I decided to spend some time today researching the commonly used words “anointing, anointed, and anoint”, and the first place I started was with the Bible. Often times, it’s easy to do a google search and see what other’s are saying about something, but we should always go to the Word first. If we let the Holy Spirit guide us as we read, we will be more equipped to discern our way through the many false teachings on the internet.

These are some of the questions I had started with, and I will answer them based on what I have discovered in the Word of God.

In the Old Testament, God set aside (consecrated) people to do a work for Him. Kings, priests, and prophets were all “anointed” by God to fulfill His purposes. The anointing was done with oil, and it was sometimes used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our Messiah, and to perform miracles. “Christ” actually means “The Anointed One”.

In 1 John 2:20 NIV says, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” In context we can see that everyone who abides in Christ is anointed by the Holy One. If you do not abide in Christ, you are not anointed.

Everyone has a different purpose to fulfill for God, and if they obey that calling it will be anointed. For instance, I am not called to lead praise and worship, and there would be absolutely no anointing on it if I tried to do it. This isn’t necessarily because I can’t sing, but because I would be in disobedience if I did something that I was not told to do by God.

If we are disobeying the will of God, and we are not using the gifts that He has equipped us with, then it would seem likely that He could remove His anointing at any time. This is evident in King Saul’s situation in which through his disobedience, and distant relationship with God, he lost the Lord’s anointing. Our gifts aren’t taken away, but without the anointing on them, they aren’t very affective.

One explanation is that they are fulfilling the will of God, and what He has created them for. If you are doing this, you will walk in the same level of God’s anointing. The only other reason I can think of is that God has appointed them to do a greater work. It is not by their power, but by His Spirit that they are able to do it. He decides what you are going to be and what you are supposed to be doing!

Many mistakenly use this verse in Psalm 105:15 when someone speaks against one of God’s anointed. In it’s context it actually means physical harm, not spoken words against a person. We should always be open to being corrected, and this is part of coming before God humbly. We all make mistakes, and rather than hide behind “don’t touch God’s anointed”, we should be willing to search the Word of God for the truth on all things as the Bereans did.

In conclusion, the anointing is not a mysterious power that people sense in a church service. It is the God-given ability to fulfill His will by the power of His Holy Spirit. It manifests in many ways, but it is Christ who is the Anointed One, and it is Him that we should be focused on. We should not be chasing the anointing, we should be chasing God. If you want to see the anointing, run to the kitchen and grab some olive oil, and then look in the mirror. You have been anointed by the Holy Spirit when you surrendered your life to Christ!

I had to be willing to let go of some false concepts of the anointing when I started my studies. I’ve been guilty of using the word in improper ways, but the Holy Spirit has led me into Truth as promised. I encourage everyone to study for themselves what the Word of God says about this topic. Don’t just take it from me!