LESSON THIRTY-THREE
OBEYING THE TEACHING
OF THE ANOINTING
Obeying the teaching of the anointing is intimately related to obeying the sense of life covered in the previous lesson. Obeying the sense of life is related to Christ as life within us, whereas obeying the teaching of the anointing is related to the moving of the Holy Spirit within us. The former is a matter of life and the latter is a matter of the Spirit. These two together are just one thing, that is, to live in the Spirit of life, to live and walk by following the operation of the law of life, and to live a spiritual and victorious life which manifests the Triune God in Christ.
I. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ANOINTING
1) “And you have an anointing from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20); “The anointing which you received from Him abides in you” (1 John 2:27).
In biblical typology, the ointment signifies the Holy Spirit, with whom God anoints those whom He would use (Luke 4:18). The anointing of the holy ointment is the moving of this Holy Spirit as ointment within us. This is not merely the ointment but the anointing. It signifies not only the Holy Spirit but also the moving of the Holy Spirit. This is/the continuous anointing and moving, which we receive from the Holy One, the Father and the Son, and which abides in us.
II. THE TEACHING OF THE ANOINTING
1) “The anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things...” (1 John 2:27); “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know” (1 John 2:20).
The teaching of the anointing is the sense and the knowledge that come from the anointing, the moving, of the Holy Spirit as the ointment within us. This teaching does not cause us to understand or to know by the written word or by speaking; rather, it causes us to sense and to realize by its moving and gentle rubbing, which often are comprehensible but unutterable. The sense derived from the anointing and the sense of life from the Lord’s life within us are actually one. The moving and gentle rubbing of the Holy Spirit become feelings which we can sense through the sense of life from the Lord, causing us to understand God’s mind and the things pertaining to God.
III. THE ELEMENTS OF THE ANOINTING
The anointing carries with it certain elements, just like the paint which can be applied to furniture. The elements which the anointing carries with it are just God Himself, God’s substance. The more this anointing gently rubs us within, the more the elements of God and the substance of God are rubbed into us. Thus, this anointing brings us not only its teaching but also God’s elements. It causes us not only to know God and the things pertaining to God but also to obtain God’s rich elements. It causes us not only to do the things of God but also to gain the increase of God within, resulting in our growth and our increase in stature in the elements of God.
IV. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ANOINTING OF THE OIL AND THE APPLICATION OF THE BLOOD
1) “The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand: and the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord: and the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering” (Lev. 14:25-28).
The blood of the trespass offering mentioned here typifies the redeeming blood which Christ shed for us. The oil mentioned here typifies the Holy Spirit, with whom God anoints us. The Holy Spirit as oil anointing us signifies God in the Spirit as His ultimate expression reaching us. God’s reaching us in this way must be based on the blood of the redemption which Christ accomplished for us. This redeeming blood of Christ is the very basis upon which God reaches us. In the Old Testament type, first the blood was put upon the person, and then the oil for anointing was put upon the blood. In the New Testament, first the blood of Christ sprinkles us (1 Pet. 1:2); then the Spirit, with whom God anoints us, is anointed into us and is being continually anointed into us based upon the redemption of Christ’s blood. Thus, in order for us to obtain this Spirit and to have the Spirit anointing us continuously, we must rely on the precious blood of Christ’s redemption.
V. THE TEACHING OF THE ANOINTING AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR MIND
The teaching of the anointing is the sense which comes from the moving of the indwelling Spirit in our spirit, causing us to sense deep within the things which God wants us to know. The understanding of the mind is our interpretation of the teaching of the anointing. This interpretation is in the comprehension of our mind. By this means we understand the things which God wants us to know through the teaching of the anointing. This can be illustrated by the experience of a person who goes to see a movie after he has just been saved. He feels uncomfortable and uneasy deep in his spirit, but he does not understand the reason. Eventually, after being taught, his mind comes to realize that there are many ungodly elements in the matter of watching movies, and he begins to understand that the discomfort and uneasiness in his spirit is the anointing, the moving, of the Holy Spirit within him. In this way he is taught by the anointing, the moving, of the Holy Spirit in him, and he is sanctified.
VI. OBEYING THE TEACHING OF THE ANOINTING
1) “The anointing which you received from Him abides in you,...and even as it has taught you, abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).
This word tells us to abide in the Lord according to the teaching of the anointing within. To walk according to the teaching of the anointing is to obey the teaching of the anointing. This is necessary for our abiding in the Lord and our maintaining fellowship with the Lord. When we obey the inward teaching of the anointing, we are following the Spirit, we are living in the fellowship of the Lord’s life, and we are living before God.
VII. THE ISSUE OF OBEYING THE TEACHING OF THE ANOINTING
Since the anointing is the gentle rubbing and moving of the Holy Spirit in us with God’s element, when we obey its teaching, we have the increase of God’s element within and are led to live before His face at every time and in every place, abiding in Him and fellowshipping with Him in an uninterrupted flow. Thus, we obtain His abiding in us and enjoy the topmost blessing of His presence. At such a time we enter into the realm mentioned in the chorus of Hymns, #551, which says, “I have passed the riven veil, here the glories never fail...I am living in the presence of the King.” This is our passing through the veil of the flesh to live before God, our entering into the Holy of Holies, our living in our spirit to have fellowship with God face to face.
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