In the gospels Jesus warned that “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt.18:3).” Then, in the epistles, Paul also warns against childish ways of acting (1Cor.13:11) and thinking (1Cor.14:20). In light of these admonishments, it seems vital that we should learn and discern the difference between being childlike and being childish.
Paul appears to address some of these childish patterns when he wrote to the Galatians, calling out things like discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions… (Gal.5:19-20), ultimately concluding that those who live like this would not inherit the Kingdom of God. And from his description of God’s love to the Corinthians (1Cor.13:4-7), things like being impatient, unforgiving, competitive, easily offended, and quick tempered could also be included.
While all of these traits are commonplace within the typical human experience, God is calling His children to something higher. Jesus said that anyone who was not willing to take up their cross and follow Him was unworthy of Him (Matt.10:38). While Paul pointed out the need to “crucify the flesh” (Gal.5:24), and Peter spoke of partaking of the divine nature (2Pet.1:4). This is all a part of the transformation that God intends to work in those who follow Him.
More important than simply misbehaving is the issue of trusting the Father and accepting what we cannot hope to fully comprehend. The scripture contains numerous passages which reference the limitations of our understanding. We know in part and prophesy in part (1Cor.13:9). We see as through a glass dimly (1Cor.13:12). God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). The wisdom of man is foolishness to God (1Cor.1:25). He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask for or imagine (Eph.3:20). If we must have foreknowledge and certainty in order to believe, we are sure to be disheartened. In order to be effective, our faith must be “childlike”.
In many ways, what God offered mankind in the garden was the chance to be His children. Had Adam and Eve chosen to follow His direction, they could have lived out their days naked, unashamed, unburdened, and completely unaware of sickness, evil and death. They would have simply existed within the bubble of the Father’s love and protection. But something within their nature found the offer of autonomy (i.e. self-rule) to be too good to pass up.
I see this demonstrated clearly in my young granddaughter, who lives with us. She is a precious, beautiful child, who is bold, energetic, and full of curiosity. Not surprisingly, she wasn’t even ten months old when she started walking, and containing her became a daily challenge.
When the playpen proved to be too restrictive for this 20 lb. force of nature, we fenced in our living room with plastic fencing in order to keep her from the fireplace, the stereo cabinet, bookshelves, electrical outlets… and we constructed a gate, so that us older folks didn’t have to hurdle our way in to, and out of, the living room.
Within this room sized play yard, we placed all manner of soft, colorful, musical, and educational things for her to engage with. Above all else it was intended to be a safe space for her to learn and grow; but from its inception she made it her mission to escape from it.
In this quest, she’s demonstrated amazing resourcefulness, as she’s tried to pull the fence up to crawl underneath it; to slide herself between the seams in the panels, and to push the fence (or gate) down. When those efforts failed, she’s pushed her rocking chair, or her wheeled horse to the fence, and tried to use them to climb over it.
Often times, she’d stand at the gate, and shake it by its bars. Every time the gate would open, she would stop what she was doing and run toward it. Every time the gate would close, she’d let out a yelp of protest. Indeed, the mere existence of this fence seems to be an affront to her soul. Even without any conscious understanding of it, she instinctively pushed against the concept of limitations or boundaries.
Anyone who’s raised a child, or spent any amount of time with a toddler can probably attest to the fact that these behaviors are not particularly unusual for children at that stage, and I feel sure that to some degree they are a reflection of our unvarnished human nature. Over time, we will likely train this little girl to behave differently, but these patterns provide some insight into how humans respond in their natural state.
As I have prayed for this little one, the Lord has impressed upon me that this is how it is with His children as well. Like us, He tried to setup a safe and ideal situation for them, but they chose to go their own way. He then tried to create healthy boundaries to keep them safe, but they perceive that He is trying to keep them from the “good stuff”, and rebel against them. Indeed, the very idea that He would set limitations causes many to doubt His goodness.
Because we are created in God’s image, children come with an undefiled capacity to love and trust, but they also possess a natural penchant toward self-centeredness and impatience. Sorting through these conflicting traits is part of stepping into our identities as Children of God.
There is a way that naturally seems right to a man, but it ultimately leads to death (Pro.14:12), and apart from God we can do nothing (John 15:5). Given mankind’s aforementioned love of independence, the struggle to humble ourselves and surrender our mind, will, and emotions to the Lord’s purposes is a moment by moment battle.
Jesus said, that “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (Mark 10:15, Luke 19:17)”. And, He openly thanked the Father for concealing these things from the wise & learned, choosing instead to reveal them to the “little children” (Matt.11:25, Luke 10:21). This means that we can neither earn or learn our way into the kingdom.
Scripture tells us that God resists the proud (James 4:6), and Jesus’ ministry clearly reflects this. We don’t see Him publicly shaming prostitutes and thieves for their sin, but we do see Him openly confronting the prideful religious leaders, who’d counted themselves as righteous. We don’t see Him flipping tables in the marketplace because of people’s iniquity, but we do see Him flipping tables in the temple because of their misrepresentation of the Father’s heart (Matt.21-12). Indeed, judgement begins in the house of God (1 Pet.4:17).
The Kingdom of God is not a location, it is a supernatural state of living in submission to His Lordship. Jesus modeled this pattern for us during His time on the earth, as He refused to act apart from His Father’s will. Because of this He could truthfully claim, “if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father (John 14:7)”.
When I was a child, I used to sit in the back seat of our family car, staring at the passing scenery, and wondering at the world. I was never burdened by thoughts of where we might be going, or what route we would take to get there, because my father was driving, and I had utter confidence in his judgement, and ability to get us there safely. I would submit that this is a fair representation of the journey the Lord intends for us.
He offers us a peace that surpasses understanding, joy unspeakable, unshakable hope, and profound rest. I would submit that this is a reflection of what He initially offered mankind in the garden, and it is the fruit of genuinely abiding in the vine, and within the shelter of His sovereign grace. But like Adam, He gives us the option to live as His children, or to live by our own sense of what is right.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Rom.8:14-17).”
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The Anointing
Posted in Commentaries, Heart of "The Father", tagged accountability, anointed, anointing, bible, bible-study, calling, chosen, consecrate, David, faith, gifted, God, humility, Nathan, Samuel, Saul on February 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »
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.
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