1 John 2:20-27
Introduction
The Anointing is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. It enables the believer to understand, apply, and administer spiritual truth. Simply put, the presence of The Anointing enables believers to have a spiritual connection. The Holy Spirit indwells us and allows us to connect to the spiritual realm so that we can receive and understand spiritual data as it is transferred from heaven to earth. The spiritual receptivity that comes as a result of The Anointing allows us to maintain fellowship with God because of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Anointing allows us to discern truth from error. It is a detector that allows us to know right from wrong. The book of 1 John was addressed to Christians in danger of being susceptible to wrong information from false teachers. John wanted believers to know that they had The Anointing because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. While The Anointing may not be fully operating or fully utilized, he wanted believers to understand that they still possessed The Anointing provided by the Spirit of God. The presence of the Holy Spirit cancels the need for adopting a secular, non-Christian worldview that leaves God out as the beginning of all wisdom. The Anointing gives us everything we need to progress through life and gives access to God’s divine wisdom. Wisdom starts with the fear of God. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the always-on-and-available connection to God that we need for living. The Anointing also equips us for Christian service because it enables us to minster to others. Just like prophets, priests and kings were anointed in the Old Testament to serve God’s purposes in history, the anointing provided by the Holy Spirit gives believers the ability to do what we were created to do for His glory.
The Anointing requires intimate fellowship with God through the practice of abiding. In order to pick up the signals available in the spiritual realm, you’ve got to be close in contact with God. Walking in the fullness of what The Anointing provides also requires conformity to the truth. What you hear, you must obey. If the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, He will not operate in an environment where there is no truth at work. If you are operating in a lie – worldly wisdom that does not agree with God’s truth – then The Anointing won’t kick in for you. Enjoying the fullness of the Spirit’s anointing also requires living in love. In other words, you cannot be against your brother illegitimately and be hurting the body of Christ, and expect to fully experience God.
Getting Started
- Prior to this week’s sermon, how would you have defined the anointing? How did your definition of the anointing differ, if at all, from the explanation provided in this week’s message?
- What new truth about the Holy Spirit did this sermon teach you?
Let’s Get Personal
- In what area(s) of your life are you needing the Spirit’s anointing manifested?
- Can you think of a time when you relied more on the wisdom of the world instead of the spiritual insight available to you from the anointing of the Holy Spirit?
- Would you describe yourself as “spiritually connected?” Why or why not?
Take the Next Step
- Operating in the anointing of the Holy Spirit involves abiding, living in light of God’s truth, and loving others. What do you need to do differently to activate the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?
- Abiding in our relationship with God is paramount to our full experience of the Holy Spirit. Take some time to share how you abide in the Word and with the Lord. In doing so, the members of your group can help each other discover the variety of ways you each go about staying connected to God and experiencing the anointing of the Spirit.
- Want to go deeper? Take a look at the following passages: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18-19; 24:27-35; John 14:17; 15:7; 2 Kings 6:14-17; Psalm 119:18; Acts 10:38.
Renew Your Mind
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
