Effects of the Law

The bible says that the strength of sin is the Law. 1 Cor 15:55.

Here's an illustration of how that works.

Its paid, Sin is done away with!

Some time ago, I borrowed $5000 from Peter. I could not pay him back for many months. Little did I know that John paid Peter my debt on my behalf. In fact, John paid Peter $50,000 and told Gabriel to tell me. Then John went overseas.

I just could not bring myself to call Peter or return his SMS because I still couldn't pay. Gabriel told me something to the effect that John mentioned the money that I owed Peter. Man, that made me so stressed! Now John was even telling other friends that I owed Peter money. My life was so bad and I was having serious panic attacks at the time.

Then one day at church, Joseph told me that actually before John had left, he had already over paid Peter for my debt! I couldn't believe it! John was my absolute, bestest friend in the whole wide world! I was so happy and relieved!

It was about 9 months before I learned the truth! All that time, I was suffering for nothing! All the stress, worry, condemnation, for what? Nothing! I just didn't know that my debt was paid. In fact, all that time Peter was trying to call me and sms me, he was trying to tell me as well about what John did but I was so scared, I avoided him. If Gabriel had passed me the message clearly and if I believed Gabriel, I would not have avoided Peter.

I could not undo what John had done. Whether I believed it or not, whether I knew it or not, it didn't change the fact that my debt was paid. When I realised what John had done, my love for Him grew and grew.

Pastor has used this illustration many times.

• Peter represents the Law,
• John represents Jesus,
• Gabriel represents an ineffective messenger,
• Joseph represents an effective messenger.

The sacrifice of the Holy, Perfect and Beloved Son of God was so complete, so perfect that God only required Jesus to die once for all of the sins committed by everyone, everybody, everywhere. Past, present and future. Whether we believe it or not, whether we know it or not, it doesn't change the fact that Jesus paid for our sins. He paid with His own blood.

That is what Hebrews 10:11-14 means. Jesus sacrifice is effective for ALL time. It takes away ALL sins for ALL times, past, present and future.

Hebrews 10:11-14 (Amplified Version)

11Furthermore, every [human] priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over again, which never are able to strip [from every side of us] the sins [that envelop us] and take them away--

12Whereas this One [Christ], after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins [that shall avail] for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,

13Then to wait until His enemies should be made a stool beneath His feet.^(A)

14For by a single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy.

Praise be to our Lord Jesus because by His one sacrifice, He has completely set us free from all sins.

More on the Annointing Oil

Here are the notes from CGL Horace used during CG 2 weeks ago.

Definition of 'Anointed'
To be ‘anointed’ is to be made sacred (consecrated), made holy, to
be set apart and dedicated to serve God, to be imparted with
enabling gifts and grace, to be divinely designated, inaugurated, or
chosen for some purpose.

Anointing objects
Gen 28:16-22
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in
this place, and I did not know it."
17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is
none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"
18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he
had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that
city had been Luz previously.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep
me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing
to put on,
21 so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord
shall be my God.
22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house,
and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."
NKJV

Exodus30:26-29
26 With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of
the Testimony;
27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and
the altar of incense;
28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its
base.
29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever
touches them must be holy.
NKJV

Priest anointed
Exodus 30:30

Healing the sick
Mark 6:13
13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who
were sick, and healed them.
NKJV

James 5:14-15
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise
him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
NKJV

Luke 10:32
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and
wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and
took care of him.
NKJV


The anointing oil gives us victory
Ps 92:10-11
10 But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.
NKJV

Ps 92:13-15
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
NKJV
(The Hebrew word for fresh in Ps 92:14 is actually fat and full of oil.)


Ps 23:5
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
NKJV


The anointing oil honours God and men
Judg 9:9
9 But the olive tree said to them,
'Should I cease giving my oil,
With which they honor God and men,
And go to sway over trees?'
NKJV

David was ordinary until he was anointed
1 Sam 16:12-18
12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright
eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this
is the one!"
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of
his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that
day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul 14 But the Spirit of the Lord
departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled
him.
15 And Saul's servants said to him, "Surely, a distressing spirit from
God is troubling you.
16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you,
to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be
that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God
is upon you, and you shall be well."
17 So Saul said to his servants, "Provide me now a man who can
play well, and bring him to me."
18 Then one of the servants answered and said, "Look, I have seen a
son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man
of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person;
and the Lord is with him."
NKJV


The Lord is the One anointing us with oil.
Psalms 23:5

Oil of gladness
Isa 61:3
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
NKJV


Anointing oil destroys yokes in our lives
Isa 10:27
27 It shall come to pass in that day
That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder,
And his yoke from your neck,
And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
NKJV

2 Samuel 12:20

Overcome the challenges of our lives (Protection)
Ps 105:14-15
14 He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm."
NKJV


Reveal truth to us
1 John 2:20-21
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all
things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the
truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
NKJV

I still believe

Its been a month since Pastor preached about the anointing oil. I'm all for it and I learnt something about faith as well. Not immediately though. It took a couple of discussions with some friends, some real-life experiences and of course a CG meeting before I finally learnt it.

Some things are hard to teach and explain without cliches. I guess mainly the idea is that faith is the currency of heaven, and our God, really has given to each of us a measure of faith. What He wants is for us to use it all the time. He wants this because of His great love. He wants this so that we can draw from Him. I don't know why else He wants it but I do know that He wants it because its for our good. Its for our good because Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

I believe one of the reasons He encouraged us to have Holy Communion and to use the Anointing Oil is because its where we can also use our faith. Believing that the the communion and the oil actually works is faith and its the kind of faith that demands a response from God. There is NO WAY that I can take the communion without my body being rejuvenated, repaired and me being changed. That is faith. It doesn't really matter that we don't know how it works. Its easy to learn that over time. All that matters is we believe God and take Him at His Word. His Word says that by His stripes, we are healed. I'm just going to believe that because He said it.

In the same way, according to Mark 6:13 and James 5:14, I'm going to believe that the anointing oil works. Don't ask me how. I don't know yet.

Reminders

People need reminders for anything and everything. To do lists, shopping lists, alarms, timers.

The most important reason, I love my wife is because she reminds me of Jesus. By this, I mean that she tells me to focus on and remember Jesus as and when it is necessary.

Sometimes I may say that I love her because of many other reasons. I tell people of all the gifts she has and I forget the Giver of the gifts. Those are just bonuses. She reminds me of Jesus when I need it most. That is all that's needed. Jesus is all we need in a marriage, in a business in any relationship. Jesus is all we need because with Him, you get everything else.

The bible says that
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11

Words are powerful. It can bring death or life (Proverbs 18:21). I would say that the "word" is the gracious Word of Christ. What is a word fitly spoken? The NLT and Amplified Bible point us to timeliness. The opportune moment. I think that's what reminders are all about. Reminders are the word fitly spoken. Reminders that point us to Jesus, reminders that tell us to pay our dues on time (Especially with parking coupons). Reminders that tell us to leave on time. Reminders that tell us what to do and what to get and where to be.

I treasure all these and the people that bring the reminders. But mostly, I treasure the reminders about Jesus and who we are.

May we all remind and encourage one another to look unto Jesus, to focus on Him, His goodness, His finished work and who we are in Him.