“As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.”

We receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit at our conversion. We cannot call ourselves Christians without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our life. The anointing is real for every Christian believer and the presence of the Spirit gives us discernment and discretion in the things of God. The Spirit does not lead us astray but always into all truth. We are bound to keep our lives pure so that the work of the Spirit is not contaminated by our sinful desire, attitudes and bad behaviour. It is easy to grieve His precious work in our life by our remiss attitudes.

We can depend on the Lord to always lead us in the right way and give us good judgment, and we earnestly seek His wisdom and courage. We seek wisdom from the Word of God and it is our daily responsibility to search the Scriptures to know truth and to live by it. The courage comes with the working of the Spirit within us to stand for Christ and turn our backs on our own ideas about how things are or should be, as follow His way.

“But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8

We will not believe lies if we are walking in this way and will be daily taught by the Lord through His Word. We will not be afraid to speak or be known for Jesus if we are walking closely with Him. Let us not be in this list of abominable souls who are found wanting at the end and are cast out. The Holy Spirit will keep us from all evil and give us courage in all the adversity we face. He will never leave us, though others might, and will be faithful to us right through our Christian life and make us victorious over all ills. This is an anointing worth having, for it lifts us up out of the humdrum and put our feet on a rock that is safe and secure, even the Word of God and our Saviour Jesus.

Let us not give our strength and spiritual abilities to so-called teachers and preachers who will tell you what to think and do, and many will lead you astray and into bondage, but let us stand fast in the liberty of Christ. Let us use our discernment to know who to listen to and who to give our attention to. We never stop thinking or allow our minds to atrophy into quiet acquiescence and acceptance of any sect or demonination. We stay fresh and green in the power of the Spirit of God who dwells in us and is our teacher, minister, guide, comforter and the one who convicts of sin. He makes our bodies His temple and makes us children of the living God.

Beloved, do not be led away from truth and true spiritual life by dead orthodoxy or rampant worldliness, but cling to the truths of God as you find them taught in the Old and New Testaments. They will never lead us astray and the Holy Spirit within will testify to our hearts that we belong to God. This is also our Christian assurance and true and living hope for the future. We rejoice in the Spirit with all expressions of love and joy and peace. Let us live in the light of God and remain in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.”

John 15:4