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Thanks to all for those references. Those scriptures are helpful in reaffirming God's eternal plan in his 'line of blood', the covenant of grace. However, though it has been through faith alone by grace alone that all elect have ever been saved, is it yet possible for the Holy Spirit to be with the OC elect in a non-indwelt nature, still regenerating the heart but not providing the full benefits of the permanent indwelling of the Spirit?
The enigma, for me, is that although God is sovereign and has saved all His elect by His designs only and that all were born only of the Spirit, I see a situation where the permanent indwelling of the Spirit is only made a reality in the New Covenant, from the scriptures alone. Up to that point, the Spirit 'comes upon', 'dwells among', 'enters into' (and out of), etc. I don't see anything that would indicate that the Spirit is permanently indwelt in the OC. This doesn't seem to deny the covenant of grace, just a different relationship between the H.S. and the elect. Certainly it reeks of New Covenantalism and even borders on dispensationalism, but can anyone help me understand why the covenant of grace might be destroyed by this thinking?
Are we still missing an obvious scripture that would solve all of this for me?
Thanks!
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