Robin said:
Since the only way New Testament believers are sanctified was "with might by His Spirit in the inner man (Eph 3:16)" it follows that believers in the Old Testament were sanctified in the same way.
Since justification is (and always has been) by faith which is the gift of God by which Christ dwells in our hearts (Eph 3:17), why would it be different under the Old Testament? We look back in time with faith to the Cross, while the Old Testament saints looked forward with faith to the Cross. But the faith itself, the gospel, the God Who justisfies and sanctifies both groups has always done so by faith. Indeed neither saving faith nor sanctification is possible except by the Spirit's indwelling presence.
Could we say that NT saints are in a greater "dispensation" of the Covenant of Grace (to use the language of Charles Hodge.) Every NT believer receives the fullness of the Spirit at conversion. In the OT, saints were regenerate, but not filled with the Holy Spirit (the Spirit was not their other Helper.) The Scriptures seems to point out that the prophets, kings, the skilled workmen that built the tabernacle were special recipients of the Holy Spirit in the OT.
How would we explain these Scriptures?
John 14:15-17 ESV "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (16) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, (17) even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Were the disciples regenerate at this time? I think so. Yet, Jesus told his disciples that they knew the Holy Spirit since He dwelled with them, but in the future would be in them.
John 7:37-39 ESV On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (38) Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" (39) Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Here, Jesus affirms that the Holy Spirit had not yet been given in some sense. Were there no regenerate individuals there at the time? I think there were. If so, this should point to a future blessing that comes about as a result of the death of the Son of God.
Act 1:4-5 ESV And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; (5) for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
The disciples were regenerate. But there was a special promise that was to be given to them.
How else may we interpret these Scriptures? (This is a serious question.)
Blessings,
Kevin
