Anointed by the Holy One
ICS Daily Devotions
1 John 2:20, 27 (NKJV) But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things….But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
When the Apostle Paul said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him in Philippians 4:13, he was not referring to his strength but a divine strength that enabled him to do what he was called to do. Likewise, every one of us is anointed by God to fulfil our callings in life. We will have God’s strength or the unction to function to fulfil the calling that He has assigned to us, even when we are persecuted in the process.
The biblical definition of anointing refers to the Spirit of God upon and within a person’s life. It is an unction to function in serving the Lord by being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to fulfil the callings and roles of our lives. It is a spiritual enablement that comes upon us and flows from within us. The Holy Spirit is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He is the Creator who brought everything into being through God’s spoken Word. King Solomon was anointed by God. Hence, the wisdom of God was applied in the natural realm through his governance of the kingdom. Similarly, we are also given an edge over others, especially unbelievers.
The grace of God is made available to us when we walk in the calling of God. Grace is an inner strength that enables us to do the work despite challenges and not crumble when the going gets tough. We will be resilient, able to bounce back after being hard pressed on all sides. When we are anointed for His purpose, spiritual gifts are given to us to be effective for Him in the marketplace and ministry.
However, there are limitations because the anointing is confined to what God has called us to do. Unfortunately, many Christians are functioning and working outside of God’s calling, in areas of what they want to do rather than what God has called them to do. Therefore, it would be wise to align ourselves with what God has called us to do. This way, our burden will be light and the yoke will be easy. If Jesus, who is the Son of God made it a choice only to do what God has called Him to do, all of us should do likewise.
The Holy Spirit’s work is not limited to helping us understand the Scriptures. He also helps us with the anointing to function well in our callings. However, to live out God’s callings in our lives, we also need to remain humble, teachable, and have faith. Most importantly, we must abide in Him (1 John 2:27) as it can’t be done without deep fellowship with God, particularly the Holy Spirit.
Sermon Series：The Unction to Function
