Search
The seventh lesson of the experience of life is that of obeying the teaching of the anointing. There are various ways of describing this lesson, such as walking according to the Spirit, abiding in the Lord, living in fellowship with God, walking with God, and living in His presence. However, the most precise is obeying the teaching of the anointing. If we understand this expression, the others will also be clear.
Although obeying the teaching of the anointing is an experience in the second stage of our spiritual life, it is the most crucial and central experience of all four stages. No matter what kind of dealing we experience on the negative side or how much building up there is on the positive side, we cannot depart from this lesson. This lesson causes the experience of life in the first and second stages to come forth spontaneously and to become deeper and more thorough. At the same time this lesson can bring us into the deeper experiences of the third and fourth stages. Therefore, our obedience to the anointing is the secret of our growth in life. If we desire to follow the Lord in the way of life, we should have a thorough knowledge and experience of this lesson.
First John 2:27 says, “As for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as His anointing teaches you...and even as it has taught you, abide in Him.”
In the teaching of the anointing, there are two major parts: the anointing itself and knowing the anointing. We will examine these two aspects carefully. Let us first look at the anointing.
What is the meaning of the anointing? We can understand this by the term itself and by its origin in the Bible.
First, let us look at the meaning of the term itself. The anointing in 1 John 2:27 in the original Greek is not a noun but a verb pertaining to a certain kind of motion. It is not an ointment in a quiescent state, inactive and motionless, but it is an ointment in a state of motion and activity, involving the movement of anointing.
Then what does the anointing refer to? Simply speaking, it is the movement of the Holy Spirit in us. Throughout the whole Bible ointment symbolizes the Holy Spirit. When man receives the ointment from God, it signifies spiritually that man receives the Holy Spirit from God. When the Lord Jesus received the Holy Spirit at His baptism, He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me” (Luke 4:18). Thus, the ointment that we receive from the Lord undoubtedly points to the Holy Spirit that we have received of Him. This Holy Spirit is not motionless in us but is always active and moving. This kind of movement gives us an inward feeling of being the recipient of a very delicate and soothing ointment.
Now let us look at the anointing according to its origin in the Bible. Although the term anointing is mentioned for the first time in 1 John, nevertheless, the matter of the anointing existed in the Old Testament when the Israelites erected the tabernacle. When they built the tabernacle in the wilderness, God commanded that they should apply the holy ointment to the tabernacle and all the articles within it. All the priests who served and the high priest also had to be anointed with ointment. Once the people and the articles were anointed, they became separated and sanctified unto God (Exo. 29:7, 21; 40:9-16; Lev. 8:10-12, 30). Later, kings and prophets were anointed by God for His service (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:12-13; 1 Kings 1:39; 19:16; 2 Kings 9:1-6; 11:12). Therefore, the anointing occurred very early in the Bible.
The purpose for which God anoints people and things is that the anointed ones may be sanctified. What does it mean to be sanctified? In the past we realized that to be sanctified means separation of the anointed one from what is common, thereby causing him to belong to God. However, this is a shallow understanding, for it refers merely to position. If we have a deeper comprehension, we will see that to be sanctified not only changes the position but also the nature of the anointed one. Since the ointment signifies the Holy Spirit, it signifies also the Triune God. Wherever this ointment is applied, there is God Himself. Whoever has the anointing of the ointment, in him will the component of God be increased. When Moses anointed the tent, the altar, and the priests, the tent became the tent of God, the altar became the altar of God, and the priests became the priests of God. Due to the application of the ointment, God the Creator became mingled and united with men and things, the creatures. This is why, after the tent was erected and anointed with the ointment, God’s glory filled the tent (Exo. 40:2, 9, 34-35). Although there were many tents among the Israelites, only this tent had the glory and the presence of God. This is because only this tent had the ointment applied to it and had the components of God, thus it was sanctified.
In conclusion, the anointing is the Triune God, through the moving of the Holy Spirit within us, anointing Himself into us. The more this ointment anoints us, the more God will be increased in us, bringing a greater and deeper mingling and uniting of Himself with us. Thus, the purpose of the anointing is that we may be mingled and united with God.
The anointing and the purpose of God’s salvation are closely related. The central purpose of God’s salvation is to work Himself into human beings and be mingled with them as one. Likewise, the function of the anointing is to anoint God into us so that we may be mingled with God as one. Therefore, practically speaking, the purpose of God’s salvation is achieved through the anointing. If there is no anointing, the purpose of God’s salvation can never be fulfilled. The anointing is thus a significant factor in the entire salvation of God.
In order that we may be clearer concerning the relationship of the anointing to the purpose of God’s salvation, we will now study three steps of God’s work in bringing about this purpose.
His first step was that of the Word becoming flesh. The Word was God (John 1:1), and flesh denotes man; therefore, the phrase the Word became flesh means that God became man and mingled Himself with man (v. 14). The incarnated Jesus of Nazareth is the first and master product in this universe of God being mingled with man, as well as the first accomplishment of God’s purpose of salvation. When He was born on this earth, God obtained in this universe a specimen and model of His mingling with man. From this time forth, God intended to mingle Himself with humanity according to and by Jesus Christ.
The second step that achieved God’s purpose of salvation was the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s death released Him from the flesh, and His resurrection transferred Him into the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus made it possible for Him to have another form, namely, the Holy Spirit. Before the incarnation, in eternity, He was the Father. When He was incarnated on this earth and lived among men, He was the Son. After He passed through death and resurrection, ascended to heaven, descended to earth again, and entered into man, He is the Spirit. As the Father expressed Himself in the Son through the incarnation, so the Son expressed Himself as the Spirit through death and resurrection. The Father came unto men as the Son, and the Son entered into man as the Spirit. This is the Triune God who mingles Himself with man through His salvation.
The third step that God used to achieve the purpose of His salvation was the entering of the Holy Spirit into man. When the Holy Spirit enters into man, the Son enters into him, and the Father also enters into him. Therefore, the Holy Spirit entering into man is the same as the Triune God entering into man. The Bible gives at least two references concerning this matter: Romans 8:9-11 says that the Spirit who dwells in us is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and Christ Himself. When we put these various expressions together, we see that the Spirit of God being in us also means that both Christ and God are in us. Another reference is 1 John 4:13: “In this we know that...He [abides] in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit.” This also proves that for the Holy Spirit to be in us means that God is in us.
When the Triune God came into us in the Holy Spirit, He became mingled with us. Thus, the purpose of His salvation — the mingling of God and man — is accomplished in us in a practical way.
However, the work of God to mingle Himself with man is not an instantaneous process. Since we were regenerated and the Holy Spirit entered into us, this mingling has been going on continuously. Throughout the entire lifetime of a Christian, all the work of the Holy Spirit upon him is to fulfill the work of mingling God with man.
Of course, there is another aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit, which is His outward discipline. This outward discipline is His work on the negative side, whereas the mingling within us is His work on the positive side. The outward discipline is to break us, whereas the inward mingling is to anoint God into us so that God may increase in us. The outward discipline is so that we may decrease, and the inward mingling is so that God may increase. Therefore, the outward discipline of the Holy Spirit is a secondary work; His inward mingling is the major work, directly achieving the purpose of salvation.
How does the Holy Spirit work this mingling into us? He does it by anointing us as the ointment. We have said that the moving of the Holy Spirit is the anointing. He is not motionless within us but is ever moving and active. This movement and action is a kind of anointing, which anoints more and more of God into us. Hence, the more the Holy Spirit anoints us, the more God can mingle with us, and the more He can fulfill His purpose of salvation upon us.
The way the Holy Spirit anoints God Himself into us is comparable to the way we paint a room. For example, if we wish to paint the walls and the furniture golden, we use gold paint. By applying a portion of the paint to the walls and the furniture, they assume the color of gold. If we paint the room continuously, it will become mingled with the gold paint, and the whole room will take on a golden hue.
So also the Holy Spirit anoints us to cause God to be mingled with us. God Himself is both the Painter and the paint. We are like the furniture. God delights to mingle with us so that we may be filled with His nature. Therefore, in the Holy Spirit He acts as the ointment to anoint us continually. This illustration falls short because when the paint is being applied to the furniture, each retains its own identity — the paint is still the paint, and the furniture is still the furniture. However, when the Holy Spirit comes into us as the anointing, there is a compounding reaction that causes both to be mingled as one. The result is that we cannot tell which part is the Holy Spirit or which part is us. The more this mingling continues, the more God increases in us.
Many brothers and sisters merely understand the teaching aspect of the teaching of the anointing. They think that the purpose of the anointing is to teach us to know what God desires us to do or not to do. If we obey such a teaching, we have peace within; if we do not obey, we do not have peace within. This kind of understanding, however, is not sufficient. For example, when Moses applied the ointment to the tent and its utensils, was he thereby instructing them what to do or what not to do? Absolutely not. His intention was not for them to know what to do or what not to do, and even less did he intend for them to experience a peace regarding what was done. His purpose in applying the ointment was that they would wholly belong to God and be sanctified. Therefore, the experience of the anointing in our spiritual life has more to do with the anointing itself than with the teaching. The main purpose of the anointing is that God Himself may be applied to us. The teaching that comes with it is secondary.
Even in 1 John 2:27, where the teaching of the anointing is mentioned, no emphasis is placed on the matter of our having peace, but it states, “Even as it has taught you, abide in Him.” Here, the abiding in Him is the mingling with the Lord and the union with Him as one. Therefore, the emphasis of the Bible is on the matter of mingling. I trust that we will change our former concept.
There is a very close relationship between the anointing and the fellowship of life. The fellowship of life is the flowing of life, the flowing together of God and all those possessing His life. The anointing is the mingling of God with all those belonging to Him. The purpose of the flowing of life is to flow God into us, and the purpose of the anointing is to anoint God into us. These are two aspects of one thing; they are very closely related and difficult to separate.
Let us now see why the anointing and the fellowship of life are two aspects of the same thing. We know that God is life, and God is the Spirit. Concerning God as life, He flows in us unceasingly — this is the fellowship of life. Concerning God as the Spirit, He moves in us continually — this is the anointing. However, life and the Spirit are inseparable, for the Spirit includes life, and life is in the Spirit. Life is the content of the Spirit, and the Spirit is the reality of life. These two are the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2), which is two-in-one and indivisible. Therefore, the fellowship of life and the anointing are also inseparable, being two aspects of one thing.
For this reason we can see that in the entire Bible the anointing is mentioned in 1 John, a book that especially speaks about the fellowship of life. If we want to know the fellowship of life, we must first know the anointing. People often speak about the fellowship of life and also about the anointing mentioned in 1 John, but very few connect these two together. Even fewer have discovered the reason that the anointing is mentioned in John’s book on the fellowship of life. The reason is that both the fellowship of life and the anointing are two inseparable aspects of one thing. As life is in the Holy Spirit, so the fellowship of life is in the moving of the Holy Spirit as the anointing. For a person to obtain the life of God, he must first have the Spirit of God; likewise, for a person to have the fellowship of life, he must first have the moving of the Holy Spirit, that is, the anointing. Only when we have touched the anointing can we experience the fellowship of life in a practical way. Therefore, when 1 John mentions the fellowship of life, the anointing is inevitable, because the anointing is for the fellowship of life.
We can also find proof in the types of the Old Testament that the anointing is for the fellowship of life. In Old Testament times three groups of people were required to be anointed: the priests, the kings, and the prophets. Of these three groups, the kings were sent from God to men to rule for Him, and the prophets were sent from God to men to speak for Him. As for the priests, they went from man into God’s presence to have fellowship with Him. It was absolutely necessary for them to be anointed. Every priest must be anointed. The anointing is necessary in order to enter into the presence of God, to have fellowship with God, and to be mingled with God. In other words, a man must first be anointed before entering into God’s presence for fellowship. This is why the matter of being anointed was especially significant in relation to the priests. This proves to us that the purpose of the anointing is to anoint man into God, thus enabling him to have fellowship with God and be united with God as one. To have the fellowship of life, the anointing is absolutely essential.
In order to have a clear understanding of the relationship between the anointing and the fellowship of life, we will speak more concerning the significance of the anointing in 1 John, according to the light of the Scriptures. We know that in the New Testament the apostle John wrote one Gospel and three Epistles, all of which speak of the mutual relationship between God and man. However, there is a great difference between his Gospel and his Epistles. His Gospel speaks of God coming to man, while his Epistles speak of man going to God. His Gospel says that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. One day the Word became flesh to live among men, and this was the Lord Jesus. When men beheld Him, they saw the Father, because He and the Father are one (14:9; 10:30); He is God coming to man. John’s Epistles reveal that such a God, who was manifested, came into our midst, and entered into us, is eternal life. Once this life is preached to us and received by us, it brings us back into the fellowship of the Father and of His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:2-3). This is man going to God.
When God came to man, He brought with Him grace and reality: “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us...full of grace and reality” (John 1:14), and “grace and reality came through Jesus Christ” (v. 17). When we received grace and saw the reality, we returned to God and met love and light. Therefore, 1 John says, “God is love” (4:8, 16) and “God is light” (1:5). Grace comes from love, and reality issues from light. That which is hidden in God is love, and when this love comes forth from God to us, it is grace. Likewise, that which is hidden in God is light, and when this light comes forth from God to us, it is reality. Therefore, when God comes to man, He brings grace and reality, and when we go to God, we touch love and light. When God came to man, He brought with Him His grace; when we received this grace and returned to Him, we met His love. Likewise, when God came to man, He brought His reality; when we saw His reality and returned to Him, we met His light.
This story of God’s coming to us to impart grace and reality and our returning to Him to meet love and light is the story of the fellowship of life and the function of the anointing. The ointment anoints God into us and us into God. In other words, the ointment anoints God’s grace into us and then anoints us into God’s love; further, the ointment anoints God’s reality into us and then anoints us into God’s light. This coming as grace and going as love and this coming as reality and going as light causes us to be in God’s grace as well as in His love, in God’s reality as well as in His light. Thus, we are more deeply united and mingled with God.
Therefore, the anointing and the fellowship of life are inseparable. If the work of the anointing in us is shallow, then our fellowship with the Lord will be shallow; if the work of the anointing in us is deep, then our fellowship will also be deep. If the anointing in us is sporadic, then our fellowship with the Lord will also be sporadic. Thus, the anointing is very important for the fellowship in life.
A very close relationship also exists between the anointing and the applying of the blood. The purpose of the anointing is to anoint God into us, that we may have fellowship with God and be mingled and united with God. However, many areas of our being are incompatible with God, and many situations in our lives do not match God’s righteousness, holiness, and glory; these make it impossible for God to mingle or unite with us. Hence, there is the need to first apply the blood. The purpose of the blood is to cleanse all the areas that are incompatible with God and to remove all the situations that do not match Him. First, we have the applying and cleansing of the blood; then God’s holy ointment anoints us with God Himself. Therefore, to experience the anointing, we must first have the blood. The blood is the basis for the anointing.
The relationship between the anointing and the applying of the blood is also seen very clearly in the Old Testament. When a priest intended to apply the ointment to a leper at the time of his cleansing, the blood had to first be applied. Some of the ointment was placed “upon the blood,” or “upon the place of the blood” (Lev. 14:14-18, 25-29). It would be a great sin against God to apply the ointment before the blood. Because the ointment prefigures the Holy Spirit who came to mingle God with man, it was never to be applied to one who had not been cleansed by the blood. It was necessary first to apply the blood, which would cleanse away all the filthiness and all the areas that were incompatible with God; then the ointment, signifying God mingled with man, could be applied.
This principle remains unchanged in the New Testament. We have said that because 1 John speaks of the fellowship of life, it mentions the anointing. But not only so, it also mentions the blood. Furthermore, it mentions first the blood in chapter 1, then the anointing in chapter 2. This also indicates that in order to have the fellowship of life, we need not only the anointing of the ointment but also the cleansing of the blood. Furthermore, the blood comes before the anointing. The blood is required to wash away all iniquity in order that the anointing may subsequently bring in the fellowship with God in life. Therefore, if we wish to experience the anointing, we must first experience the blood. The more we apply the blood and allow it to wash us continually, the more we will experience the anointing and feel the living presence and moving of God; thus, we will have fellowship with God. Therefore, the anointing and the applying of the blood are also inseparable.
First John 2:27 says, “His anointing teaches you concerning all things.” In the teaching of the anointing, there is not only the teaching aspect but also the anointing aspect; there is not only the teaching of the Holy Spirit but also the moving of the Holy Spirit. The teaching does not come from the ointment or the Holy Spirit but from the anointing of the ointment, or the moving of the Holy Spirit.
The teaching of the anointing comes from the anointing and is the natural result of our being anointed. When the anointing is moving within us, on the one hand, it anoints God into us, and on the other hand, it reveals God’s mind to us. Since the ointment is the Holy Spirit and God Himself, when this ointment anoints us, it anoints us with the components of God. However, since this anointing is the moving of the Holy Spirit, it definitely causes us to have inner feelings. Once we have the feeling of the anointing within us, our mind is able to comprehend some part of God’s mind in this feeling of the anointing. We can know what pleases or displeases Him and what He desires and does not desire. This comprehension or knowing is the teaching that we obtain from the anointing. Therefore, the teaching of the anointing has two aspects: first, through the anointing we gain more of God Himself, more of God’s components; second, through the teaching we know His mind and live in Him.
Of these two aspects, to have God Himself is primary, and to know God’s mind is secondary. Furthermore, having God Himself always comes first, and then knowing His mind. Each time we experience the anointing within us, we first gain more of God Himself, more of God’s components; this, then, produces a result — it causes us to know what God wants us to do. It is impossible to know His will without having God Himself.
This is similar to the illustration of painting. When we paint the furniture, both the paint and its color are applied. Our emphasis is on applying the paint, but once we apply the paint, its color naturally appears. Therefore, it is first the paint and then the color. Furthermore, to paint is the primary purpose; to obtain the color is secondary. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit anoints us, the main purpose is to paint God into us. Once God is painted into us, we spontaneously know His mind. Therefore, the teaching of the anointing is a subordinate function of the anointing.
The teaching of the anointing includes three items: the ointment, the anointing, and the teaching. The ointment is the Holy Spirit, the anointing is the moving of the Holy Spirit, and the teaching is the understanding of our mind concerning this moving. Our previous understanding of the teaching of the anointing was to ascertain only the teaching itself. In other words, we limited the teaching of the Holy Spirit to what we should or should not do: if we obey, we will have peace; if not, we will have no peace. In this teaching we and the Holy Spirit remain two separate entities, having no relationship of mingling whatsoever. This kind of knowing is not sufficient and does not correspond with the principle of the New Testament. In the Old Testament, God revealed His will to man apart from Himself. In such a revelation God and His will were separated; man could only know God’s will but could not gain God Himself. However, in the revelation in the New Testament, God and His will are inseparable. In the New Testament, God reveals His will to man in Himself; in order to know the will of God, man must first have God Himself. Therefore, here it is not just a matter of our knowing but also a matter of the mingling of the Holy Spirit with us. If the Holy Spirit gave only His teaching, we could either obey or disobey. If we obey it, we have His teaching; if not, we do not have it. But if the Holy Spirit as the ointment anoints us to teach us, our obedience is immaterial to Him. He has anointed us with something whether we obey His anointing or not. If we obey, He has anointed us; if we do not obey, He still has anointed us. We may disobey the teaching of the anointing, but we cannot eradicate the anointing.
For example, God may demand that a person leave his occupation and serve Him in faith. Apparently, this is an inspiration, a revelation, a guidance, or a teaching given to him by God; but, practically speaking, it is the result of the ointment that has anointed him either once or for some time. He may have disobeyed the teaching of the anointing and continued in the same occupation without any apparent change, but his inward taste regarding his occupation was different. The anointing, to which he was exposed, remained within him, and he could not disregard it and its effects.
The real spiritual walk and work of a Christian should be the result of such an anointing, an anointing that not only gives us some teaching but also adds some living element within us. We may disobey the teaching, but the element that remains in us continues to be very active so that before long we cannot go on without obeying it. For example, a brother may have originally liked the movies, but the anointing within him has been regulating him ever since he was saved. Eventually, he knows that he should no longer go. He may go again, but after he is seated, something within him will bother him so much that he can no longer stay there. Later, when he is on his way to the movies again, something within him will trouble him continuously and thus prevent him from going. After a longer period of time, when he even contemplates going again, something within him will bother him so much that he will forsake all such thoughts. Therefore, the teaching of the anointing does not merely show us what to do or what not to do, but it anoints the element of God into us while teaching us. This element within motivates us, thereby enabling us to obey the teaching.
In the past, concerning the teaching of the anointing, we paid very much attention to the matter of obedience. Indeed, obedience often brings a greater anointing, whereas disobedience often causes the anointing to cease and the fellowship of life to stop. Therefore, obedience is closely related to the teaching of the anointing. However, it would be too much to say that if one disobeys, he will never have the anointing and the fellowship of life and that if one continually disobeys, the fellowship will never be recovered. No doubt, if we disobey, the anointing sometimes ceases, but many times when we disobey, it still anoints us. Even though we continue to disobey, it unceasingly anoints us until we do obey. The fact is, we are very disobedient. Should we obey the teaching of the anointing even twenty out of one hundred times, we would be the best Christians. But the anointing has not stopped because of our disobedience. The anointing in our experience often does not care whether we obey or disobey, whether we agree or disagree. If we agree, it anoints us; if we disagree, it also anoints us. Thus, after such an anointing, we are different from what we were before.
Brothers and sisters, this is grace, and this is characteristic of God’s work in us in the New Testament era. If we really know this, we will neither be anxious for ourselves nor worry about others. When we help others merely by some outward encouragements, methods, and attractions, it is of little value. Today it seems that a brother is helped to be up, but tomorrow he may be down again. Only when God anoints man in a living way will he truly be possessed by God. If a man comes under such a living anointing several times, he can only follow and obey the Lord. Therefore, when we lead others to the Lord, we should help them to realize this living anointing.
In conclusion, when we mention this lesson of the teaching of the anointing, our purpose is to stress the matter of the anointing. Mere outward teaching is of no value. Only the teaching resulting from the anointing is of value. When we obey the Lord, we do not merely obey a teaching outwardly, but we obey the anointing inwardly. Only then will the result be of spiritual value.
The teaching of the anointing comes from the anointing; nevertheless, these two occupy different parts in our being. The anointing is in our spirit, whereas the teaching of the anointing is in our mind. The anointing is in our spirit because the Holy Spirit dwells in our spirit; therefore, the anointing that emanates from the moving of the Holy Spirit is definitely in our spirit. When our spirit is motivated by the Holy Spirit, we become conscious of it. Such a consciousness is the feeling of the anointing. At this time, provided that our mind has been taught, we are able to interpret this feeling from our spirit. We can understand its meaning and thus obtain the teaching that emanates from the anointing. Therefore, the teaching of the anointing is in our mind and is entirely a matter of the comprehension of our mind.
The work of the Holy Spirit within us, whether it be enlightening, watering, revealing, or guiding, is all derived from His anointing within our spirit. Hence, the scope of the anointing is extremely large and includes almost all the work of the Holy Spirit within us. However, the teaching of the anointing includes only the portion that our mind is capable of understanding; thus, the scope is much narrower. Frequently, the anointing can fulfill its purpose without passing through our mind and understanding. For example, during our fellowship with the Lord, we obtain the supply of life, and our spirit becomes watered, refreshed, brightened, and strengthened. Furthermore, when we touch the law of life, we can live and act according to God’s nature. These experiences are purely of the anointing and have nothing to do with the teaching. However, there are also many times when the anointing must pass through our mind and be understood before it can manifest its function. For example, our spirit may be enlightened, have a revelation, know God’s truth, understand His will in our work and move, and receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit; however, if these items merely remain as the anointing or a consciousness in the spirit, we will not be able to understand the meaning. They need to pass through the interpretation of the mind and become the teaching of the anointing; then we can understand the meaning.
The teaching of the anointing is the interpretation and understanding of the mind with regard to the anointing in the spirit. Therefore, if we desire to follow the teaching of the anointing, we should have not only a keen feeling in our spirit but also an experienced and spiritual mind. Such a mind includes the renewing of the mind, the exercising of our comprehension in spiritual matters, and the collecting of spiritual knowledge. These require that we love the Lord more, seek spiritual experiences, live in fellowship, study the Bible, read spiritual books, and listen to messages. Through these, our mind will receive spiritual unveiling and become enriched in knowledge; thus, it will be able to comprehend the meaning of the anointing in our spirit. Consequently, we will realize the teaching of the anointing.
The importance of our mind comprehending the feeling of the anointing can be illustrated by the case of one going to the movies. A newly saved person, who is ignorant of what movies involve, still feels inwardly pressed down, uncomfortable, and unnatural while watching a movie. He does not realize that the sanctifying Spirit within him is forbidding him from doing this and that the anointing is teaching him not to go again. This is due to the fact that his mind and understanding have not been enlightened; hence, he does not understand the moving of the Holy Spirit regarding this matter. He has the anointing but not the teaching.
Later, his mind receives instruction about the movies, and he realizes that it is ungodly to watch movies. There are three reasons for this. First, the majority of movies are filthy, for they describe, represent, and advocate the evils of an adulterous generation. Everyone who frequently attends movies is constantly contaminated by their corruption. How can Christians partake of this? Second, some movies are not filthy and do afford a degree of knowledge, such as educational films, war films, and films of adventure; however, the environment of the theater is not a suitable place for a Christian. Many of those who are in the theater are ungodly in their clothing, attitude, behavior, and conversation. If we attend a movie and come into contact with this kind of atmosphere, it hurts our spirit of godliness. Third, a film may not be filthy, and the environment may even be proper, but after you have watched the film, are you closer to the Lord or further from the Lord? We firmly believe that a spiritual man like Paul, after watching good films once a week for two or three months, would become a loose Christian.
From the above three points we learn that regardless of whether a film is good or bad, the atmosphere and environment of a theater are not fitting to the taste of a Christian. When a brother has this knowledge but again goes to a movie and experiences an anointing that causes him to feel unpleasant and uneasy, his mind immediately understands that this is the Holy Spirit forbidding him to see the movie. At this time not only has his spirit experienced the anointing, but his mind has learned to understand the teaching of the anointing.
There is an absolute relatedness between the teaching of the anointing and the feeling of the conscience. We have said that the normal feeling of the conscience is derived from the Holy Spirit, who is in our spirit, and passes through our mind to enlighten us. This enlightenment is also a kind of anointing of the Holy Spirit as the ointment. Therefore, the feeling of the conscience and the teaching of the anointing are both derived from the feeling of the anointing. The anointing, after having passed through the intuition of the spirit and having been understood by the mind, becomes the teaching of the anointing. However, the anointing, having passed through the conscience and being understood by the mind, becomes the feeling of the conscience; this, then, is their relatedness.
There are, however, differences between the teaching of the anointing and the feeling of the conscience. First, the conscience is an organ to differentiate right from wrong. The feeling of the conscience, which is derived from the anointing, is also limited to right and wrong, good and evil. But the teaching of the anointing, which comes by way of the anointing and is sensed directly in our spirit, is related in scope to God Himself. It surpasses right and wrong and touches directly the will of God Himself. If we only care for the feeling of the conscience, we can only be a faultless Christian. We must go beyond this to live in the teaching of the anointing; then we can touch the mind of God and live in God.
Second, the main purpose of the teaching of the anointing is that we may touch God, possess God, and understand the mind of God. Its emphasis is upon positive guidance, which also indicates that which is forbidden. But the feeling of the conscience simply shows one’s offense. It emphasizes the negative condemnation and dealing. God always gives us first the teaching of the anointing, not the feeling of the conscience. If we obey the teaching of the anointing, we will thereby eliminate the necessity for the feeling of the conscience.
However, if at any time we should not obey the teaching of the anointing, we immediately become aware of the condemnation of the conscience, which makes us aware of our offenses. This may be likened to the executive and judicial departments of a nation. When the executive department operates smoothly, there is no need for the judicial department to take any action. However, whenever the executive organ loses its effectiveness or steps beyond its power, the judicial then exercises its power of impeachment. So also is the relationship between the teaching of the anointing and the feeling of the conscience. The teaching of the anointing is always a positive move, while the feeling of the conscience is always a negative impeachment. In other words, the Holy Spirit as ointment first anoints the intuition of our spirit in order to guide or prohibit us. If we do not obey, it proceeds to anoint our conscience in order to produce a feeling in the conscience. Therefore, if we want to maintain a normal spiritual condition, we should always live in the teaching of the anointing, without having to wait for the feeling of the conscience to correct and impeach us.
We now come to see the nature and characteristic of the teaching of the anointing.
First, the teaching of the anointing is a feeling rather than something clearly spoken. Although the teaching of the anointing must first pass through the understanding of our mind, yet what we comprehend is not a spoken sentence or a word. Its nature is still a feeling in the spirit. At the most, it may seem to be a spoken word as well as a feeling, but it can never be a clearly and definitely spoken sentence. It may be likened to a certain kind of color, which evidently is not a spoken word but a display that can be known when seen. Likewise, when we live in the presence of the Lord and have fellowship with Him, the Holy Spirit as the ointment gives an unveiling to our feeling. If our mind has been educated with the proper knowledge, we can understand the meaning of this unveiling and thereby obtain the teaching. However, this understanding signifies the meaning and not the literal teaching. Though sometimes the Holy Spirit reveals the words to us from the Bible, He does not give us the printed letters; rather, He causes us to touch the principle of the Bible. For example, consider someone who seeks the Lord about purchasing a pair of glasses. If he seeks a sentence as an answer from the Lord, it is impossible, for glasses are not mentioned in the Bible. Therefore, the Lord can only give him a feeling and a certain knowledge based upon a principle. Practically speaking, the principle is more precious than the letters. The more mature a saint is and the deeper he experiences the anointing, the more free he is from the letters of the Bible, and the more attention he pays to the feeling in the spirit concerning the principle of the Bible.
Many who learn this lesson of the teaching of the anointing still like to seek reassuring words and obtain verbal confirmation. This kind of seeking very easily deceives us and is dangerous. For example, someone may seek the will of the Lord about marriage and pray for a definite answer — either a yes or a no. This kind of seeking is very dangerous and causes one to be easily mistaken; actually, it is a mistake in itself. The Lord makes known His will to us mostly by way of our inner feeling; He seldom uses words. When we pray and commit a matter to the Lord and sense inward peace and sweet fellowship, we know that the Lord agrees with the matter. However, when we pray about this matter and feel hindered, or whenever we think about it, we feel uneasy, this signifies that the Lord does not agree. Therefore, the teaching of the anointing is a feeling, not verbal words.
Second, the teaching of the anointing is inward rather than outward, subjective rather than objective. It is a feeling deep within and not a voice outside of us. Therefore, it is in us and not outside of us; it is subjective and not objective. Often our inward feeling is influenced by outward matters, but these outward influences still need the response from the inward anointing. Mere outward influences should be rejected.
Since the teaching of the anointing is so subjective, many times the feeling that comes from the teaching appears to be our own feeling. Under this condition we often doubt whether it is the feeling of the Holy Spirit or our own feeling. Often we question, “This is apparently my feeling; how can it be the Holy Spirit’s?” It is because this feeling, which comes from the Holy Spirit within us, passes through us and is mingled with us, thus giving us this feeling. Therefore, it is difficult to separate it from our own feelings.
However, this feeling is indeed from the Holy Spirit; thus, we can still differentiate it from our own feelings. For example, when our fellowship with the Lord ceases, it is difficult for us to have this kind of feeling again. But when our fellowship with the Lord is recovered, this kind of feeling, which seemingly is our own feeling, reappears. This proves that this feeling does not originate from us but from the Holy Spirit passing through us.
Third, the teaching of the anointing is natural and not forced; neither is it something that is purposely sought after. It may be while you are in fellowship with the Lord, or it may be while you are working, resting, or walking on the street, that spontaneously there is a feeling or teaching within you, in your deepest part. This spontaneous feeling in your innermost being almost always comes from the anointing. If our spiritual life is normal, we should be able to feel the teaching of the anointing in such a very spontaneous way; otherwise, there is a problem with our living before the Lord. For example, while we are buying a dress, the anointing within will naturally show us whether or not we should buy it. If we need to pray for three days before we are clear about buying it, this proves that an abnormal condition exists in our spiritual life. This not only applies to trivial things in our daily life; the principle remains the same in important or special events. We may pray and wait specifically for an answer, but the Holy Spirit will still make the will of God known to us in a natural way. Therefore, concerning the teaching of the anointing, the more spontaneous it is, the more normal it becomes.
Fourth, the teaching of the anointing is constant, not coincidental or sudden. The teaching of the anointing, though very precious, can be frequently obtained. The Holy Spirit grants us this feeling in our daily life as well as for important events. From dawn until dusk, in all our activities, the anointing gives a continual feeling that enables us to understand the will of God and live according to His guidance. We can feel the teaching of the anointing when our spirit is watered; even when we feel that we have lost the presence of the Lord, we still can feel the teaching of the anointing, and the feeling at that time proves to be more accurate than when we were watered. Although we may not feel the presence of the Lord, we often feel the forbidding of the Lord in some things and the presence of the Lord in other things. This seems to be contradictory, but in spiritual experience this is so, because the characteristic of the anointing is constant. If someone obtains the teaching of the anointing only sporadically, his spiritual condition is abnormal.
Since the teaching of the anointing is constant, we should experience it frequently and live in it consistently. Since some people do not heed the feeling of the anointing during the routine of daily life, it becomes difficult for them to obtain it when serious matters occur. Even if they have some inward feeling, it is not reliable. It may be their own imagination or the disguise of Satan; therefore, it is dangerous. For example, consider a brother who does not follow the Lord and obey the teaching of the anointing in his ordinary daily living and who one day plans to be married. He seeks the feeling from the Holy Spirit and finds it very difficult to obtain. Since the feeling from the anointing is so regular, we can sense it in important matters such as marriage as well as in matters of our daily living. To live in the feeling of the anointing is similar to a train running on two tracks. As long as we keep moving on the tracks, we are all right. Should we have a tendency to jump the tracks, the feeling of the anointing automatically forbids us and restricts us so that we are kept in the will of God.
This is exactly the same situation as that of the apostles’ moving on in the Holy Spirit while doing their work. In Acts 16:6-7, when Paul and his party intended to remain in Asia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit; and when they tried to go into Bithynia, the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. This forbidding and restricting is the story of the anointing. They are like two tracks that kept the apostles within the scope of God’s guidance. Paul did not pray for several days in order to know the mind of the Holy Spirit. It was while he was working that the anointing of the Holy Spirit constantly taught him and planned his path.
When we live in the teaching of the anointing, this same condition should exist. If we are often checked in our actions by the forbidding and restricting of the Holy Spirit, this proves that we are constantly living in the feeling of the anointing. However, if we do not regularly have this feeling, and something special occurs that forces us to seek the Holy Spirit, this proves that we are not living continually in the teaching of the anointing. Therefore, a normal condition requires us to be constantly under the teaching of the anointing.
The real teaching of the anointing comes from the Holy Spirit; therefore, if we obey it and live in it, it causes our heart to love the Lord, to be closer to Him, and to fellowship more with God in our spirit. These are the results of our obedience to the teaching of the anointing. If we obey a feeling within, and the results are not more love for the Lord or a deeper fellowship with God, we can judge that this feeling has been our own and not the teaching of the anointing. Thus, we can use these results to measure and judge whether any of our inner feelings are from the teaching of the anointing.
Concerning the teaching of the anointing, the Holy Spirit attends to the anointing, and we take care of the obedience. If there is no obedience, it is difficult to have the experience of this lesson; therefore, we will also look into this matter of obedience.
We often speak about the spiritual life as walking according to the spirit, living in fellowship, or living in the presence of God. These are various ways of expressing the obedience to the teaching of the anointing. Let us discuss each expression in its relationship to the teaching of the anointing.
We have already seen that the teaching of the anointing is the feeling generated by the moving of the Holy Spirit within us. Therefore, if we obey this feeling, we are walking according to the spirit. If we desire to walk according to the spirit, we need to obey and live in the teaching of the anointing. If we are able to obey the teaching of the anointing, then we are also able to walk according to the spirit. Thus, these are two different ways of expressing the same thing.
If we desire to have the experience of walking according to the spirit, we need to know what is the teaching of the anointing and what is the feeling derived from the inward moving of the Holy Spirit. We need to know and live in the apprehension of this feeling. It is only in this feeling that we are able to walk according to the spirit. Twenty years ago I heard people speaking about following the Lord. But how do we follow the Lord, and what does it mean to follow the Lord? At that time I neither understood nor touched the reality of it, but praise the Lord, now I know. To follow the Lord means to follow the Spirit, which, specifically speaking, means to obey the teaching of the anointing. We are not following an objective, external Lord but One who is subjective and lives in us. The shining of His face and the manifestation of Himself is the anointing, but the will He reveals in the light of His face is the teaching of the anointing. If we obey this teaching, we are obeying the Lord. If we follow this teaching, we are following the Lord.
When we mentioned the relationship between the anointing and the fellowship of life, we saw that these are two aspects of one matter and are inseparable. As life is in the Holy Spirit, so the fellowship of life is through the moving, or anointing, of the Holy Spirit. Each anointing of the ointment anoints the Lord into us and also anoints us into the Lord; thus, it creates a flow of life between the Lord and us. Therefore, when we experience the anointing, there also is the fellowship of life.
If our fellowship with the Lord is limited only to our time of private prayer or morning watch, it is still very shallow. We need to live in fellowship every moment and be in close contact with the Lord, even while we are the busiest; then our fellowship will be deep. In order to live in fellowship, we must live in the anointing and always sense the anointing. This living in the anointing is obeying the teaching of the anointing. If we obey the teaching of the anointing constantly, we can constantly experience the anointing and live in fellowship. Otherwise, we cannot experience the anointing and abide in fellowship.
It is not difficult to experience the anointing and obey its teaching, because its characteristic is constant and natural. By natural we mean that we automatically have the anointing without requesting it, and constant means that it is always available. If we obey the teaching of the anointing, the result is constant fellowship with the Lord in a very natural way; this is living in fellowship.
Here we would say a little word about the practical way of entering into fellowship:
First, we must know that the feeling of the anointing is the teaching of the anointing. If we desire to enter into the fellowship of life or, in other words, to enter into the anointing, we must first understand the teaching derived from the feeling of the anointing that is moving within us.
Second, we must cease all outward activities. Our whole being should cease from all outward activity and movement in order to turn within and give full attention to the inner feeling. If we are busy with outward activities, it is impossible for us to take care of the inner feeling of the anointing. The previous point is to know the feeling, whereas this point is to take heed to the feeling. All Christian work and activities that are of any spiritual value should come from within us. First, we should have an inward incentive and guidance, then work and act according to it. But many Christians until this day are constantly living in outward activities. Being zealous for the Lord, they carry their Bibles and run to meet the outward need while neglecting the feeling within. They do not know the feeling within them, neither do they pay attention to this inner feeling. Consequently, these people have no way to enter into fellowship. Therefore, if we desire to enter into fellowship, we must cease from all outward activities.
Third, we must have a fixed time to practice this fellowship with the Lord. The beginner, learning how to fellowship with the Lord, should set aside several fixed times each day to practice this fellowship. At this time do not try to bring in many items of prayer (we should even cease from praying outward prayers), but pray according to the inner feeling. During this kind of prayer we sense mostly our sins and offenses and deal with them accordingly. Later, we feel that we have to turn to the Lord and consecrate ourselves to Him. Then spontaneously we look to the grace of the Lord; through His supply of grace we enter into deeper fellowship. Finally, thanksgiving, praise, and worship follow. If we practice this fellowship daily at these set times, our spirit will be strong and living, making it easier to touch the Lord and enter into His fellowship.
Fourth, we must practice fellowship with the Lord at all times. After we spend quite a period of time in practicing fellowship at specific times, we should practice fellowship with the Lord at all times. Appointed times of fellowship are possible by laying aside all outward activities and by praying and seeking wholeheartedly after the Lord. It is comparatively easy for us to do this. However, continual fellowship should be maintained during the whole day, whether at work or at rest. We may be very busy outwardly or occupied with many business affairs, yet inwardly we are always with the Lord, experiencing constantly and naturally the anointing in His presence so that we can continuously live in fellowship. This point is higher and more difficult to attain but is possible through continuous practice.
To obey the teaching of the anointing means to walk according to the spirit, live in fellowship, and live in the presence of God. However, walking according to the spirit is related to the Holy Spirit, living in fellowship is related to the Lord, and living in the presence of God is related to God. Therefore, these three are a relationship between the teaching of the anointing and the Triune God.
As for the Holy Spirit, He anoints and moves within our spirit; hence, we need to walk according to the spirit. As for the Lord, He lives within us and becomes our life so that we may have the flow of life; hence, we need to live in fellowship with Him. As for God, He is in us to impart the light of His face so that we may enjoy His presence. Therefore, we need to live before Him. We may obtain all three of these aspects by obeying the teaching of the anointing.
According to the truth, God has ever been with us since the day we were saved. His presence has never departed from us, and we can never lose it. This presence is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us is God’s presence. Therefore, this presence is not a condition or a matter but a person. This person is the Holy Spirit, whose being in us is the presence of God. From the day we are saved, this presence is never lost.
However, according to our experience, we are not always conscious of His presence. Sometimes, it seems that His presence has disappeared, and we have lost the light of His face. It all depends upon the anointing. Without the anointing, the presence of God cannot be made real within us, and we cannot feel the light from His face. With the anointing, the reality of His presence and the sense of the light from His face follow. Therefore, by the anointing we can experience the presence of God in a practical way.
We have already said that the function of the anointing in letting us know what to do and what not to do is secondary. The main purpose of experiencing the anointing is that we touch God Himself and have His presence. For example, if we deliver a message, it is not only a question of whether or not we should speak but whether or not we have the presence of God while speaking. If God is not present, no matter how much or how well we speak, our inward being becomes emptier and emptier until at the very end of the message our spirit is completely empty; we cannot even pray for some time. On the other hand, if there is the presence of God, we feel inwardly watered; the more we speak, the more we are satisfied. It is just like the Lord Jesus, who after He finished His talk with the Samaritan woman, was inwardly satisfied (John 4:31-34). Such watering and satisfaction were the result of the anointing. Therefore, when one ministers under the anointing, others receive the supply and are benefited, and he himself receives a greater portion of the element of God. Another example is that when planning to go somewhere, we should ask not only whether we should go but also whether God is with us. “Do I have the presence of God like the Israelites in the wilderness, with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire?” If God’s presence is not within us, though we are doing the best thing, it is of no spiritual value. Therefore, the presence of God is of primary importance and depends upon His anointing. Once we have the anointing, we sense the light of God’s face and obtain His presence. Without the anointing, we lose the light of His face and fail to touch His presence.
In the past, although some brothers and sisters learned the lesson concerning the anointing, they placed their attention upon the outward guidance, thereby neglecting the increase of God’s element within them. Therefore, the element of God within them was of a limited measure, and after a few years His element within them remained the same. During those few years they did nothing wrong or licentious; they feared the Lord and lived as though they were in the presence of God, but God’s element did not increase within them. Actually, their spiritual life had not increased, because in their experience of obeying the teaching of the anointing, they gave attention only to God’s guidance and neglected the aspect of God’s presence.
Since the anointing is vital to God’s presence, we need to obey the teaching so that we can experience more of the anointing. Then we can live at all times and in all places in the presence of God, living in the light of His face and touching His presence moment by moment. At this time we can enter into the reality of Hymns, #551, which says,
When man passes through the veil of the flesh and lives in the presence of God, he enters into the Holy of Holies and lives in the spirit, having fellowship face to face with God. It is at this time that his spiritual experience reaches its peak.
In conclusion, the key to all our spiritual life is the anointing. We should continually touch the anointing and obey its teaching. When we live in the teaching of the anointing, we are walking according to the spirit, living in the fellowship of the Lord and in God’s presence. If once we lose the teaching of the anointing, the leading of the Holy Spirit is absent, our fellowship with the Lord ceases, and the light in God’s face is lost; consequently, we have no way to live in His presence. Therefore, the teaching of the anointing is truly the center of all spiritual experience and is also a very wonderful part of God’s salvation. May we pay more attention to it and experience it more!
