>
> I declare an illegal procedure of failure to acknowldge the
permanence
> of the spirit even in the Old Testament elect.
>
Why should I.  You have presented no evidence of the fact.  What of
Sampson, just as a clear illustration.  He was certainly "set apart"
and "called" specifically by God.  Yet the Spirit did not permanently
indwell him.
>
> Not enough men on the field -- when in fact David and Abraham were
> examples of faith that same faith through the same spirit that
imputed
> our righteousness.  The elect fathers of faith join us in sharing the

> promises that were spiritually real.
>
It seems as if you have not often tread this ground of arguing for
homogeneity in the context of our discussion.
>
In Jn 7:37-39 Jesus gave important instruction concerning the Spirit.
Emphatically He describes the Spirit's circumscribed activity in the
old economy with the words: "The Holy Spirit was not yet [given]."
Prophetically, He discoursed concerning the Spirit's coming at
Pentecost to perform individually and corporately during this age His
various ministries of regenerating, baptizing, indwelling, sealing, and
filling.  This advent of the Spirit might be described, using our
Savior's expression by way of contrast, as "The Holy Spirit is now
[given]."  The new ministry of the infilling with the Spirit Christ
graphically pictures as "rivers of living water" flowing out of the
believer's innermost being, and elsewhere as a "well of water
springing up into everlasting life" (Jn 4:14).  This is NOT the OT
picture of the Spirit and the believer, especially, ALL believers.

	n the Upper Room discourse Jesus further elaborates on the coming,
character, and mission of the Spirit and especially of His permanent
indwelling.  His intercessory prayer for oneness of believers (Jn
17:21) is answered in the baptizing work of the Spirit at Pentecost,
and throughout this age.

Also to note, salvation is linked to the covenant relationship in that
one of the positive declarations of the character of OT salvation was
linked with the fruits of the Abrahamic covenant relationship.  This is
the personal righteousness which God imputed to all those who believed
God even as Abraham believed God.  It is certainly evident that the
salvation of the OT saint falls behind that of the NT believer.
Nevertheless, a positive declaration of the OT  as far as salvation is
concerned is that righteousness is imputed to the believer. There is no
evidence of a new birth, no evidence of a permanent indwelling by the
Holy Spirit, to name only two of NT salvation's characteristics which
are missing in the OT economy.

Here, then, is one of the best proofs that the covenant relationship of
the OT saint is different from the relationship of the NT believer who
is "in Christ."  The NT saint may be said to be the full bloom as
compared to the seed, which may be said to be the OT believer.

John in his first letter (2:20, 27) speaks of this teaching ministry of
the Spirit when he says: "But you have an anointing from the holy
One, and all of you have the capacity to know [spiritual truth].... But
even as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true
and is not a lie, and even as He [the Holy Spirit, the anointing]
teaches you, be constantly abiding in Him." This anointing is the
personal incoming of the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion and
His permanent indwelling of the saint.

James 4:5 describes the act of God the Father anointing the believing
sinner with the Holy Spirit in the words: "The Spirit [Holy Spirit]
who has been caused to make His permanent home in us has a passionate
desire [to control us] to the point of envy (of any control indwelling
sin may have over us]."

There is also the matter the statement in Jn 14:17.  The permanent
indwelling of the Spirit being exclusive to the church age is bolstered
by Christ's statement  that the Spirit will be "in you".  This is
a distinct expression of indwelling.  Note that it is in reference to
the future spoken of Christ at the end of His earthly life, since it
was spoken on the night of His betrayal.  It is therefore of necessity
contrasted with the current ministry of the Spirit in the apostles,
"He remains with you" who have yet to enter into the
Pentecost/Church Age relationship with the Spirit.  Here is a clear
indicator that the two economies are different from the revelation
given by Christ to His disciples, prior to the revealing of the Church.

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