is is redundant to do so. It is quite evident that the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit came after Jesus died, resurrected, and gave the Holy Spirit to those who place faith in Him.
God Bless