Anointed and anointing are relatively ancient terms, used extensively throughout the Old Testament, and to a lesser degree in the New Testament. For the most part they simply refer to the practice of applying various oils or balms for things like healing, consecration, and/or preparation for burial. Because there isn’t much modern context for these words, they are easily manipulated to take on a host of other connotations. To be sure, they have become part of the popular vernacular within charismatic circles.
In the days of the temple, Priests had to be anointed with a specific blend of oils prior to entering the Holy of Holies, lest they perish, and the Kings of Israel were anointed with oil to signify that they were chosen by God and commissioned to His service. Like the Priests, the failure to uphold this high calling could result in dire consequences for both the King and his family line.
The modern usage of these terms seems to be aimed at this idea of being specifically chosen (or called) by God, along with a sense of being uniquely gifted (or equipped) in one area or another. But generally, omits the aesthetic of being bound by an oath to faithfully represent its source, or to acknowledge the potential destruction that could accompany its misuse. Indeed, those who profess to have an “anointing” often appear to be like children, who’ve gotten ahold of their father’s credit card, and don’t realize that he’ll see the billing statement at the end of the month.
Even those who are sincere in their commitment to serve the Lord can fall to the intoxication of consistently watching God work through their gift, and the earthly treasures/accolades that may result from that. Over time they can become convinced that this has more to do with who they are rather than simply being a byproduct of the Father’s generosity.
In those moments they need loving brothers and sisters to help them to see their folly. But within the current Charismatic culture, they would likely be chastened for “coming against God’s anointed ones”. The implication being that these individuals’ gifts and callings somehow exempt them from being questioned or receiving any kind of reproach. This, of course, is a profound distortion of that particular passage of scripture, and of what it means to be “anointed” in general.
One of the clearest pictures of what anointing is, and isn’t can be found in the story of Saul and David.
Because we know how the story ends, it’s easy to pass over the details at the beginning. Saul did not promote himself to the position of king, nor was he nominated by his peers, he was literally picked out of the crowd (1Sam.9:17) and chosen by God (1Sam.10:24). At that time, he was humble (1Sam.9:21), anointed (1Sam.10:1), gifted (1Sam.10:13), and God had done a work in his heart (1Sam.10:9). And for a substantial period of time, Saul walked in that calling and anointing (i.e. 1Sam.11), fulfilling God’s purposes in his life.
But, as previously alluded to, sustained seasons of victory, and the praise of men eventually eroded Saul’s humility to the point that he felt empowered (or commissioned) to make decisions of his own (1Sam.15:9).
It wasn’t as if he stopped wanting to serve God, but his pride and greed caused him to overstep the bounds of his authority.
God’s response was quick and definitive (1Sam.15:11 & 23), and it’s hard not to see the parallel between his story and the narratives surrounding so many “anointed” (i.e. called, gifted, empowered) ministry leaders who’ve fallen throughout church history, and in the recent past.
At the point David refused to lay his hands on “God’s anointed one” (1Sam.24:10), it was clear to him and everyone else that Saul had been rejected as the king of Israel. This passage is pointing towards David’s unwillingness to act without specific direction from the Lord, which is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ pledge that He couldn’t do anything without direct guidance from the Father. It is meant as an advocation of David’s heart, not a defense of Saul’s immutable position or calling.
Nothing in scripture supports the idea that calling, gifting, anointing… exempts a person from accountability, indeed quite the opposite is true (James 3:1). Within these stories, we see Samuel soundly rebuke Saul (1Sam.15:17-19), just as Nathan strongly rebukes David for his transgression with Bathsheba (2Sam.12:1-7). Chastening a king was a dangerous activity, even for a recognized prophet, but it was exactly what God called them to do.
Another related aspect revealed in these stories occurs toward the end of David’s reign, when he wants to build the temple. When he inquires of the prophet Nathan, he’s told that God is with him, and that he should do as he pleases (2Sam.7:3). There is nothing recorded that indicates that Nathan inquired of the Lord for this answer, and it appears as to have come from his experience of being alongside David as he wins battle after battle.
It was a completely reasonable conclusion to draw, and on the surface, it seemed true, as God clearly was with David. But when Nathan actually takes the time to inquire of the Lord (2Sam.7:4), the answer is much different than he or anyone else expected.
This phenomenon is frequently played out in the modern context, as truly gifted people, who have eyes to see, are blinded by someone’s position, title, resume, success, giftings, callings, anointing… Like these prophets, they may have been called by God to confront issues, but they defer to what they see with their natural senses, or what they perceive to be a higher authority.
Nathan’s rebuke of David allowed for him to repent, and to step back into the fullness of his calling. It’s hard not to believe that God hasn’t extended this same grace to so many other ministers who fell because no one was willing to confront them as they veered off course. Unfortunately, we have created a culture that struggles to tolerate such an encounter.
Perhaps even more repulsive than simply misusing God’s anointing for our own selfish gain is the ongoing mystification of these gifts in order to create the illusion of an elite religious class of ministry leaders, designed to rule and guide the less gifted working-class sheep (i.e. laity).
In his letter to the Ephesians (chapter 4), Paul describes a mature body of believers, in which every part is directly connected to the head, and each part supplies something for the greater whole. The “Five-Fold” gifts described in this chapter are intended to help facilitate this maturing process, not to exacerbate the clergy-laity division that has plagued the church throughout history. As Paul explained to Timothy (1Tim.2:5), there is only meant to be one intermediary between God and man, and His name is Jesus.
Ultimately, our present use of the phrase “the anointing” is something of a misnomer. Before Christ, access to the power and authority of the Holy Spirit was limited to a chosen few. But because of Christ’s sacrifice, all believers have a direct connection to the indwelling Spirit. All who belong to Him can rightfully be classified as “anointed” (2Cor.1:21, 1John 2:20).
Holy Spirit empowered giftings are not expensive presents that God only bestows upon His favorite kids, they are tools provided to faithful followers, which He intends to use to draw men unto Himself. An anointing was never intended to be something we could possess. It is simply a garment, provided by the Lord, which allows us to serve His purposes. Walking in that anointing will test the depths of our humility. Like the treasures that the children of Israel carried out of Egypt, it can be our provision, or we can use it to form some sort of lifeless idol.
Neglecting Our Salvation
Posted in Commentaries, tagged apathy, Calvin, choices, chosen, complacency, confessing Christ, consequences, contribute, covenant, cross, faith, full counsel of scripture, Hebrew, Jesus, just believe, mantra, neglecting, neighbor, obedience, obey, reconciliation, salvation, scripture, shortcut, theology, works on September 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »
There is an increasingly popular brand of theology that centers on the idea that God has done 100% of the work for our salvation and thus we have no part to play. It comes cloaked in a reverence for the awesomeness of God’s provision yet subversively relieves us of any responsibility in terms of how we respond to that gift. It essentially argues that God’s grace is so great that it covers us regardless of how we choose to live.
These doctrines hang on passages like, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no man may boast (Eph.2:8-9)” or “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom.10:9).”
Jonathan Edwards famously said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
John Calvin went so far as to say that God chooses who will go to heaven, that we have no ability to choose God if He doesn’t choose us, and that we have no ability to resist Him if He does. Again, this theology relieves the beneficiaries of all responsibility (while leaving the unchosen completely without hope and making the Great Commission pointless).
While the originators of such theologies may not have intended for these ideas to lead people away from the narrow path, they breed complacency in our relationship with God and apathy in our relationship to our neighbors. The appeal of these paradigms lies in the concept that nothing is really required of us and that no matter what we do, we cannot lose this awesome inheritance.
There is even a modern worship chorus that goes, “I could never mess it up, I could never mess it up, I’m loved, I’m chosen, Your arms wide open, I could never mess it up” (The Perfect Love of Jesus – LO Worship & Adohan King).
While the Hebrew writer extols the superiority of the covenant Jesus gained for us (Heb.8), he also challenges us to consider the consequences of “neglecting” this great salvation (Heb.2:1-3). To do that, we must consider the full counsel of scripture.
Paul certainly told the Romans that they needed to confess with their mouth (Rom.10:9) and Jesus warned that those who are ashamed to confess His name before men will reap eternal consequences (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26). But simply confessing Christ isn’t an end unto itself. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord (i.e., confesses Christ’s name), will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father (Matt.7:21-23).”
Similarly, both Paul and Jesus address the importance of believing (Rom.10:9, John 3:15), but it is still a giant leap to turn those words into the popular “Just Believe” mantra. James chides, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder (James 2:19), while 1 John 2:4 unequivocally states, “Whoever says, I know Him, but fails to keep and obey His commandments is a liar.”
The scripture clearly states that we cannot earn our salvation (Eph.2:8-9), but Jesus also said that if we love Him, we will obey His commandments (John 14:15). Not as payment for what He did, but as the fruit of our trust in, and fidelity to Him. Likewise, our good works don’t gain us God’s approval, but James makes it clear that a faith that isn’t strong enough to manifest itself into works is dead (James 2:20).
To be sure, God is the One who orchestrated our salvation, Jesus is the One who fulfilled mankind’s part of the covenant, and no one would come to Him without His drawing (John 6:44). In that regard, it is right to say that I had nothing to do with facilitating my own salvation. But the cross demands a response and our failure to respond has implications.
Even the concept that we love God comes with an expectation. When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus certainly placed loving God at the center of our mission (Mark 12:30 – love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength). If He had stopped there, our passion for the Lord might be enough. But He went on to command that we love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31) and before He went to the cross, Jesus raised that bar to loving them as He loves them (John 13:34)
Once again, the full counsel of scripture tells us that if a man says that he loves God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar (1 John 4:20); and that whatever we do unto the least of these, we do unto God (Matt.25:40 & 45).
To be sure, things like believing in God, confessing Christ, being obedient to His commands, good works and loving Him are all a part of walking out our salvation. But simply grabbing a hold of one of those concepts and ignoring the rest of scripture is to our own peril.
Jesus is our example, and He laid down His life in order to reveal the Father’s heart to a lost and dying world (John 14:9). Now, He is asking us to lay down our lives to reveal Him (Col.1:27) to a world that still desperately needs to find Him. He came that we might be reconciled to God and He has left to us the “Ministry of Reconciliation (2Cor.5:18)”. There is no shortcut, it will cost everything (Matt.10:39, Rom.12).
To follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Matt.16:24). If we try to gain our lives, we’ll ultimately lose them (Matt.16:25). If we refuse to take up our cross, Jesus says that we are not worthy of Him (Matt.10:38).
The cross demands a response and the choices we make reveal our hearts.
Choices to make:
(Deut.30:19) Life and death; blessings and curses
(Josh.24:15) Whom you will serve
(Matt.6:24) God and money
(Matt.7:13) The narrow gate and the broad gate
(Gal.5:16) The Spirit and the flesh
(James 4:6) Friendship with the world and relationship with God
(1Cor.3:19) The wisdom of men or the wisdom of God
Things to do:
(2Cor.4:18) Don’t focus on what is seen
(Prov.4:23) Guard your heart
(Heb.12:2) Fix your eyes on Jesus
(John 15:4-5) Abide in the vine
(1Thes.5:16-18) Pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks
(John13:34) Love others as He loves them
(1John 2:27) Live by the Spirit
God does not demand perfection, but He yearns for sincerity (2Chro.16:9).
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