Understanding the Anointing

You hear the word the 'Anointing.'  many times in Christian circles today. You hear people say "He or She is a very anointed speaker, or they have a real anointing for that, or they fell out under the anointing.

But what is The Anointing?

Anointing, as described in the Bible, can be defined as "God on flesh doing those things that flesh cannot do." It is God doing those things that only He can do, and doing them through a flesh-and-blood, earthly vessel (2 Cor 4:7).

The basic meaning of the Bible word "anoint" is "to pour on, smear all over or rub into." In the Old Testament, someone who was anointed by God for special service to God had oil poured or smeared on him.

For instance, Saul, and later David, was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel when God revealed He had chosen him to be king of Israel. When King Saul rebelled against God and tried to kill David, David refused to harm him because Saul was "the Lord's anointed" (1 Samuel 24:6).

To be anointed by God is not only to be picked, but also to be empowered by Him for the task or position to which He has called you. The Hebrew word "Messiah" and the Greek word "Christ" both mean "the Anointed."

Anointing was a sign of Israel's coming Redeemer. The prophet Isaiah, looking forward in time by the Spirit of God, saw One through Whom "the yoke [of Satan's oppression] shall be destroyed because of the anointing" (Isaiah 10:27).

The word destroyed means absolutely corrupted beyond use, destroyed, no good for (the devil's) use.

Jesus, reading from another Messianic prophecy in Isaiah, said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me...."

What had the Spirit anointed Him to do? "To preach the gospel to the poor...heal the brokenhearted...preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind...set at liberty them that are bruised..." (see Luke 4:18-19). Jesus had the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of Almighty God all over Him.

News of the Anointed and His Anointing was the "good news" or "gospel" the early Church ministered. When Peter was asked to preach the basic, gospel message to the gentiles for the very first time.

The first thing he told them was "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (see Acts 10:38-39).

When Philip preached Christ (the Anointed One and His Anointing) in Samaria, "the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies,and that were lame, were healed" (see Acts 8:6-8).

They received and heard the good news that the Anointed One and His Anointing had come to destroy the yokes from their backs. From the moment they received it, God confirmed it, just as He did in Jesus' ministry.

The anointing is God's presence by the Holy Spirit. The anointing on Jesus was by the Holy Spirit (see Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38). The anointing we have received from Jesus is by the Holy Spirit. (Compare 1 John 2:20, 26-27; John 14:26.)

The anointing is God's Spirit and power for service in this earth. Jesus has provided the same presence of the Holy Spirit for us in our earthly ministries that He had in His earthly ministry!

The word "Christ" is not just another name for Jesus, but a reference to the Anointed and the Anointing that was on Him and in Him. In the same way, the word "Christians" means more than just followers of Jesus. It means "the anointed." The same yoke-destroying Anointing that was on Jesus is available to you.

Look again at 1 John 2: "the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him" (verse 27).

Those last two words could also be translated "in it." In other words, the phrase could either be exhorting believers to abide in the Anointed One, Jesus, or to abide in the anointing itself.

Both interpretations are correct because you can't separate the Anointed and the anointing. If you're in the Anointed One, then you're in the anointing.

I encourage you, find every reference that uses the word Christ in the New Testament. Each time Christ is used translate it into "the Anointed and His Anointing."

Then meditate on the new revelation of this meaning in each scripture. Start with the verses that say "in Christ" or "through Christ" and translate them "in (through) the Anointed and (through) His Anointing." It will change your life.

If you're "in Christ," there's an anointing for everything you're called to do, no matter how small or how great the task. That's what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, "I can do all things through Christ (the Anointed and His Anointing) which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).

Notice that he didn't say "who strengtheneth me" but "which strengtheneth me."

He was talking about the anointing. The same anointing that enabled you to be born again will heal your body, help you succeed in business, and empower you to prosper spirit, soul, body and in every aspect of your life. (See Luke 5:20-24.)

Anointing begins with Humility

"The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom;

and before honour is humility." Proverbs 15:33

The world defines a humble person as someone who is very low and walks around with his head bowed down all the time. Someone who acts like a doormat for everybody that wants to take advantage of them.

The Bible says humility is "lowliness". the lowly have wisdom (Prov 11:2) and it's better to have a humble spirit than a spirit of pride.

 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. (Proverbs 16:19)

To be humble means to be submissive. It means to take your worldly authority, power and independence and submit them to God and to become totally obedient to Him. To step down, in order to look up.

To be (sub)missive, means to submit, To willingly come under the authority and power of God.

You refuse to move until you find out where He wants you to go, when He wants you to go and what He wants you to do when you get there.

The anointing is for you. It is designed to equip you for everyday life and it is attainable by every born-again believer.

Jesus tells us here that the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, when He comes, He shall teach us all things and lead us into all truth (John 16:13).

How is He going to do that? Through an "unction" or "an anointing." First John 2:20 and 27 tells us: But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

The Anointing is for You.

The incredible endowment of heaven's power , the anointing of God, is not just for the chosen few, the original Apostles. It is not reserved only for specially selected men and women of God. It is God's fervent desire that you operate in the anointing too!

He has made His Anointing available for you, through the Holy Spirit. He wants to clothe you with His power and ability.

It's His ability that will give you the power to get results in every endeavor. He wants to bring glory to His name by empowering you to walk in victory over the enemy.

The crucial questions for you at this moment are, "How badly do you want the anointing?" and "How much are you willing to give to walk in the anointing?".

I trust your answer is, "Whatever it takes!"

Operating in the Anointing

You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You (Ps 45:7)

Operating in the Anointing,  you must love righteousness and hate wickedness as does God.

Entry into the righteousness of Christ is by the faith of Christ (see section on understanding righteousness) righteousness is available to us as a result of what  Jesus has done.

You are declared righteous in Christ, when you are 'born again' before you ever perform a righteous act.

When you are declared righteous, you are the righteousness of God, you're responsibility is  do what is right , which means abiding and walking in the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:7, AMP).

You must be willing to do what is necessary for God to anoint you with the ability to get results.

There is a price to pay for the anointing

The Anointing removes burdens and destroys yokes (Isaiah 10:27). Because Jesus was without sin, His anointing was without limits (2 Corinthians 5:21).

When you are tempted to sin, ask yourself, What will it cost me where the anointing is concerned? Don?ft allow sin to place a limit on the Anointing in your life.

To operate in the anointing, you must walk in love.

Walking in love is walking in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit.

* To demonstrate the power of the Spirit, you must walk in love.

* You cannot have more anointing than you have love.

    Spiritual gifts cannot compare to the more excellent way of love (1 Corinthians 12:31).

* Don?ft allow the actions of others to cause a blockage in your walk in the Anointing.

Strife, hatred, unforgiveness and bitterness prevent the anointing from operating in your life.

When you walk in love and stay anointed, the negative situations in your life will melt away.

* Jesus was constantly moved with compassion; as a result, He was anointed to heal the sick.

   Walking in love is walking in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit.

* The fruit of love has been deposited in your born-again spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

* To demonstrate the power of the Spirit, you must walk in love.

* You cannot have more anointing than you have love.

* Spiritual gifts cannot compare to the more excellent way of love (1 Corinthians 12:31).

* Don?ft allow the actions of others to cause you to lose the anointing.

* Strife, hatred, unforgiveness and bitterness prevent the anointing from operating in your life.

* When you walk in love and stay anointed, the negative situations in your life will melt away.

* Jesus was constantly moved with compassion; as a result, He was anointed to heal the sick.

   To operate in the anointing, you must live a life of praise.

God is fearful in praise (Exodus 15:11).

* Jesus gave thanks before the loaves of bread were multiplied.

* Trouble is an opportunity to see the power of God at work in your life.

* A life void of praise and worship, experiences the absence of the anointing.

* Begin thanking God for what He has already done in your life.