“we have the unction”1John: 2:20
Some can mistake hyper emotionalism or
unorthodox behavior for the Unction of the Spirit, or they may behave in a way
which they have been told they are expected to behave, in ecstatically or
flamboyance or apparitious ways, or that the Unction of God is only manifested
in a specific way in the life of Christians.
The Greek word translated unction is Charisma
it means to “smear” as anointing oil. It can view as setting a
part for receive an endowment which is bestowed upon us for the fulfillment of
a role.
This same word is used latter in St. John’s
1st Epistle, but here it has been rendered as anointing.
In verse 27 the same
word is translated anointing.
“As for you, the anointing you
received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But
as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real,
not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (27)
What is the unction? Do Christians today
have it? Have you, had an or the “unction” of the
Holy Spirit? How would know? What form(s) does the unction of the Spirit take
within the lives of Christians?
Does This Happen Today?
While preaching, pastors or teachers might
have the “unction” of the Holy Spirit, and the unction can be
experienced as a sudden burst of understanding or insight in regards to a
subject or a verse which they had not previously considered nor planned for in
the preparation of the sermon. This unction can lead to addressing information
which presses or emerges into the speaker’s stream of conciseness in such a way
that it cannot be ignored and must be spoken.
The unction may be experienced as a strong
prompting from within to speak on a subject or to address a particular
person(s). Or it can be a persistent thought which is recurring and seems that
it will not fade, or maybe, something just stays on your mind until you act or
do or not do the subject of the prompting.
We can receive the “unction” to
pray for a person(s) or situation(s) or find our prayers to be very intense
regrading a person. The unction, may come upon us suddenly at
unusual times, we may find ourselves awoken suddenly for no apparent reason
from sleep with a person, a friend or pastor “heavy” on our heart leading
us to get up and pray for the person or situation.
During Bible Study, whether alone or in a
group setting, or hearing a sermon, a verse or section of Scripture will
suddenly take on a “highly personal meaning” to us,
that it seems, to be speaking directly to us, or understanding will surface in
our minds which we had not previously known.
How to Discern
How can we know if such “unction” or “prompting” and
leading are of God or Satan or just the self? Is there a way for us to know?
The first thing is, that if an “unction” is
coming from the Holy Spirit the "unction" will never lead us
to do anything which is contrary to what we find revealed in the Holy Word of
God and will always direct us to the person of Jesus Christ.
The “unction” will
always be “edifying” and will build up rather than tear down, it
will augment rather than diminish a person and will be for the good. It will
challenge our human nature and will be opposed to the pulls of the flesh.
St. Paul tells us in his letter to the
Christians at Roman that we are led by the Holy Spirit but we are not “forced”
by the Holy Spirit, that is, God will not usurp our own personal sovereignty
and make us do something.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of
God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you
slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought
about your adoption to sonship” Rom: 8:14-15
St. Paul also, even in relationship to
the “gifts of the Spirit” says that they are exercised under
our own control. The Holy Spirit somehow does not displace us, but rather, we
are able to choose to or not to respond to the Spirit’s prompting, which in
most cases is gentle even in its intensity.
“Spirit of the prophets is
subject to the prophets” 1Cor: 14:32-33
Over time, as we grow in Christian maturity and gain experiences with our Lord Jesus we will come know if it is God or not, because we know and recognize his voice. That does not mean that we will hear an audible voice, but that is not to say that God cannot or has never spoken in such a way with a believer. The voice of God which we come to recognize is that of a calm, gentle, patient and understanding, yet filled with a passionate love toward and for us all.
“the Sheep know my voice” Jhn: 10:27
This knowing the voice of our Lord is
what we come to read in the Psalms when the Psalmist wrote.
“be still and know that I am God” Ps: 46:10
We hear God speaking to us through Bible
Study and counsel with God’s ministers and fellowship through the brethren and
prayer and worship in our local assemblies.
Glorifying Jesus
If it is the “unction” of God which is rest upon us by the Holy
Spirit, the prompting will glorify God through Jesus Christ. The "unction
of the Holy Spirit will set our minds and heart to always look to and trust
Jesus, for the Holy Spirit will always point us to Christ and in always things
seek to give us a deeper revelation of who Jesus is. If the sources of the
impulse which has arisen in our hearts is anything else it will seek to glorify
the self and satisfy the flesh in some form.
"However, when the Spirit of
truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His
own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to
come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to
you. Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said
that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you."Jhn:16:13-15
The “unction” of the Holy
Spirit will strengthen or reconcile a relationship with God and others, binding
each closer together in Christian fellowship and or set the stage for future
reconciliation, which calls upon us to grow in our own maturity as children of
God.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be
patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Eph: 4:2-3
Conditions for Unction
We must be on our guard so as to keep the
flesh from detracting from what God wants us to do. We need to keep our minds
and hearts stayed ever on Jesus and all things relation to our Savior.
“Since, then, you have been raised with
Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right
hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Col: 3:1-2
Through a singular view upon Jesus and
steady intake of the Word of God then our minds will be transformed into the
mind of Christ.
“We demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take
captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready
to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete “.2Cor:10:5
We are to look ever to our Lord Jesus, the
deeper of a relationship with Jesus we have, the more familiar becomes his
voice and the clearer. We can perceive the “unction” of
the Spirit.
“Fix your eyes on Jesus” Heb: 12:1-2
This will ensure that we serve our Lord and God
all for the glory of Jesus.
Benediction: May we each and all ever
respond to the gentle unction of the Holy Spirit so that we might serve our
Lord ever more effectively, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma
"If It Is Not About Jesus, It Is Not
About Anything"
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