Borrowed Anointing
(week 47/05)
Olubi Johnson
Luke 9:1-6 NIV: When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey-no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
Here, we see the Lord Jesus giving some of the anointing on Him to the 12 apotles by which they went out and did the some the works He did.
We call this a ‘borrowed anointing’ because it was not an anointing the apostles had by inheritance through obedience like Jesus did, but one that was ‘lent, to them by God, who simply took some the anointing on the Lord Jesus and put it on them.
It took Jesus 18 years (Lu. 2.42, 49; 3.23), of going about His Father’s business: studying the Word and learning obedience by the things He suffered (Heb. 5.7-9) to inherit the anointing without measure (Jn. 3.34):
Luke 3:21-22 NKJV: When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.“
Luke 4:13-15 NKJV: Now when the devil had ended even temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. 14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
Now, the apostles had been following Jesus only for probably just about 6 months to 1 year: in that short time they could not have learnt or grown up enough to inherit the anointing without measure.
So to maximize the usage of the anointing on the Lord Jesus and lessen the burden of ministry on Him: so He would not be overworked, God took some the anointing on the Lord Jesus and put it on or ‘lent’ it to the apostles firstly and later to 70 other disciples (Lu. 10. 1-17).
We find God doing this same thing with Moses in:
Numbers 11:16-17 NKJV: So the LORD said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.
It is thus by this concept of a ‘borrowed’ anointing spiritual children will manifest the power of God in these end-times fulfilling:
Isaiah 8:18 NKJV: Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion. NKJV
It is instructive to observe that the prerequisite of receiving and operating a ‘borrowed’ anointing is following the example of one who has inherited an anointing by reason of spiritual growth and obedience. You follow their example by esteeming them highly in love and obeying their teachings and instructions from the written Word:
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 NIV: Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.
Philippians 4:9 NIV: Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.
Furthermore, it is good to note that the borrowed anointing works in spite of the faults and infirmities of people:
Judas was stealing from the bag (Jn. 12.6) and he was still anointed and healed people. James and John ‘the sons of thunder’ (Mk.3.17) manifested a wrong attitude: wanting to call fire from heaven to destroy people (Lu. 9.52-54).
Peter yielded to Satan (Mt. 1623).
However, if one continues in disobedience consistently without repenting and gradually overcoming their faults or infirmities they will lose the ‘borrowed’ anointing: it will be taken from them by God.
Judas lost his anointing and position by continually stealing from the bag. This hardened his heart and caused him to eventually betray Jesus for monetary gain (Lu. 22.3-6).
Contrastly Peter, James, John and the others repented of their faults and sins and over time overcame them. They later became pillars in the church (Ga. 2.9) inheriting their own anointings from God.
You can even operate a ‘borrowed’ anointing without personally knowing the vessel who has the inherited anointing:
Mark 9:38-39 NKJV: Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.
Here, we see someone who was not among the 12 or the 70 operating the ‘borrowed’ anointing. Jesus taught the apostles and us today by extension not to be sectarian.
He showed that anybody who follows the example of those with an inherited anointing: by esteeming them highly in love, obeying their teachings and copying their examples can operate the ‘borrowed’ anointing even if he is not in their ‘church’ or ‘ministry’.
The operation of the ‘inherited’ anointing given by virtue of growth and obedience and the ‘borrowed’ anointing given by following the example of those who have an ‘inherited’ anointing in the imminent manifestation of the sons of God, during which we will do the works Jesus did and greater (Jn. 14.12),will be by the unity of the spirit and not through organizational or ecclesiastical relationships!
