The Lamp
Biblical teachings and tools geared to help you have, and enjoy, a full spiritual life in Christ.
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Subject: Your Identity as anointed
Subject: A deeper look at what it means to be anointed
“But you have been anointed by the Holy One... But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him” (1 John 2:20, 27).
Similarly to the concept of consecration, Anointing with oil was also used as a symbol of inauguration. Anointing in the Old Testament was used to demonstrate God’s choice to elect people to a special office. This sacred practice can be seen in electing kings (1 Samuel 9:16 and 10:1, 1 Kings 1:34, 1 Kings 1:39), prophets (1 Kings 19:16, 1 Chron. 16:22, Psalms 105:15), and priests (Exodus 40:15, Numbers 3:3, Exodus 29:29, Leviticus 16:32, Leviticus 4:3). The anointing of the priests - the high priest especially - was the most common religious practice among the Jews (William Smith). It was a very sacred symbol. It conveyed the revelation of God’s choice for electing a people or individual to an office. This was not just a profound revelation of God choosing to use His people for His soteriological agenda, but it was also understood as endowing people with power. George B. Eager states, “Among the Hebrews, it was believed not only that it effected a transference to the anointed one of something of the holiness and virtue of the deity in whose name and by whose representative the rite was performed, but also that it imparted a special endowment of the spirit of Yahweh.” This understanding can be seen in 1 Samuel 16:13 and Isaiah 61:1.
When John was inspired to write this Passage in 1 John 2, He knew the people receiving this revelation would have had these things in mind. Anointing was familiar to them. Very familiar. They would have had the above concepts and practices ingrained upon their hearts and minds, because the act of anointing was very culturally relevant to this audience. And, in relation to the date of writing, it is difficult to discern. While most believe it was written toward the end of the 1st century, “It is called ‘general,’ because it was not written and sent to any particular church, or person, and not because it was for the general use of the churches, for so are all the particular epistles but because it was written to the Christians in general, or to the believing Jews in general wherever they were” (John Gill). The reader’s ancestral and cultural understanding of anointing with oil, and their understanding of the broad (non-specific) target audience, would have had great impact on their minds and hearts. Firstly, before answering our main question, it is important to note that John would not have known all of those which would have received this Epistle. Whoah! He did not know all of those that would read this inspired Text. It makes one wonder how he could have so confidently declared, “you have been anointed!” He did not know them! But he did know the reality was the Believers’ new identity was established upon their conversion. Upon placing faith in Jesus Christ, the Christian is made new (ref. Eph. 1:13-14 and 2 Cor. 5:17). They are given an entirely new identity in Christ. No exceptions. Every single believer is a recipient of a new anointed identity. How incredible is it to know that you have been anointed. God has covered you with His Spirit. He has poured over you the oil of empowering so that you may walk as Jesus walked, live as Jesus lived, die as Jesus died, give as Jesus gave. “You have been anointed.” You are just as anointed as any other believer in the Body of Christ. No one is more or less anointed than anyone else. We are equals in the Kingdom of God. We are anointed for His glory! 
{The “anointing that you have received,” is written in the Aorist Indicative Active. This demonstrates a single, effective, one-time action. It “states an action that occurs without regard to its duration. It is analogous to a snapshot which captures action at a specific point in time. In the indicative mood, aorist can indicate punctiliar action (happens at a specific point in time) in past” (Precept Austin). This only further intensifies the dramatic work of God, upon salvation, to anoint His people with the Holy Spirit. Reference Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18, and Acts 10:38 }
With the cultural, historical, and grammatical information given above, we can answer our question. “what does this say about God, and what does this require of us?” What does this identity statement say about God?
First, it should be obvious that it reveals a God that covers His people. He is present. He is near. He covers us. God gives the Holy Spirit to his people. Being identified as anointed reveals an Anointer who cares.
The readers of John’s letter would have, no doubt, understood this in terms of the common use for anointing. They would have connected the fact of anointing was used to cover foul odors. They more than likely would have seen this to reveal a God who beautifies. Moreover, this conjures to mind the idea that the Holy Spirit covers the foul stench of our sin. This is incredible! How amazing is it to know that we are covered, not with a temporary anointing that can be washed off with water. Rather, we are covered with God Himself. God permanently covers those who place their faith in Him. What a good God. Also, in line with its historical and cultural context, it reveals something about the choice of God. It shows how the Almighty chose to elect us to a particular office. All believers. All those anointed by the Holy Spirit. It highlights the choice of God for the election. It was God’s Choice. It was His desire. It is the plan to elect you to participate with Him in His redemptive plan. Heaven’s prerogative was to partner with the Redeemed to extend the invitation for salvation, hope, life, and love to the world. This reveals a God who calls and qualifies all Believers to a sacred calling. He is not waiting for you to qualify yourself. He is not waiting for you to know your Bible better. He is not waiting for you to get your master’s degree. He is not waiting for you to feel qualified. He chose you! He elected you to be a part of His royal priesthood. The moment you gave your life to the Lord, He anointed you. He chose to ordain you to His great and glorious purposes.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Going deeper, it shows a God who consecrated you. Is demonstrates a God who set you apart for divine use. He made you holy unto Himself. Like when God chose to consecrate the tabernacle with anointing oil, He also consecrated you for sacred use. You have been set apart for service to God. He chose you!
It also presents a God who chose to empower you. It shows that God not only qualifies you to serve Him, it promulgates how God also equips you. In the same way as Jesus was “anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power,” so are you (Acts 10:38). Being that our identity is that of anointed, and being in Christ (in the Anointed One), God chose to place “the The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isaiah 61:1-4). And again, this choice is seen in Jesus’s statement to the disciples. He declared, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). He chose to call, elect, and empower you.
“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” ( 2 Tim. 1:7).
Lastly, this reveals another facet of our God. He chose you to take ownership of a particular calling and purpose. He chose to elect you to the office of priestly ambassador, and He chose to give you ownership over it. He places the responsibility upon us to steward our calling. The Old Testament and the New Testament are full of examples of men and women who succeeded and/or failed to steward what God had given them. This includes king Saul, Deborah, king David, Samson, king Ahaz, Eli, Eli’s sons, Peter, Paul, and many others. God chose to elect many priests, kings, judges, and prophets who failed to steward the office to which they were called. Many others succeeded. This demonstrates, further, how our identity as anointed reveals the fact of God’s choice to give us ownership of our calling and purpose. God gave us the freedom and responsibility to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1-7).
This leads us perfectly into our next question... What does this require of me?
First, it requires the refreshing revelation of the fact that God chose you! Understanding our new identity as anointed from a proper cultural framework, we can identify a heavenly expectation. Being anointed of the Holy Spirit, this tells us that God’s expects us “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” God requires us to “live up to what we have already attained” (Phil. 3:16). Being anointed. Being elected to a special office. Being given a high calling and sacred purpose. Being anointed of God shows us that we are called to serve God and minister God’s love to others. God’s exceptionless expectation for us is that of priestly ambassadors.
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matt. 28:18-20).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore,we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us...” (2 Cor. 5:17-20)
Second, it requires you to take ownership of that to which God has called you. No matter where life has brought you. Wherever you are. mountain top or valley. Stream or desert. You have been anointed. You have been entrusted by God. Convenient or not, God has elected you and appointed you to an important office. You are called to serve God by sharing Jesus with the world around you. You have been set apart for divine use. No exceptions. Your new identity demonstrates the potent reality of responsibility. God asks that you take ownership of that to which you have been called!
You are anointed wherever you are. You carry the Presence of God with you. Where you are in life is where you have been sent as a priestly ambassador. To your family. To your co-workers. To your boss. To your wife. To your children. To your barista. To your waiter. To your social media following. To your kids. You are to minister the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ everywhere we are. It doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t have to be complicated. This is simply doing good. Sharing your faith. Explaining your hope in the face of trial. Going “out of your way” to pray from someone. Dying to self. Loving as Jesus loved. Living as Jesus lived. Giving as Jesus gave.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9-10).
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Subject: A closer look at our identity.
Subject: What being Righteous reveals about God, and what it requires of us? 
One of the most incredible aspects of our new God-given identity is that of being righteous. This is a true treasure. Being made righteous before God is a gem in the heart of the Believer. But what exactly does this mean?
We have heard about this aspect of our new identity. We have heard it declared. We have heard it confessed. We have heard it offered as a positive affirmation meant to reinforce who we are! The way our righteous identity is most regularly taught is not wrong. It is, however, more than a vocal profession. It simply leaves us with a desire for something with a more profound affect in our lives. It is a revelation of something deeper. As it is with most Biblical identity statements, a closer look at our identity of righteous will reveal something about God. It will, also, reveal something about what is expected of those made righteous. 
What does it mean to be righteous?
In other words, righteousness is tied to the act of justification. This action occurs when a good judge – a judge who desires fair justice – makes a declaration of one's innocence. The declaration of one's innocence is the act of Justification. Upon receiving a just declaration of innocence, the individual on trial is reckoned righteous (right/just) in the eyes of the court of law. The declaration of an innocent verdict leaves the accused in right-standing with the judge and governing body. s begun in them by declaring them righteous" (Peter Toon).
This is why understanding ourselves as righteous is one of the most treasured, life-giving realities. This is a gift to the undeserving that is centered in the heart of God's mercy, grace, and love. Our fallen and sinful nature is inherently guilty before a good, fair, and just God. And so while we naturally deserve to receive a damning verdict, God graciously frees us from shame and guilt if we were to place our faith in Jesus Christ. What an incredible God – not requiring of us the impossible task of trying to earn our own salvation and right-standing. Instead, He gifts righteousness and freedom to mankind because of the substitutionary death of Messiah. God knew that "what was impossible with man is possible with God" so He made our identity as righteous attainable through believing in Jesus. Gal. 2:16 states, "yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified" (ESV). As mentioned in our introduction and as you can tell from this teaching, any discussion or study on the Believer's identity requires us, first, to ask the question, "what does this say about God?" And this is especially true of our identity as righteous. What does it tell us about God?
It should be evident from the legal description above, God is a good and justice-loving Judge. This is both a refreshing and terrifying reality. God is the ultimate Judge over all of creation. As stated in Philippians, there will be a day when "every knee will bow... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ" is the righteous standard by which everyone will be judged (Phil. 2:10-11).
Furthermore, God's generosity is set clearly upon display, here. The mercy and love of the generous Judge are seen in that the righteous standard of Christ is imputed to man through faith in Jesus. What an incredible revelation of our Lord! We have the legal and spiritual requirements for an innocent verdict gifted (or imparted) to us, if we personally place our faith in Jesus. On that great and glorious day, when we stand before the Holy Judge, all of those who received the innocence of Christ will be ushered into the eternal state to enjoy the blessings of infinite joy and painless perfection. Whoah! How generous and merciful is that!? We do not deserve it. We could not earn it. Rather, God generously allows the righteous standard found in Messiah to be gifted to all who would believe. 
"First, Yahweh-Elohim, the Lord God, is righteous in that he speaks and Acts in accordance with the purity of his own holy nature; further, what he says and does for Israel is in accordance with his establishment of the covenant with this people (see Psalm 22:31 ; 40:10; 51:14; 71:15-24; Amos 5:21-24). Micah declared the righteousness of God as his faithfulness to keep and act within the covenant and thus to save Israel from her enemies, as well as to vindicate the penitent" (Peter Toon).
What does this mean? This means exactly what we have been talking discussing. The gift of a righteous identity illustrates something about the actions of God. It should be evident, now, that we cannot look at our new identity in Christ without seeing how God interacts with mankind – specifically the goodness of God! What Peter Toon is trying highlight is the concept of righteousness is connected to God's covenant faithfulness. God is faithful and acts faithfully to keep and apply His covenant promises to His people. Simply put, Romans 1:17 shows us that God's righteousness is seen in that He is the faithful giver of this incredible gift. From the faith of our ancestors to the faith of our contemporaries, God is faithful to act in accordance with His character. It is profoundly refreshing to know that our righteousness in Christ gives us a very personal and intimate glimpse into the faithful actions of a Covenant Keeping God! What demands does this place on us?
While the term “demand” may make us a bit uneasy, it does need to be understood that being made righteous places certain expectations upon us (reference work from Douglas Buckwalter). We can know that being made righteous was not without cause. We were made righteous for a purpose. It needs to be understood that the purpose of this gift is more than just vociferous affirmations and confession. Here, we will look at the purpose of this reality and attempt to offer the expectations placed upon us by way of that purpose." (3:16; NIV). This means the expectation of us is to let the Joy of our right standing before God move the heart to works of righteousness. After having been reckoned right before God, our lives should intersect that reality.
If you have heard any teachings on your new righteous identity, it is clear that it offers a value proposition for who we are. First, it shows us that we are fully and completely absolved of guilt before God. The technical terminology is "positional righteousness." Before God, we are wholly vindicated and made right. We are positionally viewed by God as being perfectly innocent in His presence. This does not, of course, mean that we cannot sin or cannot make mistakes. Rather, this shows us that according to heaven's judicial system we are innocent before God! What a treasured reality.
Also, it proves to the soul that we have entered into a covenant relationship with God. (1 Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer..."). While being absolved of guilt, and spiritually and positionally viewed as justified, it declares our right-standing before the Lord. In short, this means we can enjoy a shameless and condemnationless relationship with God. Our right-standing with God allows us to experience the full joys of a relationship with our Savior! What a treasured reality. This is true and wonderful, but we must ask still one more question. "what demands does this place on us?" There are two primary demands that being made righteous places upon the believer. First, it is clear that being made righteous – being given the gift of righteousness before God – means that we are to live righteously. This point becomes clear in one of my favorite Scriptures. In Philippians 3, God inspired Paul to write about one is made righteous before God. In summation, it is by placing your faith in Jesus Christ that justifies you before God and makes you righteous. But in one of the most profound, practical applications to our new identity, the Bible states, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained" (3:16; NIV). This means the expectation of us is to let the Joy of our right-standing before God move the heart to works of righteousness. After having been reckoned right before God, our lives should intersect that reality. "Only let us live up to what we have already attained" (3:16; NIV). Look at what Peter Toon says about righteousness as it pertains to the life of the Believers: "... the covenant people of God are called to live righteously, that is, in conformity to the demands of the covenant and according to God's will (see Psalm 1:4-6; 11:7; 72:1; Isa 1:16-17). Having within the covenantal relation with God the gift of salvation, they are to behave as the people of the holy Lord." Scripture also attests to this. We know that faith is pleasing to God, but we also know that we are called (upon being saved) to live righteous and holy lives. Psalm 11:7 declares, "For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face." And again, Ephesians 2:8-10 highlights, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." This means that our new righteous identity demands that our lives be lived ever in conformity to the righteous standard of Jesus Christ. We are to "live up to what we have already attained." 
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8-10)
Lastly, it demands the refreshing and regular engagement of our relationship with God. Like briefly mentioned above, the gift of right-standing before the Lord allows us to enter into a relationship with God – one that is devoid of shame, condemnation, and guilt. We have been made right with God, and now we can freely enter into that relationship through prayer, fasting, reading the Scripture, fellowship, etc. The other purpose for having been made righteous before God to freely, regularly, and consistently enjoy our relationship. We can engage and press into a relationship with God. One that is not limited by guilt or shame. We can be bold and confident. We can seek the Lord and know that He is near. We no longer need to consider ourselves separated from Him. We have been made right with the purpose of relationship. May we, now, go and seek our Savior in ways that are unrestrained by condemnation and fear. "And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2:17-18). |
Dusty DahlinMarried with two boys, Dusty is dedicated to his family, the Church were he pastors, and the life-long pursuit of knowing God more fully. There is nothing Dusty loves more than serving God by helping others understand the treasures of Scripture. Archives
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