THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (4)
So many New Testament truths are seen in seed form in the Old Testament and developed throughout this period, but are fully developed and understood when we come to the New Testament.
We have looked so far at the symbols of the holy Spirit a expressed in Wind, Fire, and Water, we now look at Oil for Anointing. Oil was distinctly involved in the anointing of Prophets, Priests and Kings to their offices. It speaks of the consecration and supernatural enablement of the Holy Spirit’s anointing of grace. It also speaks of the illumination of teaching, the soothing and healing balm of His presence. Under the new Covenant ever believer is a Prophet, Priest, and King, and we are anointed to fulfil our ministry function in the Church.
Acts 10:38 records, God ANOINTED Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.I am sure you remember the story, of Jesus going to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read, and was handed the scroll containing the book of Isaiah and reading chapter 61:1-2, as recorded in Luke 4:18-19. Jesus declares God had anointed Him to preach, to heal, proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free all who were bruised crushed and broken down by the pressures of life, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Then the New Testament goes a step further, what was initially seen in the anointing and setting into office of Prophets.Priests, and Kings, has its fulfilment in the Lord Jesus Christ, and with the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost every New Covenant believer since that day has been anointed with the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle John in his 1st Epistle, tells us in 2:20 We have (present tense) an anointing and the Holy Spirit is leading you into all truth. We now have the Divine teacher living on the inside and He is constantly teaching us. John continues in verse 27 and tells us the anointing abides permanently, (it doesn’t come and go like the weather) and will continually teach us, all we need to know, and will also enable you to continue to abide in Christ for as Jesus said, the truth will set us free, to live and walk in victory and purity.
The anointing manifests itself in many ways, as we listen to lovely Christian music, the anointing somehow witnesses with our spirit and we are blessed. We somehow can tell when a preacher is anointed, and when he isn’t. As a preacher myself, there are those occasions when you are so conscious of the anointing as you preach, and you know the Holy Spirit is taking the words that you are saying and blessing God’s people.
In Psalm 92:10 the psalmist declares I have been anointed with fresh oil, pass that statement through the Cross, and apply new Covenant truth to it. We declare, I am being anointed with fresh oil EVERY DAY. I am learning to stay under the spout where the oil (glory) comes out, and by God’s grace, I willwalk in His anointing, and be the person God has called me to be amen.
THANK GOD FOR HIS ANOINTING