Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath anointed me” (Luke 4:18). Regeneration by the Holy Spirit produces Life! The infilling of the Holy Spirit produces Christian Character! The Anointing of the Holy Spirit is always for service!
It is possible that the anointing of God’s Spirit may be upon a person who does not have Christian character or the fruit of the spirit. This was the case with Samson. The Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he would do exploits. Even when his life was inconsistent with Godly principles, the anointing continued to rest upon him for a long period of time.
Some have confused the “blessing of the Lord” or “the inspiration of the Spirit” with the “anointing of the Spirit.” Unless we are committed to service, there is no anointing upon us. When Jesus stood in the synagogue and read the Scripture concerning the anointing, He immediately began His public ministry (Luke 4:18-19).
Jesus was born of the Spirit, and as He entered into His earthly ministry, the anointing of God’s Spirit rested heavily upon Him.
As a young man raised in the parsonage of a Pentecostal preacher, I would on occasions see ministries that God was using where their lives did not measure up to Godly standards and principles. This often troubled me because I felt that an anointing upon a ministry was always a guarantee that the ministry was conducting itself in righteousness and Godliness.
It was a revelation to me to learn that the anointing often rests upon vessels who are immature, inconsistent, and even unholy. Sooner or later, God deals with these defects; but, in the process, his power and Anointing will continue to rest upon that person.
In Exodus 30, we are given a divine order of things. in verses 11-16, provision is made for God’s people in redemption. Then, in verses 17-21, the Lord spoke to Moses and instructed him to make “a layer of bronze.” This was so the redeemed people of God could know the cleansing power of God. (Hebrews 10:22, 1 John 1:9).
God continues to speak to Moses in Exodus 30:22-23 concerning the holy anointing oil. After redemption and after cleansing, anointing was available. God said in verse 30, “And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.”
The anointing oil was placed upon the priest in order for him to minister in the priest’s offic. The anointing oil was never to be placed on a stranger. The only things that were to be anointed were those vessels, instruments, and persons that would serve the Lord in ministry. The anointing was for service!
INSPIRATION VERSUS ANOINTING
There is a difference between inspiration and anointing. Inspiration is an emotional experience! It is a stimulus to our thoughts and our actions. It is a stimulus to our thoughts and our actions. It prompts an emotional response. Ministries can be inspired by the reaction of the crowd or by the size of the crowd. They can become excited and emotional over the content of their message.
Inspiration can be produced when a speaker is gifted in stirring and moving an audience. The beat or the rhythm of music can inspire. The intonation and the content of a sermon can produce inspiration. The mood and the reaction of the people can be an inspiring experience. However, all of theis can be present without the anointing of the Spirit of God.
It is easy to experience “inspiration” in the secular world. The comedian experiences it. The actor on the stage knows well what it means to be inspired. The athlete on the playing field can perform with exciting inspiration and can accomplish a great deal under the power and strength of it.
The Holy Spirit is the only one that can anoint. This anointing rests upon a person when the commitment to service is made.