What Exactly is the Anointing?

The phrase “the anointing” is a very popular one in Charismatic circles. It is a spiritual concept that refers to the manifestation of God’s presence and power in a person’s life; a spiritual power or authority bestowed by God. 

In Old Testament times, to anoint someone involved the ceremonial, physical act of applying sacred oil to someone’s head to signify that God had appointed and set aside the person to serve a certain divine mission. The word “anoint” comes from the Hebrew word “mashach,” which means “to rub with oil, by implication to consecrate; also to paint.” The oil used to do so had a specific recipe explained in the Law of Moses (Exodus 30:22–32). It was also a long-standing tradition in Old Testament times to anoint the heads of honourable guests with oil as a way of offering them the utmost hospitality. King David portrays himself as an honoured guest at the Lord’s banquet in Psalm 23:5. The gospels also make mention of this custom in Luke 7:46, Mark 14:3–9, and John 12:3.

According to the Bible and Jewish culture as spelled, the anointing is simply the work of the Holy Spirit working in an individual’s life. It is the Holy Spirit’s supernatural work that brings about special endowments, miracles, and divine favour in people’s lives. In the minds of the Old Testament Jews, the anointing oil and the act of anointing someone had no power in and of themselves. Rather, these were symbolic of the actual presence and work of the Holy Spirit. In that sense, a preacher cannot anoint anyone he chooses and declare that the person now has the Holy Spirit working in his or her life. The Holy Spirit cannot be forced on an individual of the preacher’s choosing. That is why God was so specific about how the Old Testament anointing oil should be used. 

“Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people’” – Exodus 30:30-33 (NIV).

What is the true work of the Holy Spirit?

According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit convicts mankind of their sins and brings them to faith in Jesus’ atoning death. When people respond to the Spirit’s work and accept God’s offer of forgiveness, the Spirit bears witness to them that they have received eternal life and are God’s children.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” – Romans 8:16 (NIV).

Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” – John 16:8-11(NIV).

John MacArthur, in his book Strange Fire, writes: “Despite what is commonly emphasized in charismatic circles, the genuine evidence of the Holy Spirit’s influence in a person’s life is not material prosperity, mindless emotionalism, or supposed miracles. Rather, it is sanctification: the believer’s growth in spiritual maturity, practical holiness, and Christlikeness through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit (as He applies biblical truth to the hearts of His saints). A true work of the Spirit convicts the heart of sin, combats worldly lusts, and cultivates spiritual fruit in the lives of God’s people.”

This special work of the Holy Spirit of convicting unbelievers of sin and affirming believers in their salvation is never reflected in the “anointing” that is spoken of in charismatic circles. What we see in charismatic churches today is laughable. Congregants are called forward, and oil is smeared on their foreheads so as to anoint them. I consider this laughable for two reasons: one, if you are born again, you are already anointed! Writing to an unidentified group of believers, the Apostle John writes:

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth” – 1 John 2:20-21 (NIV).

Every believer is anointed in the sense that he or she already has the presence and power of the Holy Spirit working in his or her life. That is how one comes to faith in Jesus in the first place. Going forward to a “man of God” to be anointed as a believer shows a lack of knowledge of who one is in Christ.

On the other hand, if you are NOT born again, you cannot receive the Holy Spirit through the application of any anointing oil. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ and His saving grace that one can receive the Holy Spirit Who provides the believer with the power for good works and a transformed life. The Scriptural way for an unbeliever to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is explained by Apostle Peter:

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” – Acts 2:38 (NIV).

Unbelievers must repent of their sins before they can experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The sad fact is that the majority of preachers who call congregants to the front to be anointed never mention this requirement of repentance from sin.

If you are born again, hear this: YOU ALREADY HAVE THE ANOINTING! That is to say, you already have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit working in your life. Your position in Christ hangs on the fact that you already have this anointing. You don’t go to special conferences and services to get it. And there are no extra levels of the anointing that you are yet to receive. This is an important point to keep in mind; the power of the anointing lies not in some further level that you have yet to attain, but rather in the present application of it. The Apostle Paul explains that the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life is a down payment given by the Father guaranteeing the completion of God’s work in your life.

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” – Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV).

The modern Charismatic movement’s understanding of the anointing has two fundamental errors.

Error Number 1: The anointing is understood to be a distinct and separate entity from the Holy Spirit

You may have come across the Asterix and Obelix comic books that were very popular among young people in the 80s and 90s. In a historical depiction of the period following the Gallic Wars, this comic book series tells the story of a village of invincible Gaulish warriors who battled the Roman Republic and succeeded thanks to a magic potion. This magical concoction, prepared by their druid named Getafix, temporarily grants the receiver superhuman power. Under this power, this small Gaulish village was able to keep the mighty Roman Empire at bay.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit among Charismatics has come to resemble this Gaulish magic potion. The anointing is thus believed to be a mystical spiritual power that can be used to bring about supernatural changes. If you have a problem, all you need to do is go in search of an “anointed” man of God with this mystical power to relieve you of your difficulty. This supernatural “magic potion” on the “man of God” is thought to be completely under his control. This is in contrast to Jesus’ ministry in which He said, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me” – John 5:30 (ESV).

In his book Apostasy! Jeff Kluttz writes: “To WoF [Word of Faith] proponents, ‘anointing’ is substance, much like their understanding of faith. They consider anointing to refer to a magic potion of sorts that, when applied, gives special powers to the anointee. Anointing in scripture was commonly demonstrated by a visible sign, such as the application of oil in the case of David being anointed as king. However, such application of the visible sign of oil was not the power behind such anointing. Rather, God’s sovereign choice was. David was not anointed king because he got oil on his head, but because God chose him and sent Samuel to make it known. Likewise, Jesus was anointed by merit of His having been the pre-determined, prophesied and sent One of God. That is precisely what ‘Messiah’ means: ‘anointed one.'”

1. “Anointed” materials?

A common practice among charismatic preachers is packing this magic potion, this “anointing,” in bottled “holy” water, oils, brooms, handkerchiefs, and all manner of items and selling them to the gullible public. This has become a big business, with many such preachers becoming millionaires overnight. These preachers peddle a version of Christianity that takes advantage of people’s vulnerabilities and promises wealth and material goods in exchange for their money.

Let me share an October 27th, 2015 news item from Zimbabwe titled “African Pastor Sells Anointed Pens That Help Students Pass Exams without Studying” to help illustrate my point.

A pastor in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe was in the news recently for selling hundreds of special, ‘anointed’ pens to local students. Prophet Sham Hungwe claims that the miracle pens will help students pass exams without even studying! “It is anointed and I declare passes when your children sit for exams; when you sit for exams,” he told members of the House of Grace International Church during a sermon. And with the ‘O’ and ‘A’ level exams coming up, he managed to sell a lot of the 15-cent pens for different prices, ranging from $1 to $20. The more you pay, the higher the chances to pass the exams.

This is what happens among charismatic Christians who view the anointing as a distinct and separate entity from the Holy Spirit. None of these students is challenged to repent of their sins and believe the Gospel, which is the one and only true work of the Holy Spirit. By divorcing the anointing from the Holy Spirit, Prophet Sham Hungwe can now dispense it to anyone he wills—at a fee, of course.

2. “Anointed” worship?

When you hear a charismatic Christian talk of an “anointed” or “powerful” worship service or an “anointed” worship leader, they usually make reference to a church gathering where their emotions were aroused by a skilfully choreographed presentation. Music that can move the congregation, make them laugh or cry, or transport them back in time to a time of joy or even sorrow is considered to carry the Holy Spirit’s anointing. The truth of the matter is, your emotions will shift as often as the worship leader chooses to manipulate them, especially if you are in a massive congregation dancing to the appropriate music. A musically induced ambience characterized by feelings of peace and contentment is what charismatics interpret as God’s presence. This feeling is also enhanced by the physical sensations of warmth, love, and safety, as well as feelings of joy that seemingly come from experiencing a connection to the divine.

Again, if we were to examine these responses in light of what we know to be the work of the Holy Spirit as explained above, we would observe that in these “anointed” services, both unbelievers and believers living a sinful lifestyle come under no conviction of sin, which is the true work of the Holy Spirit. There have also been numerous known instances where the “anointed” worship leader has a lifestyle of open, blatant sin as he or she leads worship. Apparently, this charismatic “anointing” doesn’t mind the worship leader’s and congregation’s way of life as long as they hit the right musical notes. Listen to this testimony from Jamin, a former church keyboardist:

“As a keyboardist, I can replicate the anointing in any key by alternating two measures of the 1st chord and two measures of the 4th chord at about 70 beats per minute.  That’s it!  It’s not the only way, but it will always summon the Holy Spirit in a pinch.  But you can also rack up bonus points with a little more insight: you get an extra splash of the anointing if you can solo over it with your right hand using the pentatonic scale. If the congregation is over 50% white, throw in the major 7.  If they’re over 50% black, put it in 6/8 time and precede each chord with a fully diminished chord of the chromatic lower neighbour tone. If your audience was born before the 1970’s, layer the piano with organ.  If they were born in the 70s, layer it with E. Piano 1.   Late 70’s – early 80’s, you can layer it with E. Piano 2.  But that powerful season was short, so unless the line-up already included “As The Deer” or “Shout To The Lord”, it’s probably safest to just layer the piano with strings…or pad for anyone born after the 90’s. (The Hammond B3, in my opinion, is anointed in any context unless you’re in a church of Satanists). Anyone skilled in the performing arts can do this.  Dancing, drama, public speaking, et al.”

3. “Anointed” Men of God?

Another common mistake that charismatic Christians make is to confuse a charismatic personality with the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Charismatic leadership is defined by an individual’s high levels of passion, self-assurance, and emotional depth, which results in strong follower identification with the leader, alignment with the leader’s vision, and motivation to perform for the leader. One of the traits of followers of charismatic leadership is that they readily submit to this leader. Their submission goes so far as to set aside their own reasoning skills.

If you’ve ever watched old World War II films of Adolf Hitler addressing sizable crowds, you’ll understand precisely what I’m talking about. Hitler was a charismatic speaker who persuaded just about the entire German population to follow him in his mad pursuit for European dominance. The vast majority of these folks believed in him and supported his cause, accepting wholeheartedly his offer of a better world. If Hitler were still alive today and became a charismatic preacher, he would boast of having one of, if not the, largest megachurches in the world. Why? Because charismatic Christians confuse a charismatic personality with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This can lead to a false sense of spiritual power that is not based on any true evidence or Scriptural authority.

Rev. Jim Jones was without a doubt the most charismatic Baptist preacher of his time, as well as the most demon-possessed. From 1955 through 1978, he was the leader of the People’s Temple. In what he termed “revolutionary suicide,” Jones and the members of his inner circle committed mass murder-suicide in their remote jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18th, 1978. Jim Jones had a dangerous combo of charisma and a hunger for power, much of which we witness among modern charismatic preachers. He exploited his oratory and personal charisma to dupe hundreds of people into believing his lies, condoning his physical and sexual abuses, falling for his antics, forsaking their families, and leaving their nation.

Costi W. Hinn in his book “God, Greed and the Prosperity gospel: How Truth Overwhelms a Life Built on Lies”, writes: “No matter the term, the meaning is always the same: people who wanted special anointing needed to come under a certain man’s ministry. An anointed man of God is to be revered on an almost godlike level. This isn’t merely the usual high respect for a pastor and love for our church leaders who feed our souls. This is doing anything and everything the man of God wants in order to get what you need. If you need a special physical or spiritual blessing, the man of God is the one who has to touch you.”

By contrast, most of God’s servants in the Bible were humble and pious individuals, displaying a kind of spiritual power that was not based on charisma but rather on their deep reverence for God and unwavering commitment to His will. Moses described himself in these words: “I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue” – Exodus 4:10 (ESV). The prophet Jeremiah described himself thus: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth” – Jeremiah 1:6 (ESV). The prophet Amos described himself to Amaziah the Bethel Priest: “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’” – Amos 7:14-15 (ESV). Jesus’ apostles did not have charisma and were classified as “common men”: “Now when they [the Pharisees] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” – Acts 4:13 (ESV).

Error Number 2: The anointing has taken believer’s focus away from Christ.

A preoccupation with supposed spiritual gifts and supernatural powers obscures the believer’s focus on Christ. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is NOT to make Himself known and draw attention to His own deeds. Jesus was very particular about this: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you: – John 16:13-14 (NIV). Many charismatic churches, in the words of former Pentecostal Kenneth D. Johns, “are Spirit-centered rather than Christ-centered.”

Contrary to the true work of the Holy Spirit, modern charismatic preachers always point to themselves, their “anointing,” and their ministry instead of to Christ. The emphasis is on the spiritual gifts of their own ministry rather than the Holy Spirit’s true purpose, which is to bring people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. These preachers tend to emphasize their own status as special messengers of God rather than allowing the Spirit to work in and through them. As a result, their congregants are often left with the false expectation that any problem they have can be fixed by the “anointing” of the “man of God.”

In his book Strange Fire: The Danger Of Offending The Holy Spirit With Counterfeit Worship, John MacArthur writes: “The Holy Spirit’s desire is that we be focused on Jesus Christ, not Himself. That is the Spirit’s chief ministry. He is pointing us to Jesus. Bringing Christ more clearly into focus. When the Holy Spirit becomes an end in Himself, then we have misunderstood His ministry.”

A man of God seeks to exalt the glory of Christ rather than seeking attention for himself. He will avoid such antics as making a show of his special “anointing” and selling anointed materials that would divert attention from Christ. He will focus his message solely on Jesus’ teachings and commandments. This focus allows him to both demonstrate Jesus’ message and challenge others to live out his example in their own lives.

Conclusion

The term “anointing” simply refers to the work of the Holy Spirit, and it is unmistakably connected to Christians’ relationship to Christ as a result of the Spirit’s indwelling within them. It is not an ecstatic experience that causes people to pass out during a church service; rather, it is a genuine spiritual reality that brings authentic transformation in the life of the believer. It is this anointing, the special work of the Holy Spirit, and not some attention-grabbing gimmick performed on stage by “men of God,” that first and foremost defines a person as a Christian. 

The foundation for how we identify an anointed ministry should be a firm biblical knowledge of the function and character of the Holy Spirit. Contrary to the habits of “anointed men of God,” the Holy Spirit doesn’t bolster egos. The Holy Spirit desires that the teaching, personality, ministry, relationships, and church of a minister properly exalt Jesus. The genuine anointing of the Holy Spirit motivates us to practice self-discipline, orderliness, and purposeful sobriety with a view to pleasing God in our daily lives. Accordingly, we live a life of humility, thanksgiving, and trust in the Lord’s goodness to direct our steps.