Quote:
Originally Posted by coksiw
I believe is reasonable to believe they had the Spirit in their life, because we see OT saints praying to God for the assistance of the Spirit, as if it were something available to them they believed they could have through prayer. And we also see words from Jesus like this:
Luke 11:13 (NKJV)
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
The alternative is to think that people don’t really need the Spirit within them to be led by the Spirit, so having the Spirit within is only for empowerment to serve the Lord. If you see it like that, then they had the lead of the Spirit to live victorious lives against sin without the Spirit within them, but just with them, and only a few were filled inside to do the supernatural. If that’s the case, having the Spirit within the believer in the NT is only for ministerial empowerment because having it within is not really a requirement to be victorious in your walk with God.
I believe the former, that they all had it within, from what I can understand from Luke’s terminology.
Just to clarify, I used the word “victorious” to mean being able to keep God’s commandments. Not in the legal sense of being set free from sin charges because of the blood of the lamb.
|
So what is the evidence (from scripture) that the old testament saints all had the Spirit of God within? If I understand you correctly, you seem to be saying that.
Numbers 11 seems to indicate that was not the case, though. The passage you quoted from Luke seems to simply mean that people, capable of moral evil, nevertheless know how to do good and occasionally actually do good, so therefore it is much more likely for the Father to give the Spirit to those who ask Him, since He is infinitely good. I/ do not see how Luke's terminology indicates that all old Testament saints had the Spirit of God dwelling in them.
As for leading vs being filled, Paul says this:
Romans 8:14 KJV
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
And in another place he says this:
Galatians 4:6 KJV
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Which seems to imply that being led by the Spirit is a pre-requisite to being filled with the Spirit (or receiving the Spirit). Which in turn implies that one could be led by the Spirit but not filled with the Spirit, which seems to me to have been the case with the majority of Old Testament saints. Consider this:
John 11:21-24 KJV
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. [22] But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. [23] Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. [24] Martha saith unto him,
I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Was her expectation simply that Lazarus would rise to face judgment like everyone else? Or that he would rise to the resurrection unto life? What was the basis for her expectation, if it was the latter? There is no indication that Lazarus had the Holy Spirit, as the others in Scripture where it is said they received the Spirit, the Spirit came upon them, they were filled with the Spirit, etc.