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Anointment is a concept that is central to the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. Its literal definition is to “smear with oil,” and we find its earliest use in this passage, the instruction to Moses regarding the consecration of the priests:
“And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office.” (Exo 28:40, 41)
Here is another appearance: “Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon [Saul’s] head, and kissed him, and said, ‘Is it not because Yahweh hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance?’” (1Sam 10:1)
We see, then, that anointment under the worship of Yahweh was designed to dedicate priests and to appoint kings. It was a sign, right upon the forehead where the Seal goes in the last generation, that this individual was set apart by the divine will to be a representative of the Creator. A priest’s role involves being an intermediary between mankind and Yahweh, and notice how the prophet Samuel described the role of the anointed king: “captain over His inheritance,” a stand-in for the commanding power of the Father.
Some of you probably know this already, but the word “anoint” in Hebrew is “Masach,” and it is the word from which Messiah is derived. The priests were Messiahs, because they were anointed for a specific role by Yahweh. The Kings of Israel, from Saul, to David, all the way down to the last King of Judah, were Messiahs… anointed ones, and symbolically representatives of Christ. The priests represented the intercessory role of Yahshua, and the king represented the authoritative role of Yahshua. Adventists writings call these individuals “types” of Christ, and they are set apart for this very thing by the fact that they were anointed.
In fact, in Greek, the word “anointed” is Christos, and so of course this is the source of the word “Christ.” Whether we refer to Him as the Messiah in Hebrew or the Christ in Greek, the Son of Yahweh is identified by His anointing, by receiving the “oil” on His head as a sign of being chosen.
Since the word that best describes the religion of Yahweh through Yahshua from generation to generation is “Christ-ianity,’ we are identified as those who follow the One who was anointed with oil, and inherit thereby the “chosen” status through Him.
Sometimes the oil was used literally in Christian practice, combining the symbol and the reality for the facilitation of certain works. Here is one such place: “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:14, 15)
I don’t know how often this Scripture has been fulfilled in the mainstream SDA Church. The Adventist Church as I remember it from years ago was not, even back then, what I would consider a “family,” and rather than calling for the elders, the standard reaction to illness was to go to a conventional doctor. After all, the reasoning went, we wouldn’t want the pastor and the elders to know our family business. Conventional doctors have their uses, of course, but what James is describing here was the first choice of the afflicted Christian in the first century, and is the first choice of the afflicted Christian today in the House of Yahweh where miracles continue to reside.
Since Bro. J. and I have both spoken about this in public before, I do not feel hesitant to speak about our experience with this Scripture. Some time ago, when the brother was having some serious concerns about the health of his heart, I visited with him, I prepared an oil with prayer, and I anointed him with it. He reported an immediate improvement, and he is with us to this day, living by faith in Yahshua’s answer to our prayer. We know what happened was of a divine nature, and we carry the joy of it with us every day.
He and I have both related this incident before, but I don’t think I have shared with you my experience leading up to it, or my thoughts during.
We’ve read the reports of Christians performing miracles. We read of Peter and John telling the lame to “rise up and walk” in Acts 3:6. We read of Paul calling Eutychus back to life after falling out of a window during a particularly long sermon in Acts 20:9. For an Old Testament example, we spoke of Jonah last week, who said to the panicking sailors, “Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you.” (Jon 1:12)
These servants of Yahweh spoke with perfect confidence, knowing that their faith would be answered. That is what it is like to speak and act according to the anointing, to speak and act as though your faith were invincible. In my prayer and preparations for the anointing of Bro. J, as I mixed the cinnamon into the oil, there was not a thought in my mind, not a conception, that what we were about to do would not work.
With all the Priests of Ba’al in the world, casting doubt upon the immediacy and completeness of Yahweh’s healing, and with all the false prophets and fake healers out there, it might seem natural for someone in that situation to ask, “What if…?” What if we’re just wasting our time? What if it isn’t the will of Yahweh to be doing this? What if our prayers are not answered? What about all the millions of people in the world who have prayed for healing and not received it?
But none of those thoughts were in my mind. And I am not saying this to exalt myself… the truth is, I had nothing to do with it. I’m not saying that these thoughts approached me and I repelled them. No, not even in the power of Christ did I do that, because I did not need to. I did not “try really hard” to believe. I did not push away the doubts. I would have… if I had experienced any. If those thoughts had presented themselves to me, I would have rebuked them like any other temptation, but in the moment, at that time, my only thought was excitement, that we were about to glorify Yahweh before the universe by demonstrating His love and mercy. And, of course, that what we were doing would bring relief to a believer in the Father and Son who was experiencing pain.
In the moment, the Spirit of Yahweh was leading, and there was peace, and joy, and hope. You may read about the martyrs, and wonder how they could approach the end so calmly, singing songs. You may hear of people making extraordinary decisions, to serve Yahweh despite great personal cost, and ask, “How would I respond in those circumstances?” But the truth is, those who have given themselves to Christ need not wonder. The Scripture says of our testimony at critical times, “But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye, for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.” (Mark 13:11)
Of course, the principle is not limited to just that narrow circumstance. For those who have been anointed, chosen, the oil that represents the Holy Spirit is upon them, and when they are called to act according to their purpose, whether in a priestly role or a kingly one, temptations fall away, the voice of the enemy is silenced, and we do the work.
The work of identifying false thoughts, and of rebuking temptation, this is very important. This is the process of building character. I don’t want to give the impression that any aspect of the Christian life is automatic. It is not. It involves close self-examination, sacrificial honesty, making choices that will cost you financial ease, certain aspects of your reputation, and other things that the carnal man holds dear. But once you’ve given yourself to the Savior, once that transformation of the mind has taken place, then you have committed to developing a Christ-like character at any cost, and then the Holy Spirit can work through you as Mark’s Gospel describes. Then there are those seasons of peaceful confidence, just as there are times of refreshing from Yahweh.
At the appointed time, the anointed servant – with perfect assurance of success – acts. It is not according to their value or merit, but because they have chosen to be vessels of the value and merit of Christ. Paul says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2Cor 4:7) Now, do not miss this… there IS an “excellency of the power.” We do not deny that the power of Yahweh rests upon us, and may be used by Him to heal the sick, raise the dead, overcome sin, and generally bless the world; no, that power is very much there. But it is of Him, and not of us. It is in us, it works through us, but it is not “of” us, in that it did not originate with us, lest any man should boast.
I am speaking today of great glory, of wonderful things, but they can only be handled safely by those who acknowledge that “self” is dead, and all that is good in us is the Savior. Paul writes, “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” (Col 2:18, 19)
But you see, the reason why these Scriptures exist is because Yahweh wants us to hold this power. He wants us to act according to the anointing, according to His choosing us for His purpose. And I’m not speaking about predestination here; everyone here is here because they have chosen to be here, and Yah (like everyone who genuinely loves) chooses those who also choose Him. We have spoken of the conversion of sinners to saints in terms of marriage. If a man sees a woman he likes, and chooses to marry her, but she does not choose to marry him, no legitimate wedding can take place. In order for a covenant to exist, both sides must agree. And when one does, if a man and woman are legitimately married, one can say, “The groom chose the bride.” In addition, and just as correctly, one can say, “The bride chose the groom.” Both statements are true, both represent the circumstances accurately, whether taken in isolation or together. Similarly, some Bible verses speak of the Father choosing us, and others speak of us choosing Him. Both are true; both are necessarily true, and yet some verses have stumbled the faithful over the years because they do not see the full picture.
But these warnings given by Paul and others, to be genuinely humble, to guard against pride, to hold onto the Head, these are written so that we may learn to rest in the power of Yah, to see that we are working in His name, healing the sick, and bringing His glory into the world, and yet avoid becoming “puffed up” by a fleshly mind. Yah did not say to His people, “Sit down. Be quiet. I will take care of everything.” No, He says, “Here are my gifts. Use my gifts of prophecy, healings, miracles, and so on, to bless one another, but do not forget that it is my power alone by which you accomplish this work.” That was the point at which Moses faltered, “Shall WE bring water out of the rock for you rebels,” he said. But the 144,000 succeed where even the great patriarch did not.
As Yahshua said, “Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Mat 23:12) The first part is a warning, and a serious one, but the second part is a promise, and a necessary promise, because the 144,000 with have neither pride nor false humility. They will acknowledge that it is Christ in them that overcomes; nevertheless, they do in fact overcome because He is in them. They say, with perfect confidence, but absolutely no arrogance, “I have ceased from sin. I do always those things that please my Father.” The reason they say it is because it is true, not because they think themselves to be anything other than what they are.
The Scriptures speak about the “gift of faith.” We read, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit […] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit,” (1Cor 12:4, 8, 9) and the list continues on.
Not everyone receives every gift… but faith is somewhat unique in that list, in that everyone in Christ has received it. We read here, “For ye are all the children of Yahweh by faith in Christ Yahshua.” (Gal 3:26)
Those who are in Christ have received that faith, and they exercise that faith, not according to their own wisdom, but in the timing of Yah’s purpose, and when they have prepared their characters by taking up their crosses and walking, by diligently resisting temptation, and by daily submitting themselves to the process of sanctification, then the Spirit works with them, and they act with confidence, peace, and joy. That is the power of the anointing.
That is the gift we have received. Salvation is not something we do, it is something that has happened to us. It has not been forced upon us; we have had to accept it. We have had to be willing to receive it, and all its implications, understanding, for example, that those who are in Christ have ceased from sin, and since that is not something we had ever done before that point, it requires that impossible step of faith, which several of us have described as jumping off of a cliff and trusting in Yahshua to catch us, or throwing the oars out of the boat and believing that our Father will carry us safely to our destination.
This is the experience of receiving the anointing, and as I did last week, I appeal to those who have not yet experienced this transformational event. Perhaps they have been studying with the CSDA Church for months and years. Perhaps they are hearing about this Gospel of Victory over Sin, and Righteousness by Faith, for the first time… but how long you have been hearing it is not important. Commit yourself to Christ today, doubting nothing. Do not waste your time listening to the Priests of Ba’al, worrying about if you will be able to maintain the sanctified life tonight, or tomorrow, or next week, because even that thought makes salvation about you. Do you see? If you thought you had done this before, the reason you have failed is because you have made salvation about yourself.
The Worship of Yahweh makes one forgetful of self. It negates the flesh, so that there is no “I” who can fail tonight, or tomorrow, or next week. As I was preparing the oil to anoint an afflicted brother, there was no, “What if this does not work?” There was no, “What if I fail?” because it had nothing to do with me. Yah did His good work according to His own divine purpose.
Last week I mentioned a certain enemy of the Gospel who said, "God does not fail us, but we will continuously fail Him until probation closes." That is a doctrine of devils, because it is not the covenant with Yahweh. That is not the covenant that He has made with us.
This is the covenant that Yahweh has made with us. In fact, this is the very last place the word “covenant” appears in the Bible, except for a verse describing the blood of Yahshua as that of the everlasting covenant. But here is the final place that speaks of our Father making an agreement with us: “‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,’ saith Yahweh, ‘I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.’” (Heb 10:16, 17)
That is the covenant. That is the final, formal, Biblical agreement between Yahweh and mankind. He puts His Law in our hearts, and in our minds… the very things that control our words and actions. Consider that… the false teachers of our day tell their congregations, “With our spirits, we may obey, or try to obey, but sometimes our words and actions are unholy.” Those who say this do not know the covenant between God and man. Because we walk before our Father, He has put His Law right into the very places that control our words and our actions, and as we receive them in faith, He says, “I will remember their sins and iniquities no more.” And why is that? Because He ignores them? No. Is it because He suddenly loses His memory? No. It is because they are no longer there. Past sins are covered by the blood of the Savior, and then blotted out in the judgment. Present and future sins… these are relegated to mere theological possibilities that never come to pass in reality, because the Law is in our hearts, and in our minds.
That is the agreement. That is the promise, and those who live according to this promise are children of Yahweh indeed. He says, “I will be your God.” I will be your Mighty One, your Protector, your Safeguard against falling.
But those who say, “What if I…” stop right there. In the religion of Christ, there is Christ within, not “I.” Self is dead, and we do not speak much of “I” except as “I” submit myself to the will of Yahweh. It is possible to take that concept to an extreme, of course… we do testify of our individual experiences, and relate to others as one person (I) to another (you), but as a matter of principle, it is Satan who is always speaking of the goals and merits of the “self.” Remember his bold claims as he fell: “For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13, 14)
It is the sinful soul that speaks this way: I will do this, I will do that… and those who say, “What if I fail” take on this very mindset. They exalt the possibility of the rebellion of the “self” against the will of Yahweh, and they make salvation dependent upon their ability to hold onto Him, rather than His ability to hold on to us. When a person says, “What if I…” and then considers something contrary to the will of Yahweh, whether by rebellion, or fear, or doubt… that person begins to think like a fallen angel. That is not the mind of an anointed one, of one who has received the oil of the Holy Spirit to cleanse the thoughts and enlighten the soul.
It is not worth it to travel those mental roads of “What if.” It is better to accept the gift of faith instead. This isn’t about us, this salvation, this Great Controversy. This is about Yahweh... and the world needs to hear the Three Angels’ Messages that He has sent. That is the work of the anointed in this generation..
“Come forth,” says the First Angel, “from trespasses and sins, and stand in Sabbath Rest as the Judgment passes you by as in the Passover.”
“Come out,” says the Second Angel, “from Babylon’s confusion and falsehood, for those who worship Yahweh do so in Spirit and in truth.”
“Come here,” says the Third Angel, “to stand with the brethren unitedly against the Beast and his image, enduring the final trials, and revealing the love of Yahweh in our work of serving others.”
When you have the anointing, you will serve others. When you have it, you share it.
When the priest is chosen, anointed, then he receives the role of the intercessor. Then his prayers are heard, and answered, and He can mediate between the Creator and the creation.
When the king is chosen, anointed, literally smeared with oil, then he receives the kingdom. Then he has authority to govern.
This is the grand calling to which we are invited. It does not matter how many years someone has been called a Christian, a minister, a pastor, a preacher... if they have not received the gift of faith, which allows them to rely on the promises of Yahweh with no doubting, with no “What if I fail,” with no, “I don't have it yet, but I'll probably get it someday,” without the anointing that drives these thoughts away, they have nothing to offer but an empty altar. But they may receive it. Anyone may receive it. Angels of Yahweh are prepared with that anointing oil, to smear on the forehead of anyone who says, “I am willing. I am ready.”
For those of us who have already made this testimony, let us, brethren, give that testimony to the world, so that the name of our Father will be vindicated before all of the creation, and so that the restoration of all things will finally appear.
David.