The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Regeneration Difference between O.T. & N.T.

My views are not based on personal deductions, however, I mentioned David only as an example, not from where I got my conclusions. Did the Spirit convict David of his sin, or was it necessary for someone to point it out to him? I can't speak for others, but if I even inadvertently tell a half truth, I'm cut to the heart, how is it possible for one to fall so far if the Spirit dwelt within him? (I know in man, any depth of sin is possible, but it would be hard to kick that hard against the goads). That aside, since that isn't the place we get our doctrine, I have some additional statements to make.

I think the whole point of the O.T. is being missed. It was the presence of God in the midst of Israel. Their relationship with God was much different than ours. They had the outer workings of God. Yes, God worked internally various times in different people, but there was never a permanent indwelling, a sealing. God was with them through His Temple presence. It was through the Temple that they knew Him, and worshipped Him.

If you want to mention Abraham, He also spoke with God, God revealed Himself to him. God is not limited in what He can reveal to man, these individuals saw or spoke with God, we don't meet God in that manner today, we have His indwelling instead, not earned, but given to whoever according to His own good pleasure.

If the Spirit worked the same in all, O.T. and N.T., then Adam and Eve died for basically a very short time then were made alive shortly afterwards. That's just weird. I'm saying this tongue in cheek, "sin isn't as horrible as I thought it was". When they were cast from the garden, they were cast from God's presence. Not only did they die spiritually, but they lost their personal relationship with God. They could only come to God through sacrifice, but until the perfect sacrifice, they did not have the union of the Spirit we have today. God then withdrew His presence for an extended period of time and the result was that every thought of man was wickedness. There was no relationship with God and God flooded the earth.

Another thing, What was the prophet Ezekiel talking about if they had the Spirit already? If you say that it was a better or more complete Spirit, then God isn't any longer unchanging, which is contrary to scripture.

Ezekiel 11:9 "And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,

I'm sorry but I can't agree with you concerning your view of the indwelling of the Spirit before the cross. It doesn't harm the crucial beliefs of the faith, just we have different views of how God worked before the Cross and after the Cross.

Try to separate the two testaments in your thinking, and try to see how God was present in each case. I'm not asking you to agree with me, I'm only trying to get you to look at it from a different angle.