1 John 2:20 (NKJV) But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
The biblical definition of anointing refers to the Spirit of God upon and within a person’s life. The anointing is an unction to function to serve the Lord by being led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, pouring oil over someone or smearing someone with oil was a common ritual for anointing that person for a specific purpose. You may have read in the Old Testament about how kings, priests, and prophets whom God called were anointed for their roles before stepping into them. All of them were anointed for specific functions to serve God.
Exodus 29:7 (NKJV) And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.
1 Samuel 16:1 (NKJV) Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
Exodus 29:7 provides the context for how Aaron and his sons were called to the priesthood, while 1 Samuel 16:1 describes how David was set apart for kingship. They were all anointed with oil, which was poured on their heads and flowed down their bodies. Therefore, there will always be an anointing when the Lord sets someone apart for the work of the ministry, including Jesus. We all need the anointing from God to have the unction to function. For New Testament believers, however, the anointing came from Jesus, who is the head of the church, to the body of Christ.
Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Jesus said that the Holy Spirit anointed Him for specific purposes: to proclaim the good news and bring deliverance to the captives. Likewise, you and I will also be anointed for particular purposes in our lives. Therefore, if we want to be effective for God, we should be careful not to stray from our calling by doing what we want rather than what He has called us to do. Jesus came to do the will of the Father. Similarly, we should be walking in God’s calling in our lives. There is an effect of the anointing when it is given to us for our calling.
You are God’s masterpiece, created for a special purpose and function. He has a calling for your life, and He will empower you with an anointing to fulfil that calling, whether in the corporate, business, or ministry sphere. You will be effective in this calling and a blessing to many.
Sermon Series： The Unction to Function
你从神领受了恩膏
约翰一书 2:20 你们从那圣者受了恩膏，并且你们都知道这一切。
圣经中”恩膏”的定义，是指神的灵降临并内住在人生命中的能力。这恩膏是一种神圣的赋能，使我们能被圣灵引导、得着能力来事奉主。
在旧约时代，将油浇在某人头上或抹油是常见的仪式，标志着为特定使命膏立那人。你可能读过旧约中神如何膏立祂所召的君王、祭司和先知，使他们胜任各自的职分。他们都被赋予特定的恩膏来事奉神。
出埃及记 29:7 要把膏油倒在他头上膏他。
撒母耳记上 16:1 耶和华对撒母耳说：”我既厌弃扫罗作以色列的王，你为他悲伤要到几时呢？你将膏油盛满了角，我差遣你往伯利恒人耶西那里去，因为我在他众子之中预定一个作王的。”
出埃及记29章7节记载亚伦和他的儿子们受膏成为祭司，撒母耳记上16章1节则描述大卫被分别出来受膏为王。他们都是被油膏抹，油从头上流到全身。因此，当主选召人参与事工时——包括耶稣在内——总会伴随着恩膏。我们都需要从神而来的恩膏，才能带出事奉的功用。而对新约信徒而言，这恩膏是从教会元首基督流向祂的身体——就是众信徒。
路加福音 4:18-19 “主的灵在我身上，因为他用膏膏我，叫我传福音给贫穷的人；差遣我宣告：被掳的得释放，瞎眼的得看见，受压迫的得自由，宣告神悦纳人的禧年。“
耶稣宣告圣灵膏抹祂是为完成特定使命：传扬福音并使被掳者得自由。同样，你我也为着神在我们生命中的特定目的领受恩膏。因此，若我们想要有效事奉神，就当谨慎，不要偏离呼召去随从己意，而要专注完成神的托付。耶稣来是为成就父神的旨意，我们也当如此行在神的呼召中。当恩膏为着我们的呼召赐下时，就会带出属天的果效。
你是神精心创作的艺术品，被赋予独特的目的和功用。祂对你的人生有计划，并要赐下恩膏使你能胜任这呼召——不论是在职场、商界或事奉领域。你将在呼召中满有果效，成为多人的祝福。
讲章系列：领受恩膏 活出呼召
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