Monday, February 20, 2012

The Anointing; the Abiding

“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” I John 2:20. The words unction and anointing are basically the same: chrisma, chrio, to smear or rub with oil, i.e. (by implication) to consecrate to an office, an endowment of the Holy Spirit: anointing, unction. It is, if you please, a Hands On; as the rubbing with oil at the hands of a mother upon her newborn: is not the child warmed? Does he/she not know of the love, the intimacy being poured forth? The manifestation of the Father for His “little children” is exceedingly evident in I John!
It is now upon the eve of my seventieth birthday. I John 2:27 has been my one special verse which the Lord impressed upon my heart about 45 years ago. I know that most of you have such a verse - this is mine. It is at this time that I seem to be getting a green light: it’s time to write.
“But 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” I John 2:27.
So - the Anointing is something, more specifically, Some One, that the Believer receives; this Anointing abides; this Anointing teaches; this Anointing is Truth; ye shall abide in the Anointing (and He in you.)

“It is part of our sinful infirmity that we are unable of ourselves to interpret God’s Word aright; but it is part of the gracious office of the Holy Spirit to guide believers into the truth, thereby enabling them to apprehend the Scriptures. This is a distinct and special operation of the Spirit on the minds of God’s people, whereby He communicates spiritual wisdom and light unto them, and which is necessary unto their discerning aright the mind of God in His Word, and also their laying hold of the heavenly things found therein. . .Here, then, is the first and most essential qualification for understanding and interpreting the Scriptures, namely a mind illuminated by the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit, Arthur W. Pink

“Arthur Pink, in his “Interpretation of the Scriptures” says we need to “Recognize the interrelation and mutual dependence of the Old and New Testaments:” And to “Observe the manner in which and the purpose for which the Old Testament is cited in the New.”
Here is but a sampling of what we find of our proposed study on Anointing and Abiding beginning in the Old Testament.
“And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations” Exodus 40:13-15. “And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons. . .and sanctified Aaron, and his sons” Lev. 8:30. And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them” Lev. 8:10.
“put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him.”
But the teaching of an Anointing continues in the NT - “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh” Rom. 13:14. Notice, he who is anointed is likewise sanctified. Both anointing and sanctifying speak together of the setting apart of someone or some thing unto the Lord.
“their anointing . . an everlasting priesthood.” “Jesus Christ. . .the faithful witness. . .loved us, washed us from our sins in his own blood. . .hath made us kings and priests unto God” Heb 1;5,6. Make the comparison: we as anointed priests are clothed in the garment of the Righteousness of Christ; we are anointed by the Spirit with the Anointing oil and of the blood of Christ - that we may minister unto God in the priest’s office! How lightly we esteem our calling. Far more than merely thinking to “do good works,” we have a Divine office; we are ambassadors for Christ. II Cor. 5:20.
“and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.” Again, anointing and sanctifying are used together in that which is set apart unto Jehovah God. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” Rev.21:3. Is the Tabernacle not Christ Himself? And “all that was therein”: His people; their God.?

Sprinkling, anointing of the Anointing Spirit unto sanctifying and purging that one may in obedience serve, may abide in the living God.

“For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” Heb. 9:13-14. “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” I Peter 1:2.
The Anointing Deliverer. A prophetic promise to Israel: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” Isa. 10:27. Then shall they come to Christ, for He declares, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light!” Does this not apply to every Believer?

The Anointing; the Abiding

“But the Comforter, [com fort, with strength] which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” John 14:26. And what is recorded for us immediately following?
“Every branch [that abideth] in me, [Abide] in me, and I [abide] in you, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it [abide] in the vine; no more can ye, except ye [abide] in me. He that [abideth] in me, and I [abide] in him. . .If a man [abide] not, If ye [abide] in me, and my words [abide] in you, continue [abide] ye in my love, If ye keep my commandments, ye shall [abide] in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and [abide] in his love, These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain [abide] in you, I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go, and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain [abide]. John chapter 15.
“The same anointing teacheth you of all things“ vs. 27. “He will bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Consider the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; for that matter the entire New Testament - How were they written? Did the disciples and apostles religiously write journals, recording every word and detail? Or did CNN have a camera crew to document every episode? Who was there when God created the world? The prophets? No, there was no man, but the Eternal Spirit of God. He is the witness, the court appointed recorder. It is He who brought to remembrance all that God would have recorded in the Book.
This text verse though a blessed Promise and Comfort is seldom (and reluc-tantly) quoted, for there is one little phrase that is a thorn in the flesh to the average minister of the gospel: “and ye need not that any man teach you.” The explanation? “Well it doesn’t mean what it says, or appears to say. Has God not given us the prophets, the apostles, teachers and preachers to teach us?!?” Indeed He has - however, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son” I John 5:9.
If you have noticed, at times there are verses that seems to ‘stop short:’ a sentence that is not quite finished or completed. One that is obvious is found in Exodus chapter 32: Moses was praying after ascending back into the Mount, “And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and made them gods of gold. now if thou wilt forgive their sin¾; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” What if the KJV had it written, “and ye need not that any man teach you¾”
“and ye need not that any man teach you.” Or it could be rendered, “And ye need not the teachings of any man.” Man is tis, Gr. some or any person or object or source (things, divers.) This would include radio, TV, internet, books, etc.
Ye need not that any man teach you - teach you WHAT? I Timothy chapter one speaks of those who teach “fables; from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” I John 4:1.
We know in part; we see through a glass darkly. What mere man can teach you “of all things?” The verse begins, But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you - and the thought continues, “the same anointing teacheth you of all things.” “ye need not that any man teach you.” What man can declare himself to abide in you and teach you of all things? “And ye need not that any man teach you. They may give instruction to the intellect, they desire to teach the inner man; but only the indwelling Spirit can teach your heart TO abide in Him! “but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, [TO abide in Christ] and is truth and is no lie, ye shall abide in Him!” The Anointing is Truth and is no lie. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought [ our prayer life is regarded as an infirmity: God help us!] but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” Rom. 8:26-27. In view of this, how very critical that the Anointing One abide in us (in no wise excluding the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.)
“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” I Peter 4:11.
“Now if any man build upon the foundation [Jesus Christ] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it” I Cor. 3:13. Shall our “works” be revealed as an attempt to impress the Lord with what we do [self]; or will they be made known that they were accomplished in willing obedience to the Anointing Spirit of God: wood, hay and stubble; or gold, silver and precious stones?
The oracles of God. Logos, logion. We are to seek the mind of God, which is revealed by the Anointing Spirit of God. Ye need not the teachings of man; that’s the negative. But you do need the teaching of the Anointing One.
Note: Divine oracles were given by means of the breastplate of the High Priest, in connection with the service of the Tabernacle, and the Sept, uses the associated word logeion in Ex.28:15, to describe the breastplate.” Vines’ Expository Dictionary.
Also, in regard to the breastplate: “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth into the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually” 28:29. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of life? Is Jesus Christ not our Great High Priest? Then our names are written on His breastplate - upon His heart!
One last thought: Remember in Luke chapter 11 and verse one: “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he was ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us TO pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Lord, teach us the manner in which to pray; vocal or silent, standing or on bowed knee, the location or place of prayer, the words with which we are to speak, etc.? What man, be he John or some other, could teach his followers to pray as could the Lord Jesus? Must learning TO pray not originate from within? Shall the ‘ears’ of the heart not hear the voice of God, be advised of His will, and respond thereby? Is it not the same Spirit that is the Anointing One, who both teaches us all things -TO abide in Christ and TO pray? And how shall we pray apart from the Abiding Presence of the Anointing?

How can one rightly teach that which he has not learned?
“A saving knowledge is not a knowledge of Divine things, but is a Divinely-imparted knowledge. It not only has God for its object, but God for its author.” A. W. Pink
The man of God: His teaching is a tool that is often used in the Hand of the Anointing Craftsman.