HOW WE CAN HINDER GOD’S ANOINTING

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

We have all listened to Bible teachers or pastors that seemed to teach and preach right to our heart. We are overwhelmed with how it seems like God is talking directly through them to us personally. We have also participated in worship experiences where the selection of songs by the worship leader and the way they lead us in worship seems to take us to the very throne of God. These are what we might call precious anointed times when God works through people to minister to His children.

 

We may also have felt ourselves being used in such a fashion. We may simply be sharing with our neighbor about Christ and the words just all fall into place and we are amazed at how God was able to use us. Possibly we step out in faith to serve in a ministry and we are surprised at how well we can minister to others using our spiritual gifts and natural talents. These too are precious anointed times when we realize that God works through us even though we are weak in our faith and not confident of our abilities.

 

But can we at times minister in the flesh without God’s anointing? Can we be living in sin and hinder the anointing that God had placed in and on our lives? Can we detect when people are attempting to minister to us in the Spirit with an anointing of God but the Spirit is far from them and any anointing they claim is counterfeit? Possibly we need to know more about what “anointing’ is and what allows it to function in the life of a believer.

 

Most Bible dictionaries describe, “anointing” as it applies to people as someone set apart for a particular work or service. Anyone who is called a disciple of Christ is said to be anointed, set apart for service (2 Corinthians 1:21). “Anointing” expresses the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit upon Christians who are priests and kings unto God and we know that all believers are members of His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Anointing is not only for kings, prophets and priests; it is for anyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual anointing is accomplished as the Holy Spirit anoints a person’s heart and mind with the love and truth of God.

 

There’s a verse in Isaiah that illustrates how important it is to have anointing from God when you are ministering.

    

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

  

As you can see, Isaiah was aware that God’s Holy Spirit was upon Him for a specific purpose. He was anointed to preach, to help those who were wounded, to tell of the forgiveness and grace that is available from God, to comfort those who were in mourning and were suffering from grief. He was used by God to encourage anyone who was oppressed or in despair.

 

Jesus was anointed for He was the Son of God. Scripture discusses this in Psalms 2:2 where a “prophesy” speaks of the coming of Christ. The New Testament also mentions Jesus being anointed in Acts 4:26-27, 10:38.

 

Any man or woman who has a relationship with God can be used for ministry because they are anointed as a believer. But often the degree that a Christian is surrendered to Christ, obedient to the Word and willing to be used, determines how God can work in their lives and in their ministry to others for God’s glory. There are also times when God determines that there will be a need for special grace or empowerment of anointing for a specific task or purpose in ministry. There is usually something special that is perceived by others when someone is anointed in this manner. There is a sense that God is using natural talents and spiritual gifts beyond their normal capabilities to achieve great tasks, overcome obstacles or minister deeply to those that have needs. God can always use us to minister; but sometimes He wishes to bless us with extra power, courage and abilities to accomplish His purposes.

 

In the Old Testament many individuals were “anointed.” Saul, David, Solomon were all anointed by God, but if you read scripture you will notice that when they fell from their relationship with God, drastic events took place. They lost any anointing on their leadership that resulted from their earlier obedience. Their leadership and families were all affected as well as the people that were under their rule.

 

Other examples in the Bible of people anointed by God are prophets and priests. Prophets were used to communicate to people God’s will and instruction. Priests oversaw the temple rituals and practices. Each position of ministry required these men or women to be anointed by God so that they could function in the manner in which they were called.

 

Someone anointed by God will often manifest gifts of the Spirit while they minister. It is also true that the fruits of the Spirit will be evident in the life of a Believer that is anointed because they are mature and being led by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s activities in a believer’s life are often pictured in terms associated with anointing. Anointing can also allow a person special understanding in spiritual matters. This is mentioned in the following scripture passage.

    

1 John 2:20

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”

 

When we wander from our relationship with the Lord it affects not only our personal life in many ways it definitely affects how we can be used by God to minister to others and bring Him honor and glory. While we can’t lose our salvation, we can hinder our ministry because our anointing is restricted due to our poor relationship with God.

 

Are there instances where a Christian is out of fellowship with God or living in sin and other Christians cannot discern the problem at hand? Yes, I believe that there are times when some Christians cannot discern the heart of such a person. 1 John 2:27 talks about a “counterfeit anointing” which gives the impression that a false teacher has the anointing of God but really does not. Many times personal charisma or natural skills and talents will portray a godly anointing when it is far from the real thing. No one can know the deepest secrets of a person’s heart except the Lord. Scripture tells us that sometimes only God can discern the hearts of men and women.

 

Luke 16:14-15

“The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’”

 

Often we can be impressed by the charismatic personality of someone or the natural talents they possess. Our perceptions can be clouded and we may be fooled. We may assume the person is a great spiritual reservoir of truth and honor when in actuality their relationship with the Lord is in serious trouble. Many times the only Christians who are able to perceive such falsehood are those with the gift of spiritual discernment. Of course we are all aware that God is constantly aware of what is in the hearts and minds of everyone. He always knows what is happening in our lives no matter how we might be able to deceive or mislead others.

 

This is why it is so important for each and every Christian to be involved in a local fellowship and accountable to other Christians. We must grow in the Lord and the knowledge of His Word. As spiritual gifts are manifested and used, God can intervene in such situations not only protect His Church, but also to restore to fellowship the person who has neglected their relationship with the Lord.

 

We must strive to always remain close to the Lord as we study scripture, pray regularly, fellowship at a local church and serve God to the best of our ability. These acts of obedience and spiritual pleasure will assure that we retain the quality of our anointing as a Christian and will cultivate our ability to be anointed as we serve God. We must also be careful not to seek special anointing as a way of life. These are special and distributed by God through His Holy Spirit. He is the one that decides when and if any person should receive such an anointing. Our task and calling as Christians is to uphold and fulfill our commitment to our God, live within the anointing we have as Christians to minister to those in need, obey scripture, evangelize the lost, pray without ceasing, fellowship with other Christians and worship the Lord in all we do. Too often we seek special blessings or anointing for selfish motives. We need to remember that God usually uses us in our weakness to minister mightily without a special anointing.

 

I would encourage you to live as you are called as a child of God. Seek to be the true servant of Jesus Christ that you were meant to be. Live up to your calling as an anointed one. You will have peace and joy as you see how great God can use you to meet the needs of others, bring others to Christ, see how powerful your prayer can be and experience how God works in the smallest details of your life. Let us live within the blessings of God’s anointing. Sometimes He may give you a special anointing to accomplish something necessary for His will to be done. He wants you ready, willing and prepared if He needs to call upon you.

 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

 

Psalms 45:7

“You love righteousness and hate wickedness: therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”