Understanding 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 only He can do, and doing them through a flesh-and-blood, earthly vessel (see II Corinthians 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" (I 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 I 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 anointeds." The same yoke-destroying Anointing that was on Jesus is available to you.
Look again at I 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.)


www.kcm.org/real-help/article/understanding-anointing

Principles of Great Faith

By Dr. Dale A. Robbins


Matthew 8:5 “Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 8:6 saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.
8:7 And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him.
8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
8:9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
8:10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

The story of the believing centurion is probably the best example of great faith in the New Testament. Jesus was so impressed with the centurion’s faith, he remarked that he had not found such great faith in Israel — the entire Jewish nation. One might think that such faith should have emerged from one of the religious leaders of the day, such as the Scribes or Pharisees, most of whom had been students of the scriptures from their early youth. But this man was not even a Jew, but a gentile. To make matters more unique, he was a soldier in the Roman army, whose military occupation of Palestine was viewed with disdain by most Jews.

Ironic as it may seem, it isn’t always the religious leaders, ministers, or theologians who aspire toward spiritual things. Often, it is the unsuspecting layman, the housewife, the farmer, the soldier or other humble, common people who demonstrate great faith in God. We must never lose sight that the Gospel is a simple message which has no respect of persons, nor requires any special credentials to believe it. The legacy of the centurion is recorded without benefit of his name, but the title of his rank tells us that he was an officer with authority over 100 men. He was probably already a believer when he approached Jesus, seeing that he expressed such unusual comprehension of Christ’s authority and identity (Matt. 8:8-9).

Note that at no time did the centurion actually ask Jesus to heal the servant. He came to the Lord with a somber report of his servant’s suffering, but stopped short of making any request for healing. Apparently he was trying to assess the Lord’s will in the matter, awaiting his response to the crisis at hand. Perhaps he was hesitant of how Jesus would respond to the request of a non-Jew, especially since he was a soldier in the unpopular Roman army. Or maybe he wondered whether Jesus would even consider taking the time to help a mere servant.

Without hesitation, Jesus voluntarily offered to the centurion, “I will come and heal him” (Matt. 8:7). There was no more question whether it was the Lord’s will to heal the servant. Not only was Jesus willing, but by his own suggestion, was ready to go out of his way to the centurion’s home to perform the healing. What encouragement this must have been, to sense Jesus’ compassion, to witness His eagerness to bring relief and healing to a poor sick soul of low estate.

The centurion’s humble, confident response to all this was most remarkable. In essence he said, “Lord, I’m unworthy to have you as a guest in my home, but because I am a man with authority and am acquainted with giving orders to others, I understand your authority, and know that all you have to do is speak your word and my servant will be healed” (Matt. 8:5-10).

From the account of the centurion, there are four important principles which we learn about great faith:
(1) Great faith begins as a follower of Christ, knowing him personally, realizing his divine authority.

It is obvious that the centurion came to Jesus with an unusual perception of Christ’s position and authority. It is likely that he had been an observer and a follower of Jesus for some time. This indicates that the first step toward a faith which results in answered prayers, is to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We must have a proper relationship with Him, which enables us to approach God with the confidence that our heart is surrendered to the purpose of his will. Not only as our savior, but as Lord, our beloved master, whom we follow and serve with all our heart, endeavoring to keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing to him. As the scripture says, “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:21-22).
(2) The motives of great faith are pure, and are in harmony with the will of God.

The centurion boldly brought his need to Jesus to find out what his will was concerning the afflicted servant. He was not presumptuous or demanding, but reverent and submissive. As for his motive, his concern was not for himself, but over the suffering and need of someone else - in fact, a mere servant of whom were often considered the lowest class of people.

It is necessary that we ascertain the will of God in respect to our desires and requests. The scriptures clearly indicate that God answers those prayers which are in accordance to His will, not just our own. To have faith’s assurance for the desired results of our prayers, our requests must be based upon the criteria of God’s wants and desires. Prayer should not be viewed as merely a way to obtain our wishes, but a means that God uses to perpetrate His own desires. The Bible says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
God’s will is revealed through the record of His Word to us, in the Bible. We can possess faith for anything promised to us in God’s Word, and if we want God’s provisions, it is necessary for us to bring our needs to Him. James said that we “do not have because we do not ask” (James 4:2). But he also warned that some prayers will go unanswered because of improper motives: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). Lust is a carnal, self-willed, evil desire of the flesh, and one of the major reasons for ineffectual prayer. Are most of our requests based upon our own selfish interests? Materialistic wants? Or, is our faith directed toward winning lost souls to Christ, praying for the sick and afflicted, or the needs of the poor and homeless? Our motives in relationship with God’s will must be major considerations in our faith.
(3) Great faith has a humble heart, cognizant of the grace and compassion of God, whereby He loves and blesses us.

There was no doubt of the sincere humility of the centurion and his apparent high esteem and honor, placed in the person of Jesus. He confessed his unworthiness, his lowly undeserving status for Jesus to even come into his home.

The scripture states that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). The word “humble” means self-abasement. We are totally dependent upon God, His mercy and His strength. What God does for us, in response to our requests, is not because we have earned or deserve anything. What God does is because of His love and grace (unmerited favor) manifested through the redemption of Jesus Christ. He tells us that when we are in need to come unto the throne of His “grace” that we might find His help. The Bible says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
(4) Great faith has a complete trust in the dependability of God’s Word, and accepts it as fact above any other evidence or circumstance.

The centurion was so thoroughly convinced of the authority of Christ’s Word that He did not find it necessary for Jesus to personally visit the servant. He felt assured that if Christ would only just give the command, the healing would respond. He did not need to see anything or feel anything, but was willing to rest solely upon the premise of the spoken Word.

Such were the characteristics of Abraham’s faith, who believed God’s Word of promise, even though all natural circumstances were against him and there were no signs of the promise for 17 years. “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Rom. 4:20-21).

God’s Word is the very basis of our faith. His Word is the source of all creation, and nothing can withstand its power or force. His Word is absolutely trustworthy, in fact more trustworthy than the things of this world, which we can see or perceive with our senses. The believer must surrender his total confidence to the Word, even without any shred of visible evidence, or even in spite of contrary evidence.


May God encourage you to follow these principles of great faith!


http://www.victorious.org/grefaith.htm

This article (VL-139) is copyrighted © by Dale A. Robbins, 1990, and is a publication of Victorious Publications, Grass Valley, CA 95949. Unless otherwise stated, all scripture references were taken from The New King James Bible, © Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982. You may download this article for personal use as long as you retain credit to the author. Obtain permission before reproducing copies for any reason, by filling out our simple permission form. This writing is also available as an attractive tri-fold pamphlet, which can be downloaded for reproduction from our Online Catalog. For media reproduction rights, or to obtain quantities of this title in other formats, email us. 

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