Seek the Anointed (1 John 2:20)

“But you have been anointed by the Holy One and you have all knowledge.” (1 John 2:20)

In recent generations, the proliferation of academic institutions have placed a premium on intellectual ability. As great as IQ and ACT scores may be, they do not translate into godliness. John does not insist that we have all knowledge because of our reading, writing, and arithmetic. In fact, John is writing to a largely illiterate people! We know all things pertaining to life and godliness, not because of our intellect, but because of our Anointed Savior.

Everything Christ did was for us. He received the Spirit that he may pour it out on his people (Acts 2:33). As a bucket of ice water poured upon the head cools the whole body, so our Head was anointed with the Spirit beyond measure, reaching down to His body. As the psalmist said, “It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down the collar of his robes” (Ps. 133:2). It is not by mere intellect, it is by the illumination of the Spirit that we gain insight into spiritual truths. Our job today is not to burst a blood vessel through our mental vigor, to scale the ivory towers of heaven by our own genius; our job is to rest in our Savior and ask him to give us all the wisdom needed to know Him more (James 1:5).