The annointing of the Holy One of God
- Isaac De Guzman
- Sep 30, 2022
- 2 min read
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 1 John 2:20-21 CSB
In the Heidelberg Catechism in the sixteenth century, the question was asked, “Why are you called a Christian?” The response was, “Because by faith I am a member of Christ and so share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterwards to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity.” This is what John reiterates from the text as he provides recognition of the difference between believers and false teachers by stating that “you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” Within every believer, once they have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, are anointed with the Holy Spirit within them to help them discern what is right and wrong. It is the Holy Spirit that testifies to God’s act of anointing the believers. We can see the Holy Spirit being a promised presence in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” The Holy Spirit helps the believer distinguish the truth, which would help against the antichrists who have entered their midst. Now, will every believer instantly know everything there is to know in the world? Of course not, but the truth about salvation and Jesus Christ will be known to them. As a reminder, the Gnostics were spreading false claims in that to know Christ, it can only happen through mystical means. Yet, through the working of the Holy Spirit and through the Word of God, we can learn about Jesus Christ and the Father, as well as the commands on how to live our lives. Finally, John reiterates his confidence in them, stating that the believers may already know this, but reminders are always helpful, especially against the uncertainty that they might have been facing at the time. He is assuring them of their salvation, knowing the truth of Jesus Christ, which leads to confidence and strength against the false teachers. As Hebrews 13:6 says this, “Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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