Discover Your Spiritual Identity!
The Revelation of the Names and Titles God Has Given His People
“The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed” (Ps. 28:8, KJV).
To be anointed means to be chosen by God and endued with a measure of His Spirit to fulfill an ordained purpose. Our title Scripture reveals that God supernaturally strengthens and protects such blessed individuals. Consider a few classic examples — David facing Goliath; Daniel thrown in the lion’s den; Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego cast into the furnace of fire. In all of these cases, God was the “saving strength” of His chosen representatives and by His Spirit, they supernaturally overcame impossible situations.
But what about those who were martyred, who lost their lives serving God — like Stephen, Peter or Paul? Did something go wrong? No, these consecrated persons fulfilled their appointed times on earth and when the greatest adversary of all appeared — death — they still emerged victorious. God’s “saving strength” enabled them to overcome what no human being can overcome on his own. Instead of death being an end, for such anointed ones, it became a portal into a glorious, eternal existence in a spiritual sphere.
Concerning the patriarchs of old, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God adamantly declared, “Do not touch my anointed ones, and do no harm to my prophets” (Ps. 105:15, MEV). As they passed through this world — often shunned, disregarded, opposed, persecuted or outnumbered — still they were under God’s oversight and received His provision and protection. Not only did they survive; they thrived in what they were sent to accomplish. Those who fought against them were rightly recompensed.
Under the Old Covenant, certain choice leaders were primarily the ones titled “the anointed,” easily divided up into seven main categories: patriarchs, judges, kings, governors, prophets, priests and soldiers (certain choice soldiers who were supernaturally empowered in battle).
Then the Messiah came (from the Hebrew mashiyach, meaning “the anointed One”). The “oil of gladness” (the supernatural oil of the anointing) rested upon Him in an unprecedented, unsurpassed way (Ps. 45:7). When He announced His ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth, He quoted from the prophet Isaiah’s writings:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk. 4:18-19, see Is. 61:1-2, emphasis by author).
He was the epitome, the most excellent expression, of all seven categories of persons anointed under the old will — for He was, is and ever will be the Patriarch of all patriarchs (the Ancient of Days Himself), the Judge of all the earth, the King of kings, the Governor among the nations, the great Prophet Moses said would come, the Great High Priest and the exemplary soldier, the Captain of our salvation. All seven “anointed” roles were fulfilled to perfection on the highest spiritual level, in just one person — also referred to in the New Testament as “the Christ” (from the Greek word Christos, also meaning “anointed One”).
Later on, Peter declared “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” and that as a result, He “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). That’s probably the most exact, concise way of describing the God-given purpose of those who are anointed in this hour, no matter what realm of society we function in. All true, born-again believers are now among the anointed; we have all received the indwelling of His Spirit and we all need to “preach the gospel,” “heal the brokenhearted” and go about “doing good”— delivering those who are oppressed by satanic influences in this world.
This may be a dangerous and deception-filled world but we can have absolute confidence. In his first epistle, John encouraged New Testament believers with the following exhortation:
“The anointing which you have received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. For as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in Him” (1 John 2:27).
Three primary promises are given to “anointed ones” in this passage:
1. The anointing will abide in us all our days.
2. The anointing will teach us all things.
3. The anointing will instruct us how to abide in God.
Thank God these three things will be our “saving strength” until we transcend into the heavenly realm and then progress to the next stage of our destiny in the Lord, reigning with Him as kings and priests on this earth.
By the way, we will be anointed for that God-ordained task also.
Explore this wonderful subject more deeply by listening to a past episode of Mike Shreve’s weekly podcast or the TV program, posted on our YouTube channel, that brings forth this revelation (both called “Discover Your Spiritual Identity”). {eoa}
Mike Shreve has traveled evangelistically in the United States and overseas since 1970, with an emphasis on healing and the prophetic, and was a leader in the Jesus Movement in the early 70s. His primary biblical teaching for the past 35 years has been the spiritual identity of believers. This powerful insight is featured on his weekly podcast on cpnshows.com and his TV program — both titled “Discover Your Spiritual Identity.” It is also the theme of his Charisma House book titled WHO AM I? Dynamic Declarations of Who You Are in Christ. The first three categories on his YouTube website expand on this amazing revelation YouTube.com/mikeshreveministries.
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