"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." 1 John 2:20
Today many Christians run from church to church or meeting to meeting looking for “The Anointing”. We sing songs asking for “The Anointing” to fall on us. We hear sermons about “The Anointing” and at times refer to someone as “Anointed”. But what is this anointing and how does it come to rest on those lucky people who we call anointed? The Apostle John, while writing to the church made a bold statement, “You have an anointing from the Holy One.” Instead of John saying, “I’m the anointed one. Listen to me.” He told God’s people, “You have an anointing. You know the truth.”
The Hebrews used oil to anoint things that were to be used for God’s work. In Exodus 29:36 the altar was anointed in order to sanctify it. The word sanctify is closely connected to holiness. It appears that anointing something with oil served to sanctify that object so that it might be considered holy unto the Lord.
"And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it." Exodus 29:36 KJV
But it was not just things that were anointed. People seemed to be a much more significant subject of anointing. Elisha sent the young prophet to anoint Jehu with oil.
"Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not." 2 Kings 9:3 KJV
Samuel anointed David with oil and “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” Something happened that changed the little shepherd boy and made him a King.
1 Samuel 16:13 (KJV) Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
Being anointed isn’t something that was meant to come and go. It isn’t something that is here today and gone tomorrow. I know that our experiences seem to run contrary to that fact. We see what appears to be flashes of anointing in a preacher, a singer, an evangelist but then that “anointing” goes away. But that is not what Scripture teaches us. John didn’t say go get an anointing. He said you have an anointing. The oil has already been applied. You are sanctified. You are holy. You know the truth.
Consider what happens when we pour oil on a cloth. The oil soaks into the cloth and binds with it. In effect the cloth is fundamentally changed. If we use an ointment to rub onto our skin we get the same effect. The ointment becomes a part of our skin. It saturates us and invades our very being. I rubbed Tiger Balm on some sore muscles recently and discovered this very fact. The healing heat penetrated deep into my body and did its work. This is the picture we need to keep in mind as we contemplate the anointing John tells us about.
"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John 7:38-39 KJV
"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John 7:38-39 KJV
Jesus told us that from out of our innermost being would flow rivers of living water. The Holy Spirit dwells within us. He doesn’t come down, rain down, or fall down on us. He inhabits us. The oil has been poured upon our heads and penetrated into the core of our being. Our spirit has been transformed and the third person of the Trinity now desires to live the life of God through us. God does not partially inhabit us. We don’t have his leg or hand living in us. We have all of Him living in us.
I have often heard Christians praying for “more” of God. Perhaps what they should be praying is for “less” of themselves. Because the Spirit of God that dwells within us wants to live His life through us but there is a struggle that takes place. That struggle is between Self and Spirit. Some might call it flesh but in actuality it is Self. If I truly want more of God to make His way out of my innermost being then I have to get out of the way. I have to crucify the flesh of self and become porous and the more I die to self, the more God’s anointing flows out of me and into the world around me.
“You have an anointing!” Now what are you going to do about it? I say let the river flow.
