Wednesday, February 2, 2011

February 2 Anointed for Holiness

Exodus 40:9 Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy.”

Before I had finished reading this passage, God brought several New Testament passages to mind, all, in my mind, related to this topic. And relevant for today!

 Eph. 1: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

 Eph. 1:11-12: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

To me, these verses speak of the same topic, being separated from the world to good works. Moses wrote about the cultural practice of anointing, a public ceremony that announced a separation to a work. We use baptism in a similar way; it is a public declaration of one’s faith in God and should be a declaration that the individual sees and understands him or herself as set apart from the world to God.

Paul writes to the Ephesians, and the message is just as appropriate for us, reminding them that God chose us to be holy and without blame, and in love. It is as we live out a holy, set apart life characterized by love that we fulfill his purpose – being to the praise of his glory. Our life can bring glory to God.

 I Cor. 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

 Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].

• Sanctified - Hagiazo: to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow; 2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God; a) consecrate things to God; b) dedicate people to God; 3) to purify; a) to cleanse externally; b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin; c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul

Sometimes, I wonder if perhaps it would be better if we had a public and physical anointing with oil some time after the baptism to demonstrate our awareness of our sanctification, our having been set apart by God. We don’t, and I know that come ceremony doesn’t make us any more set apart. But I wonder if it might help us to take it more seriously.

Just thinking, you know….

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