Darrell,
Do you actually believe that the problem of sin and spiritual separation is an EXTERNAL thing or an INTERNAL thing? If you believe it is an INTERNAL thing, then what kind of solution do you have for sinners between Eden and Acts 2:1????? Thus far, you have relied upon EXTERNAL sacrifices just as the Jews in Christ's day did and Catholics and other sacramentalists do today. So what is your INTERNAL SOLUTION for the sinner between Eden and Acts 2:1 to resolve sin and spiritual separation? Is it a solution OUTSIDE of Christ or IN CHRIST or to say it another way is it IN ADAM or IN CHRIST?
Again, Biblicist, you are debating something that is not relevant to my view.
The ministry of God has always been internal. This is why I showed you Gentiles who did not have the Law are said to be justified by being doers of the Law written on their hearts. You reject that, thinking it means I am saying that men were saved by performing the Law. I never said that. They were justified.
If you believe it is an INTERNAL thing, then what kind of solution do you have for sinners between Eden and Acts 2:1?????
Right there, Biblicist...right there. You ignore that we have more than one dispensation by speaking about "Eden to Acts." The Age of Law has to be distinguished from the period that precedes it. When we do this we can compare the Ages and what was going on in regards to faith, remission of sins, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This pertains to the progressive nature of revelation, where we can distinguish between Abraham's knowledge of God and David's, for example.
The "solution" you are looking for, in All Ages prior to Pentecost, has been given you many times now. In those preceding Ages the Spirit of God has always ministered in and through men to bring about His good purpose. The Spirit of God coming on men and filling them for the purpose of "public ministry" has to be distinguished from that which was promised to happen when the New Covenant was established. "...await the Promise of the Father which ye have heard of me" refers to that which Christ taught, and has been presented to you numerous times. The difference between the Spirit being with them is that, unlike the day in which Christ taught it, just days before His death, He was with them, but would be, in them for ever.
That's a big difference.
Because Catholics and many others do not understand this, they think salvation can be "lost" or walked away from.
Continuing on with "the solution," in those Ages God judged men physically for their sin, rather than eternally. If God had not bestowed grace DAvid, for example, would have been destined for Hell for murder and adultery. Abraham...for lying.
But they were justified for their faith, and they were given provision to atone, on a physical/temporal level...for their sin.
Quite a big difference between that provision and Christ in reality forgiving sin through His death.
The second false argument you impose on men here is to say...
Thus far, you have relied upon EXTERNAL sacrifices just as the Jews in Christ's day did and Catholics and other sacramentalists do today.
...which is actually two false arguments.
1. I have consistently distinguished between the provision and distinction between Christ's Sacrifice and animal sacrifice (whether under Law or prior);
2. That my view even remotely resembles Catholic Teaching is absurd.
Is it a solution OUTSIDE of Christ or IN CHRIST or to say it another way is it IN ADAM or IN CHRIST?
Prior to the Cross and Pentecost it was outside of Christ, because God was not in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. This does not mean God did not minister internally in the heart...we know He did. But that does not mean the fiulling of the Spirit in the Old Testament equates to the Eternal Indwelling of God prophesied by the Prophets and Christ, and expounded upon by the Apostles.
You confuse the Spirit of Christ Who ministered in and through Prophets with the Eternal Indwelling promised only after the Comforter came. Christ's Word...not mine.
Here is your proof-text (put back into context):
1 Peter 1:10-12
King James Version (KJV)
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Yet you ignore that they "searched diligently" and understood their ministry was for a future generation, not themselves.
You ignore that the Gospel in view here (contrasted with the Gospel of the Kingdom preached by Christ and His disciples (who were sent to the Lost Sheep of Israel only, and commanded not to tell men He was the Christ the Son of the Living God)) is now, at the time of writing...preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven.
Explain that, Biblicist.
I have addressed the Mystery of Christ several times, yet still you deny what Paul and Peter teach.
And all of it centers around one thing: The Holy Ghost being sent from Heaven.
That is when men began being Baptized with the Holy Ghost, and that is when men began to be immersed into God. Do you see a future tense here...
John 14:22-23
King James Version (KJV)
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
You are teaching this has a present fulfillment in the teaching you have presented in the preceding posts, and that is simply not the case.
The abiding God would do, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost...
...is at a future date at the time of His teaching here.
If you would just address the points, instead of creating false arguments and debating those, we might make some progress in this discussion.
And have to get going. This is why I planned on taking my leave, because I let go my other duties because this is, in my view, far more important. But I will not take my leave until we work through these false arguments.
God bless.