Title: The teacher that lives within us (The difference between OT and NT)

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After the death of Jesus, there are significant changes between the Old Testament and New Testament. If we understand the reason for the changes, then we will be able flow with God in the new things that he is doing in this dispensation.

Difference no.1

In the Old Testament, only selected few individuals have the Holy Spirit. Who are these individuals? Below are just a few examples of individual who have the Holy Spirit.

a)    Abraham, Isaac, Joseph and Bezalel

b)    Prophets: Moses, Samuel, Daniel

c)    Judges: Joshua, Samson, Gideon

d)    Kings: King Saul, King David

(Joshua) Deuteronomy 34:9 = Joshua is filled with the Holy Spirit to take on Moses' responsibilities.

(King Saul) 1 Samuel 19:18-24 = King Saul and his servants are filled with the Spirit and prophesy.

(Daniel) Daniel 5:11 = There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.

(Bezalel) Exodus 31:1-3 = Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills

God chooses these few individual for a specific task. For Joshua, King Saul and King David, the anointing to lead. For Daniel, the anointing to prophesize, For Bezalel, the anointing to build.

In the New Testament, every true born again Christian have the Holy Spirit sealed within them. We can see this in the New Testament’s scriptures.

1 John 4:4 = You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one (Holy Spirit) who is in you is greater than the one (Satan) who is in the world.

Ephesians 1:13 = And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19 = Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.

Colossians 3:11 = Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and IS IN ALL.

Romans 8:9 = You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

In the Old Testament, only a few selected individual have the Holy Spirit to empower them to complete specific task. But in the New Testament, every true born and Christian will have the Holy Spirit. If a person claim to be a Christian but does not have the Holy Spirit within he/she, that person is not a true Christian and does not belong to Christ.

Difference no. 2

In the Old Testament, there is a possibility that the Holy Spirit leaving the chosen individual if there is disobedience or sin. We can see from a few example in bible.

In the case of King Saul who is afraid of men and failed to obey God

1 Samuel 15:24 = Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.

1 Samuel 16:14 = Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

In the case of Samson whose has supernatural strength from the Lord but become weak when the Holy Spirit departed from him

Judges 14:6 = The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.

Judges 16:20-21 = Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.

King David must have saw what happen to King Saul and know of this fact. We can see it in Psalm 51:11, his plead with God not to remove the Holy Spirit from him.

Psalm 51:11 = Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

In the New Testament, every true born again Christian will have the Holy Spirit. It is written in the bible that a Christian will never lose the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16-17 = And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you FOREVER the Spirit of truth.

Ephesians 1:13-14 = And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were MARKED in him with a SEAL, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit GUARANTEERING our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:22 = set his SEAL of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, GUARANTEERING what is to come.

Notice the use of words such as Sealed, Forever, Marked and Guaranteeing. These are words of assurance. A true born again Christian cannot lose the Holy Spirit. Remember John 3:16 and John 10:27–28

John 3:16 = For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have ETERNAL life.

John 10:27-28 = My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them ETERNAL life, and they shall NEVER PERISH; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; NO ONE CAN SNATCH them out of my Father’s hand.

In the Old Testament, prior to Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit had a “come and go” relationship with people. But in the New Testament, after Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit is sealed within a believer with guarantee of eternal life.

Conclusion

Below is the simple sum up

1)    In the Old Testament, God empowers few Jews with his Holy Spirit to fulfil specific tasks.

2)    Abraham and Joseph were Jews who were privilege to have God’s Holy Spirit. They do not know of the law of God but able to know him personally.

3)    King David who lived under the law knew that God is full of grace because he knew God personally through the Holy Spirit (2 Samuel 24:14 = David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.")

4)    However many Jews do not have the Holy Spirit, they do not know what pleases and displeases God.

5)    Hence, God gave the law to show them how they should live. Through the law, the Jews were able to know God’s character, standard and expectation on them.

6)    The giving of the law is God’s mercy on the Jews. Its purpose is to set a boundary to prevent sins that will provoke God’s anger and judgement which will end in the destruction on the Jews.

7)    However, God knew no one is able to obey the law. Hence, God commanded the sacrifice of bulls and goats as a temporary covering for their sins.

Christ’s death (payment for sins) and resurrection (vindication that we are cleansed of sins and have become righteous in-Christ) is the ultimate event in bible history that caused a major change between the Old and New Testament.

?    Whoever believed in Jesus Christ and his finished work are cleansed of all sins.

9)    With the removal of sins, the Holy Spirit is able to seal himself permanently within a believer. Our body become the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19 = Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.)

Since every true born again Christian have the Holy Spirit who is God and author of the law, we have a living teacher who will teaches and guides us. There is no longer any need for the law. Just as God personally guide and teaches Abraham and Joseph who knows nothing about the law because they lived before the law was given, God is able to do the same to us. As it is clearly written “No longer will they teach their neighbour”, meaning man will no longer teach man.

Hebrews 8:10-13 = This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” By calling this covenant “new”, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Just as Abraham and Joseph lived before the law but are able to live a life pleasing to God, we have no more need to be mindful of the law but mindful of the Holy Spirit and his commandments for our daily living. The commandments given by the Holy Spirit are flexible and tailored to train build different individual.

To one person, he may command to be gentle and patient. To another person, he may command to be firm.

To one person, he may command to hold on. To another, he may command to let go.

To one person, he may command to pack up and move on. To another person, he may command to stay on and persevere.

Note: Even though an Old Testament saint has the Holy Spirit, they were still under severe curses and punishment which may sometimes lead to death. We are more blessed than the Old Testament saints. Our punishment and curses are behind us because Jesus’ bore our judgement and curses when he hang and die on the cross. In the New Testament if there is any punishment, it is God’s discipline and training on his child.

Hebrews 12:6 = For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.

[Guest Thess]

You're seeing this unbelievable Bible almost as exactly as I am. We could get A LOT of good work done for Christ. I believe that you are Indwelt by God and have been enabled to see and hear His Word in a more rightly way than that VAST majority of Christians.

Good job . . . you've spent some serious, serious hours with your mind and soul in this Bible to come to these conclusions. I know, for I have thousands myself.