Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
Didn't you read what I said? I said Christ was certainly *in the saints,* but did not dwell in them on a permanent basis. That remained until the atonement of Christ, which made this temporary indwelling permanent. That's why I hesitate to utilize the language of "dwelling," because it may imply to some that this was a full occupancy, replete with occupancy permit.
My point is that the Spirit of Christ, or the Holy Spirit, temporarily is in everybody to some degree, because God's word speaks to the hearts of all men. He does dwell in a fuller sense in the saints, who live in covenant relationship with God. But until Christ's atonement, this indwelling could never be said to have been permanent--not until the atonement of Christ.
I agree with you. However, as I've been saying, the indwelling, or regular habitation, of the Spirit with the saints in the OT was technically a temporary dwelling. Not until Christ died for sin could that dwelling be viewed as "eternal."
I have no doubt that those who lived as saints in the OT had the Spirit dwelling with them in some way. And I have no doubt that the indwelling of God in them is now eternal. However, my point was and still is that the indwelling in the OT era could only be legally viewed as "temporary." Christ truly had to come and render that temporary indwelling an eternal indwelling.
OT saints had to pay a price to have God not just operate within them, to their conscience, but also to remain with them on a regular basis. The price they paid under the covenant of Law was to fulfill the requirements of the Law, depending on animal sacrifices, etc.
However, now that Christ has come, and has provided a better sacrifice for our sins, we no longer need the sacrifices of the Law. We can now view God's habitation with us as eternal, and no longer dependent upon the Law as a temporary shelter.
