After having meditated on the “R” part of the acronym “RACE”, let’s continue to focus on the said acronym during this Olympics time by casting the spotlight on…
A-Abundant Life/Anointing…
Let’s continue with the Paul saga in Acts 9…
“Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” (Acts 9:17-19)
Every Christian at the point of his regeneration becomes a Temple of God (1 Cor 3:16), with the Spirit of God indwelling him (Romans 8:9). Without which, it would be impossible for him to say “no” to the attractions of the flesh, to the world or to Satan, from whose domain, he has been saved. Ditto with Saul, who now became Paul…
The Saviour has promised abundant life (John 10:10) to all those who accept Him. What can be more abundant, then enjoying the fruit of the Holy Spirit–The Comforter–right here on Earth (John 14:16)!
Contrasted with the “fruit of the Satan” (Gal 5:19-21), which everyone “suffers from” before regeneration, imagine and experience for yourselves how fulfilling the fruit of the Spirit is: “…love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (Gal 5:22-23).
Talk of having a foretaste of Heaven right here on Earth (Eph 2:6)! No wonder that a Christian, after “tasting Christ”, goes to any extent to sustain that relationship which opened the “fountains of heavenly joy” in him in the first place! Yes, even if it means dying as a martyr, if the situation so demands.
“No I cannot live for a moment, in the absence of the comforting presence of my Lord. It would be like living on hell”. So goes not only my refrain but that of countless born-again Christians in the last two thousand years. How amazing is this Christian race, where the “juiced up” runner (with the Coach–the Holy Spirit–empowering him from inside with “spiritual adrenaline” — See Eph 3:16/Heb 13:9) can never lose!!!
After enjoying the Fruit of the Spirit, with passage of time and with continual obedience, come the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life by way of a special anointing experience (2 Tim 2:21). The gifts would vary from person to person (1 Cor 12), depending on the kind of Ministry the Lord has planned for him (The Five-fold Ministry is listed in Eph 4:12-15). The experience of receiving the Holy Spirit that a Christian has at the point of his regeneration, and the one (read “anointing”) at the beginning of his service unto the Lord, are different. It would not be plain joy, but rather a joyous experience even as the fire passes through him! I would never forget the experience of fire settling on me, one rainy July evening in 1989 (after six years of my walk with the Lord), as I began preaching my first sermon in a youth service in St Georges Church, Abids, Hyderabad. Truth to tell, for a few hours afterward this experience, I was afraid even to go to the washroom…
Just as it is not possible to lead an effective, God-pleasing Christian life without the continual inner equipping (Heb 13:20), it is also not possible to be an effective “spokesman” for the Lord later on without the periodical anointing. Imagine Yours Truly preaching on Oct 17th, 1983 in the Youth Service of St Georges Church the very next day after being Born again. No way! A baby needs to grow and learn to walk before running. However, all said and done, for all Christians, whether anointed for 5-fold Ministry of the Church or not (See Eph 4:12-15), the universal ministry, from the time of spiritual re-birth, is to lovingly share their testimony of how Jesus has re-generated them with everyone (1 Peter 3:15)!
Prayer: Father even while filling us with Your abundant life from the beginning of our Christian race, You also anoint us to be used in Your Ministry. How thankful, we are to Thee for these spiritual blessings. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire R.A.C.E. mini-series, please click here.)