Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - Teaching on Calling on the Name of the Lord

Evangelical · 02-20-2017, 02:33 PM

What some have called "strange teaching" shows their lack of education on these matters. A number on here seem to not know about regeneration in the Old Testament, so I will post a few things to help clarify.

For further reading you may see this website:

https://bible.org/question/how-did-h...ives-ot-saints

The website says:
The point is that the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of people to enlighten, convict, and lead people to believe the content of the message as it existed in Old Testament times. The Holy Spirit obviously had to regenerate people and He led them, but it was not from the indwelling presence as it is today.

To be regenerated, or born again is a spiritual transformation, a change of heart. That is for a purpose, namely, to do God's will and obey Him.

The old testament reveals that people's hearts were changed by the Holy Spirit by faith, this is how they could obey God and do His will, this is how they could please God.

As God's people, the Holy Spirit abided with the Israelites. This is what made them unique and different from the Gentiles :

Exodus 29:45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.

In the OT we find a number of commands for people to have a change of heart:

Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

Jeremiah 4:4
"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds."

David prayed to be regenerated:

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

God's way of regeneration has been known since the old testament times:

Jer 24:7 I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.

Ezekiel 18:31
"Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?

We can find a number of examples of God changing people's hearts to do His will. Saul is one example. Here is another verse:

The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD." (Chronicles 30:11-12)

Old testament saints were regenerated by God but did not experience the indwelling as much as New testament saints do.

So, regeneration in the old testament, is not so strange after all.

02-20-2017, 02:33 PM	#152
Evangelical Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 3,965	Regeneration in the Old Testament What some have called "strange teaching" shows their lack of education on these matters. A number on here seem to not know about regeneration in the Old Testament, so I will post a few things to help clarify. For further reading you may see this website: https://bible.org/question/how-did-h...ives-ot-saints The website says: The point is that the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of people to enlighten, convict, and lead people to believe the content of the message as it existed in Old Testament times. The Holy Spirit obviously had to regenerate people and He led them, but it was not from the indwelling presence as it is today. To be regenerated, or born again is a spiritual transformation, a change of heart. That is for a purpose, namely, to do God's will and obey Him. The old testament reveals that people's hearts were changed by the Holy Spirit by faith, this is how they could obey God and do His will, this is how they could please God. As God's people, the Holy Spirit abided with the Israelites. This is what made them unique and different from the Gentiles : Exodus 29:45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. In the OT we find a number of commands for people to have a change of heart: Deuteronomy 30:6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. Jeremiah 4:4 "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds." David prayed to be regenerated: Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. God's way of regeneration has been known since the old testament times: Jer 24:7 I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. Ezekiel 18:31 "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? We can find a number of examples of God changing people's hearts to do His will. Saul is one example. Here is another verse: The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD." (Chronicles 30:11-12) Old testament saints were regenerated by God but did not experience the indwelling as much as New testament saints do. So, regeneration in the old testament, is not so strange after all.