Don't Compromise Your Anointing
by Rita Langeland
© 2005 Hidden With Christ Ministries
But you have an anointing from the Holy One…
I John 2:20
Every born again Christian has an anointing from God. This “anointing” is a supernatural power from God to do exactly what God has called you to do in life. The word “anointing” actually means “to be rubbed over with oil”. In the scriptures, oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Whether your call is to be a teacher, physician, business person or minister, you have an anointing from the Holy One. Can a person lose his or her anointing from God?
Let’s examine the Old Testament story of Samson. His story is a fascinating study of compromise. Webster’s Dictionary defines compromise this way: to make a shameful or dishonorable concession; i.e. to compromise one’s principles. Samson was called and anointed by God to be a Judge and a Deliverer for Israel before he was even born. (Judges 13:2-5)
An angel of the Lord appeared to Samson’s mother announcing Samson’s birth and the purpose of his life: “For behold you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:5b)
The word Nazirite means “one separated” or one set apart from others for service to God. The unique characteristics of the Nazirite included a strict lifestyle of abstinence from wine or any intoxicating drink. He was also forbidden from cutting his hair or approaching a dead body. These three areas of separation from the world represent a lifestyle of holiness. The abstinence from intoxicating beverages symbolized a life free from the sin of lasciviousness or lusts of the flesh. A commitment to the avoidance of worldly influence was symbolized by allowing the hair to grow without ever cutting it in a culture where the men did cut their hair at least once per year. A man who never cut his hair would definitely stand out as “different”. The practice of avoiding dead bodies speaks to us of a commitment to avoid uncleanness and defilement in any form. In one sense, God has called every believer to live a “separated” or Nazirite lifestyle, free from lusts of the flesh, worldly influence and defilements. Second Corinthians 6:17 tells us: Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.
As you study the life of Samson you see a pattern of compromise of his Nazirite call. Though he had a great anointing from God in the area of supernatural strength which was intended to be used to deliver Israel from the Philistine oppressors who had ruled them for forty years, Samson did not seem to value it. This is evidenced by his continuous betrayal or violation of his Nazirite lifestyle.
In Judges 14:2 we find Samson choosing a wife for himself from the Philistines. This was a violation of his separation to God as Jewish law forbid intermarriage with the Gentiles. The New Testament also speaks to believers in the same way when it says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers…” (II Cor. 6:14) Samson started out his adult life by wanting to compromise his holy calling so he could have a relationship with an unbeliever. Many people compromise their God-given standards for a fleshly relationship that they desire, but God forbids. Every compromise you make, affects the anointing on your life.
In Judges chapter 14 we can observe a second example of Samson’s defiance of God’s standards for his life. Samson is confronted by a lion which came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand… (verse 6)
Samson’s powerful anointing from God helped him in this dangerous situation. But instead of being grateful to God and more respectful of God’s calling on his life, Samson disregards the Nazirite vow and touches the dead body of the lion on his return trip after seeing his Philistine fiancée. Samson wanted some honey that had been made by a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass. So he scraped the honey out of the body of the lion with his hands. Samson’s repeated pattern of self-indulgence at the expense of his Nazirite vow eventually cost him his anointing.
Samson continued in this reckless disregard for God’s principles of holiness when he laid with a harlot as observed in Judges 16:1. However, even at this juncture in Samson’s life of disobedience, God did not remove the anointing from him. Instead, we see another feat of supernatural strength recorded. The Philistines learned he was visiting the harlot, and plotted to take his life in the morning. Samson arose at midnight and took hold of the gates of the city and tore them from their foundations and carried them up to the top of a hill, an impossible task for a mere man.
You may have observed a tremendous anointing upon the life of a Christian leader or minister and later found out he or she was in sin. How can this be? We can observe that exact scenario in Samson’s life. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul explained it this way: For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29) God does not revoke the gifts, callings or anointings on a person’s life even when they are disobedient. However, a person may abandon that anointing or calling by his or her own willful choices as was the case with Samson. As we will observe in this final scene of the story, Samson ultimately surrendered his anointing to the enemy by his own willful decision resulting in his loss of supernatural power.
After this it came about that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. (Judges 16:4)
The word “Sorek” means to intertwine. Samson chose to spend time in the Philistine enemy territory called “Intertwined Valley”. Many Christians today spend time in enemy territory where they become intertwined with people and things that are violations of God’s will for their lives. Then they wonder why they have a hard time gaining victory in their personal life. Yet they have willfully intertwined their hearts, minds, and even bodies with unclean and worldly things. The name Delilah means “to be brought low”. Samson was indeed “brought low” by his immoral relationship with Delilah. Ungodly and immoral relationships will always bring you “low”. The deception is that immoral or sensual relationships or pursuits will bring you to some new “height” of pleasure but the end result is always a new “low” point. Samson found this out in a most tragic way.
The Philistines bribed Delilah with silver to entice Samson to tell her the source of his great strength so they could overpower him and defeat him. She complied with their request and began hounding him repeatedly to try to get him to reveal his secret. But Samson lied to Delilah three times, withholding the truth about the source of his strength.
Many people, just like Samson, think they can compromise “a little” and not end up being destroyed. This is a deception. Samson “intertwined” himself with Delilah not intending to fully give in to her, but he was unable to resist the pressure that invariably comes as a result of compromise.
It came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, “A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man. (Judges 16:16-17)
Your adversary Satan will press you and torment you daily once you have opened the door of compromise until you flee from it or give in to it. Samson ended up giving in to the pressure of the enemy and the result was disastrous. After being lulled to sleep on Delilah’s knees (a picture of sin’s deceptive allure) Samson was overcome by the Philistines when his hair was shaven from his head and his supernatural strength left him.
And he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison. (Judges 16:20-21)
Samson’s continual compromise cost him his anointing from God and resulted in bondage. Blind, chained and a puppet of the enemy, Samson had surrendered his precious calling from God in exchange for sensual pleasures. Immorality however, is not the only type of compromise that will cost a person his or her anointing. Any type of flagrant disobedience to God’s instructions are willful choices that place you on a path leading away from God’s anointing on your life.
Samson violated God’s high call on his life and the result was a failure to fulfill his divine destiny even though he had been empowered by God to achieve it. Two other Bible figures were also called to be Nazirites from the womb. They were John the Baptist and the prophet Samuel. These two “separated ones” were faithful to God and unlike Samson, they accomplished their respective destinies as they remained “separated” to God. A lack of separation from the world in a Christian leader will result in the enemy being able to cripple that leader.
Have you felt a lack of anointing or power in your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any area, small or large, where you may be compromising God’s holy standards in your lifestyle. Then repent for that compromise, and get back on the road of God’s purpose for your life. God has given you an anointing to fulfill His divine assignment for your personal destiny. Don’t miss it!
This message is available on CD or mp3.
back
Copyright Statement:
KEYS Teaching Pamphlets Copyright 2002-2009 © Rita Langeland. 'KEYS Teaching Pamphlet' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions:
1)The article is reproduced in its entirety including title
2) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each article, along with a link to http://www.hiddenwithchrist.com/written/index.htm
|
