Chapter 5
He Anoints
We cannot tell this thrilling story in all its meaning. But we will not pass by the record of John in his first epistle, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 John 2:27). We have already suggested this scripture in our effort to make clear the work of the Holy Ghost in His ministry of repeated filling and renewing. Here is not a repeated work, suggested by John, but a constant relationship. The anointing which “ye have received abideth in you.”
It is this anointing that has an Old Testament background. It carries with it the thought of dedication. Just as the utensils and equipment of the tabernacle of old were anointed with oil- and consecrated to the worship of the tabernacle, so we are to be anointed with the Holy Ghost and forever, if we will have it so, set aside in full dedication to the service of God. The significance of the potential permanence of the coming of the Holy Ghost into the human life is seen in that bit of record of long ago concerning Daniel, the man of God.
“Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was at Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace . . thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting” (Daniel 5:2, 4, 5, 27).
God ignored the revelry of the pagan king until he sought to use those vessels once dedicated to the worship of the holy God. When the drunken king prostituted those sacred instruments, though long since carried away in the captivity, to the drunken worship of the gods of his land, God spoke.
The truth is apparent. Anointing carries with it the final dedication to sacred and holy ends which must never be annulled. As someone has said, reconsecration is desecration. The anointing of the Holy Ghost when He comes in His fullness to the life, means that henceforth that life is peculiarly and permanently God’s.
But the anointing itself had and has a definite purpose. The anointing of the Holy Ghost implies permanent tutorship and spiritual guidance and instruction. His constant anointing bring sinner illumination and understanding. His teaching is to take precedence over all outward instruction.
He brings with Him all potential knowledge of eternal things for He searcheth all things and knoweth the mind of the Father, It is to this spiritual instruction we are to gladly yield as He teaches us, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until our inner being enjoys an increasing grasp of eternal truth. Whether it be from the recorded Word or from passing event His skillful instruction will make all who heed wise unto salvation. As Paul declares, “But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:9,10).
Spiritual truths and grasp of eternal principles are taught the anointed soul making that one clearly intelligent in the things of God and no longer swept about with every wind of doctrine and the cunning sleight of men, It has long been our personal contention that the one anointed with the Holy Ghost will not be led into error, For He who is the Spirit of Truth will ever warn the soul of spurious teaching, no matter how cleverly obscured, And as John emphasizes in this same passage, the anointing of the Spirit is truth. We need never question His accuracy or insight. We need never wonder if His instruction will lead us astray. He is the Spirit of Truth and His anointing, if honored and consistently respected, will lead the soul on into the heights and depths of spiritual attainment unknown to many.