Old Testament believers were saved but lacked the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Mike argues OT believers experienced real salvation and relationship with God — Abraham was called 'friend of God.' Israel was corporately called 'children of God' as a national designation, not necessarily an individual salvation marker. The key NT distinction is the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16; Acts 2), which is a post-cross, post-resurrection reality. In the OT, the Spirit came upon individuals for specific tasks/seasons (e.g., anointing David as king), not as a permanent personal indwelling. David's 'do not take your spirit from me' (Ps. 51:11) refers to not losing the anointing/calling as king, not fear of losing salvation.