In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for anointed is dashen. That word in its primitive sense meant to be made fat. Figuratively that meant to satisfy. This word is used in Psalms 23, in reference to Jesus Christ. This was an unusual description, because those of the Old Testament covenant were never satisfied, that is sustained an existence of fellowship with God– their sins were never forgiven. It is very unusual that the Spirit is mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures. We do not wonder then why the disciples that Paul met of John the baptizer in Ephesus, had never heard of the Spirit. Acts 19:1-5. He was NEVER PROMISED, them!!
The relationship that the individual Christian sustains to the Holy Spirit of God is not only one of the greatest themes of the New Testament, it is one of the most prominent. There are many passages that show a very personal relation between God’s children and God’s Spirit. Jesus had, during His personal ministry, prophesied a new era in which all the believers would be recipients of God’s Spirit. Here is the promise!! “Now on that last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scriptures have said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believed on Him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given: because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39. The words, “for the Spirit was not yet given,” cannot be understood in its absolute sense, many passages indicate that the Spirit had been given in the sense of being with them to empower, lead, influence in some way, but not in them! He had visited but never had residency!! The context of John “from within him shall flow” the original language reads “from out of his belly shall flow.” That is indwelling with a vengeance. So Jesus said that those who came to be covenanted believers in Him would receive the Spirit of God to indwell their bodies, but only after He had been glorified. Then, in His farewell discourse with His apostles, Jesus said, “and I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive; for it receiveth Him not, neither knoweth Him, ye know Him; for He abideth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you desolate: I come unto you.” John 14:16-18 Jesus said the apostle’s relationship to the Spirit of God was going to change-something new is going to occur. The Spirit had been with them, in the person of Jesus, but now He was going to be in them. So now we have it, in the book of John, there was promised two senses, ways, means, that the Spirit would be in those who would be obedient to the gospel of Christ. As the apostle Paul would write: “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” Romans 8:9
In the epistles of Paul particularly, we learn not only the fact of the indwelling but also the function or purpose of the indwelling Spirit of God. To the Galatian brethren the apostle Paul wrote: “and because ye are sons, God has sent forth the Holy Spirit to dwell in your hearts.” Galatians 4:6. To the Corinthians Paul would write: “know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…. which you have from God.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 Finally, Paul said:” therefore he that rejects, rejects not man, but God, who gives us His Holy Spirit.” The 1 Thessalonians 4:8 conclusion is this: “the Holy Spirit of God is God’s gift, given.” In Acts 5:32; the apostle Peter states “to all them that obey Him.” This is the second time that Peter makes this statement in the book of Acts. It was the Holy Spirit that was given to all “who repent and are baptized for the remission of sins.” Acts 2:38
