Being Anointed in Our Calling
ICS Daily Devotions
1 John 2:27 (NKJV) 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 prayed for the believers in Ephesians 1:15-22, he was asking the person of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of wisdom and revelation—to be given to them, so that their eyes of understanding would be opened and they would know the riches of their inheritance in Christ. That’s why we need to get to know the person of the Holy Spirit during our time on earth. He is our Teacher, Helper, and Comforter.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t just help us understand Scripture, but also in the areas where He has called us. All of us have an anointing from God, which is a direct empowerment, an unction to function in the roles and gifts He has given us. In simple terms, the anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, teaching us how to move in His abilities. He uses us as a channel through which He does His work in the people around us. If we view our work as worship, we are a testimony in the marketplace and can minister to those around us with His wisdom and anointing. He will instruct us on how to respond in specific situations and when to minister to others.
We are the royal priesthood, the living stones that comprise the spiritual house of God, and we are consecrated with an anointing to preach the gospel and carry out God’s work through our calling in the marketplace. All of us need to know that such gifts exist, and having the foundation of the logos Word will allow the Holy Spirit to activate what He has placed in us. Then, we must learn to yield to the Holy Spirit and step out boldly to find out how the gift operates and how the Lord leads us.
Finally, we must remember that we are vessels and channels of God, as we have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of those around us. The nine gifts are: the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, the discerning of spirits, the gift of faith, the gift of healings, the working of miracles, the gift of tongues, the gift of interpretation of tongues, and the gift of prophecy.
If they are gifts given by God, it is His work, His power, and His abilities at work within us, and has nothing to do with our human abilities. The gifts of the Holy Spirit will operate when the anointing is present to flow. If we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit within us, we can sense the leading of the anointing.
Sermon Series: The Unction to Function
