The Anointing Upon and Within

The Anointing Upon and Within

We see clearly in Scripture that the Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jesus during His earthly ministry. Isaiah the prophet speaks of the seven manifestations of the Holy Spirit that would rest upon the Lord. “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2).” There are not seven Holy Spirit’s. There is only one Holy Spirit, yet He is displayed through these seven manifestations which rested upon Jesus. The Spirit of God can also rest upon the believer in order to anoint that person to function in their assigned calling. The anointing upon a person can be increased through obedience to God and time spent in the Word and prayer.

In Luke the fourth chapter we read of the time when Jesus went and preached in the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth. Jesus was handed the scroll of Isaiah and he deliberately found and read the text of Scripture which we identify as Isaiah 61:1, and the first part of verse 2. Jesus read to the people, saying, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me.” This famous portion of Scripture was prophetically speaking of the coming Messiah. After reading those verses He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The story in Luke tells us that all the eyes of the people in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

When reading this story we can’t help but be curious as to why the people’s eyes were fixed on Him. When you study Jewish customs and traditions, you find an interesting practice that took place in Jesus’ day, and can still be observed in some synagogues today. The Jews reserve a special seat in their synagogues which is kept for the appearance of the Messiah. That special chair always remains empty and no one ever sits in it. Well, after Jesus finished speaking He sat down! He actually sat in that reserved chair and it caught all the attention of those in attendance. Jesus spoke to those in the synagogue and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” He basically told them, “That Scripture is talking about Me.” Jesus knew He was the Anointed One.

The anointing that is upon you is for service. God anoints you with His Spirit to empower you to do the work He has called you to do. For example, the Lord has placed an anointing upon my life for miracles of healing. This gift, which is a special anointing He gave to me, has taken me around the world in the work of the ministry. When that anointing comes upon me and others release their faith to receive that anointing the results are always the same miracles! I’ve seen it happen in America and all over the world with creative miracles occurring and all types of diseases healed. Just as there is an anointing upon, there is also an anointing within. “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 (1 John 2:27).”

Notice we are told where the anointing abides. “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you.” The anointing is within us. This anointing teaches us concerning all things. Some have taken this scripture out of context and misuse it to imply that we do not need instructors or teachers. However, Jesus is the head of the church and He established the five ministry offices as gifts to the church. The ministry office of the teacher is one of the five offices mentioned in Ephesians the fourth chapter. So, we need teachers. To reject the biblical ministry of the teacher is to reject a precious gift from God.

The anointing within you is for guidance and protection. It teaches you what is from God and what is not. “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you (1 John 2:26).” The anointing within you protects you from deception, just as a virus software program protects your computer from malicious infections. When corrupt teaching is presented the anointing within you goes off on the inside of you like an alarm. The anointing says, “Watch out, something is not right there!” When something is wrong you have an uneasy feeling on the inside. When something is right you should have a peaceful, velvety smooth feeling on the inside.

The anointing within helps you to know all things. The more sensitive a person becomes to the anointing within, the more success they will have in making the right decisions in life. We should use our brain and utilize the best of our mental abilities. However, the anointing resides within your spirit, not within your physical brain. Yes, the anointing of God certainly affects the brain which influences us to think godly thoughts. But some decisions we have to make in life go beyond the ability of one’s brain to solve. Who to marry? Where to work? Where to go to church? What color should I paint the house? The answer to these types of questions should be measured through the anointing that resides within us.

Other questions such as, “Was that prophecy that person gave me from God, or not?” or, “How do I know if God has called me to the ministry?” The Holy Spirit will guide us through the anointing that God has placed within us. There’s no need to be in the dark when it comes to knowing God’s will and purpose. Let the anointing within you help settle the perplexing questions and choices you face. You can always trust the anointing of the Holy Spirit that abides within you to point you in the right direction.

The better developed you become to recognizing the inward anointing, the greater will be your ability to carry the glory of God. Understand that the anointing within you is what supports the potential anointing that can rest upon you. For example, some ministers have had a strong anointing upon them. This anointing initially came through God’s grace in which He bestowed spiritual gifts through His own choice. The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). These spiritual gifts were received by men and women through an act of God’s grace. But some individuals have had failures, with some falling from ministry and never fully recovering. How does a tragedy like this happen?

The reason a spiritual collapse takes place is because the inward anointing comprised of biblical morals, holy character, humility, and other spiritual attributes was deficient in that person’s life. The inward anointing was not valued or developed, so such an individual could not support the weight of the anointing of God that is able to come upon a person. We see this clearly in the life of Samson. What a mighty anointing that he had that would come upon him! The nation of Israel had never seen anything like it before. But we all know the unfortunate outcome of his life. Its how we finish that’s important, not necessarily how we start out.

It is up to us to train ourselves to be diligent and instantly obedient to following the inward anointing. By doing so we will partake of the fruits of obedience which God richly brings forth. May the Lord bless you as you walk in His anointing which is upon you, and within you.