Thursday, October 1, 2020
Month Theme: The Anointing
Topic: The Nature of the Anointing
Scripture Reading: Acts 10:30-40
Main Text:
Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
The anointing is the power of the Holy Ghost released within and upon the believer through the indwelling of Jesus Christ in him or her for the accomplishment of a specific task. As your saviour, Jesus Christ has done something for you – He has redeemed you. But as Christ, He anoints you to do the Father’s will. These two functions of Jesus Christ go together. To enjoy one of them without the other is like having in your home a television set, which produces pictures without any sound – it is incomplete. The nature of a thing or person is its, his or her basic or inherent features, qualities or character. Our appreciation or use of something depends on our knowledge of its nature. Knowing the nature of the anointing ignites our hunger for it and drives us to use it to the glory of God and for our personal and others’ benefit. People don’t usually value what they have. Many believers have this unfortunate attitude when it comes to the anointing. Ignorant believers or better still “unbelieving believers” know very little about the anointing that resides in them and for that matter don’t value it.
Paul, the apostle, had a revelation of this inherent power (indwelling anointing) in him. He moved in this power. Through this knowledge, he emphatically stated that he could do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthened him (Philippians 4:13). Note that the apostle Paul said “I” – he referred to himself. Paul saw himself as a person who could do all things. He knew Christ. He did not say “Jesus” in Philippians 4:13, for that would mean Saviour but “Christ”. He placed emphasis on “the Christ function” – the anointing.
Jesus Christ is ignored and His power is underutilised in the Church because of this lack of knowledge. “Unbelieving believers” are believers who don’t have a functional revelation of Jesus Christ – they know Jesus Christ theoretically as their saviour but lack a practical experience of His power. The name “Jesus Christ”, defines the dual personality of our Lord as our saviour (Jesus) and the anointed one (Christ which is derived from Christos in the Greek language and Messiah in the Hebrew language). It therefore means that if a person is born-again and Spirit-filled he or she has Jesus Christ in His full functioning power as the saviour and the anointed one who anoints him or her to perform His divine purpose.
Prayer: Pray for yourself that you'll desire a closer walk with Christ everyday.
Extract From:
"The Nature of the Anointing" by Eastwood Anaba
(Find e-books at www.amazon.com)
www.eastwoodanaba.com