Abide in the Anointing!

Abide in the Anointing!

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” 1 John 2:20. “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” Vs. 27-28.

All the instruments in the tabernacle were anointed and sanctified to the Lord. Each single member of the body of Christ is also anointed by the Lord and sanctified for a particular work. All of us have been baptized by one Spirit to be one body. 1 Cor. 12:13.

When the Lord anointed a priest in the old covenant, He also gave that priest wisdom and understanding to perform his priestly ministry. The priests could, by bearing the church’s need on their hearts, go in before the Lord’s face and seek advice by the Urim and Thummim. Ex. 28:30; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; Ezra 2:63. Then they could speak as the mouth of God to the people.

When the Lord anointed a king, He also went with him in the battle and made him fit for the kingdom. The king received wisdom to rule, and God let everything succeed for him as long as he was faithful. Strength and wisdom would depart from him if he was unfaithful, as it did from Saul and Samson.

It is faith-strengthening to know that we have been anointed by the Lord for the ministry that we have in the body of Christ. The ministry of each single member is exceedingly valuable and necessary. All of us are highly beloved and valuable in God’s eyes, as we should also be in each other’s eyes.

As long as we remain faithful in our hearts, we will know, in the Spirit of anointing, everything we need to know to perform our ministry to God’s pleasure. How comforting that is. “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” If we come out of the anointing, we will know nothing as we ought to know it. Then we will think and speak on the basis of our dry, human understanding, and everything we say and do will be without blessing. “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.” Prov. 28:26.

If we put our trust in our human understanding, we will end up in darkness, and everything will become heavy and sluggish. As a result, a lot of problems will pile up, and we will be constantly confronted by things we do not understand. On the other hand, if we abide in the anointing we have no need to fear the future at all. We will know everything we need to know for the moment, and we will enter into a blessed rest from everything else. All problems and all unrest will vanish. How blessed that is! Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:7: “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.”

We shall always go in before the Lord’s face in our ministry with thanksgiving and need for our fellow men. Then the Lord will enlighten us with His counsel and His will, to be a blessing for those to whom we minister and for ourselves.

As truly as we abide in the anointing in the body of Christ, we will have boldness and will not be put to shame before Christ at His coming.