The Anointing Service

LESSON 3

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

In this edition, we continue with our series on Christian Ordinances. The topic for this study is: The Anointing Service. The only place in Scripture where we read about this Christian ordinance is in the book of James. From the apostle James, we read the following: "5:14 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.

5:15 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.

5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."

(James 5:14-16, NKJV) From this passage, we can glean several biblical principles in regard to the anointing service. In order for us to obtain an in-depth understanding of the various issues, the lesson has been categorised into five sub-sections as follows:

1) THE ANOINTING SERVICE IS A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR A SICK PERSON

Because of sin, mankind is plagued with diverse forms of physical, emotional, mental, and psychological illnesses. When God's people experience any of these illnesses, they have the opportunity to utilise the option of the anointing service. The fact that the anointing service requires a diligent heart preparation from the benefactor does not mean that it is a ceremony that is to be called for by the "very bad" among God's people. It is important for us to know that sickness is now a portion of the bitter cup of mankind, and that the anointing service is one of God's means to restore all His children back to good health.

Another unfortunate issue in regard to the solemn service of anointing is that several among God's people view the service as the last rite of a dying person. However, each believer among God's people is encouraged by the words of the apostle James to call for the elders of the church when he is sick, not when he is about to die. Friends, in as much as the anointing service should not be performed for any minor issue of bodily weakness, God's people are to avail themselves of this ordinance at the first sign of something serious in relation to our health condition. From The Seventh-day Adventist Minister’s Handbook (2009), page 190, we read the following in relation to this point: "Anointing is not a last rite to bless the dying, but an act of faith to heal the living. It recognizes serious health problems and meets them by placing trust in God."

2) THE ANOINTING SERVICE IS A PRIVATE CEREMONY

From James 5:14, we read the following clear words: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church". From this text, we obtain two biblical insights in relation to the anointing service. First, the anointing service is to be performed only for believers. James' question is very clear: IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SICK? The service is to be performed for those who are sick amongst God's people. In other words, this ordinance is not to be performed for those who are outside our faith background. From the pen of inspiration, we read the following in relation to this point: "God had shown me those who keep God's commandments are to have nothing to do [in anointing and special prayer] for the sick of those who are daily trampling them underfoot, unless it is in some special case where souls are convicted of the truth and are decided to move out upon it. The partition wall between commandment keepers and those who trample them underfoot should be kept" (Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White: The Early Years, 1827-1862 1 [Hagerstown, MD, 1985]: 404). The second issue of privacy has to do with the biblical point that the anointing service is to be performed at the request of the sick person (see James 5:14). It is only in rare cases where the sick is deemed incapable of making this request can the elders of the church suggest the anointing service on behalf of the sick. The heart preparation that precedes the service such as the confession of possible sins that may have been committed by the sick person; as well as other personal information that may be shared during the ceremony requires that the service is organised in a very private atmosphere as we can possibly create.

The privacy of this solemn service should not be compromised on any grounds. It is unfortunate that today, some in our ranks have begun practicing the so called "mass anointing" of church members. Friends, it is important for us to note that "mass anointing", the situation where members are encouraged to yield themselves up for anointing during the public worship service of the church does not follow the biblical order of the apostle James. Just like the speaking in unintelligible tongues, this practice has its roots from pentecostalism and charismaticism, and must not be encouraged in God's end time remnant church.

3) THE ANOINTING SERVICE REQUIRES HEART PREPARATION

The anointing service requires serious heart preparation for both the person who is to be anointed as well as the elders who are to perform the anointing. The apostle James records the following in relation to this point: "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. 16 CONFESS YOUR TRESPASSES TO ONE ANOTHER, AND PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:15-16; Capital Emphasis Added).

Heart preparation is the first step before the anointing service. The Scripture is clear on the point that sometimes the illness that assails the one who is sick can be due to some sins that he or she has committed. This was exactly the case with the paralytic that Christ healed at Capernaum (Matthew 9:1-8; see also John 5:1-15). Sins committed by the sick person that has brought about the illness may be a transgression against the sacred moral laws of Jehovah, or a blatant disregard for His laws in the area of health. In order to ensure that the prayer offered on behalf of the sick is accepted by God, there is the need for the sick person to do a careful heart searching. For the Psalmist says: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18).

Besides the sick person, the church elders as well as others who may be present at the anointing are supposed to also do a serious heart searching before the solemn service. They are to make their hearts right with God, and with their fellow men. From the pen of inspiration, we read the following serious words in relation to this point: "If any who are seeking health have been guilty of evil speaking, if they have sowed discord in the home, the neighborhood, or the church, and have stirred up alienation and dissension, if by any wrong practice they have led others into sin, these things should be confessed before God and before those who have been offended" (MH 228.2). "When wrongs have been righted, we may present the needs of the sick to the Lord in calm faith, as His Spirit may indicate" (MH 229.1). Beloved, it is clear that besides the goal of physical healing that the sick and the entire church hopes will occur after the anointing service, the ordinance is also a medium through which God ensures that His children have made their hearts right with Him, and that there are no known sins that separate them from Himself. Our heavenly Father values this result of reconciliation with His erring children even more than the temporary physical healing that the anointing service may bring. For it is clear that just as Lazarus' resurrection to life was only temporary (see John 11:38-44), so is the healing of any sick person at this time only temporary, and actually spans like a moment of life in the eyes of God.

4) THE ANOINTING SERVICE IS PERFORMED BY THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH

From James 5:14, we read the following clear words: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church". This text is very clear on the category of people who are commissioned to organise the anointing service for a sick person. In our context, those commissioned by the church to organise this solemn service will include the church Pastor and his ordained elders. These have been ordained and commissioned for such a special ordinance. Besides these people, anyone who will dare to proceed to anoint any sick person in the church will be treading on the dangerous path of Uzzah (see 2 Samuel 6:6-7). Based on the passage of James 5:14-16, the following private procedure of anointing is appropriate:

A) The sick person will usually request for an anointing service.

B) The sick person who has requested for anointing is encouraged to make the heart right with God. The pastor and elders of the church also take time to prepare their hearts for the solemn service.

C) The pastor and elders of the church meet at the home of the sick person. If the person has been admitted at the hospital, the leaders of the church will seek for the necessary permission to conduct the service at the bedside of the sick.

D) Once in the company of the sick person, one of the elders should read the passage of James 5:13-18. This reading can be followed by a short exhortation and encouragement. During this period, the sick person should be asked whether he actually understands the meaning of the special service that is being offered unto him. Moreover, the elders must find out from him whether he has made the heart right with God, and other people through confession and reconciliation.

E) Based on the response of the sick person, the elders of the church can now proceed with the actual anointing. Usually, the sick person is given the opportunity to pray. Some of the elders around should also pray after which the church pastor prays, and anoint the forehead of the sick person with oil. In biblical times, olive oil was utilised for such divine ordinances (see Deuteronomy 28:37-40; Judges 9:8-9; Zechariah 4:11-14). However, in the absence of olive oil, any other appropriate kind of oil can be used. It is important for us to note that there is no magical power of healing in the oil itself. It is only a symbol signifying that the sick person has been set apart to be ministered to in a personal way by the Holy Spirit.

F) After the anointing, the church leaders should reassure the sick person of God's healing and restoration, and promptly leave the place. This is not the time for any other kind of conversation with the sick person. You will want this solemn service of God's assurance for the sick to linger on for a long time.

5) THE ANOINTING SERVICE LEADS TO THE HEALING OF THE SICK PERSON

From James 5:15, we read the following clear words: "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". An anointing service that is organised in the right biblical manner will always lead to the healing and restoration of the sick. This healing will come in one of three ways. The first possibility is that the sick person will get well through miraculous healing immediately after the anointing service. The second possibility is that the sick person will get well in the process of time as he utilises the various forms of medical help that God makes available to him. The third possibility is that the sick person will be restored to optimum health in the resurrection morning at the second coming of Christ.

Any of these possibilities that may occur after an anointing service is the expression of the good will of God for the sick. When God sees fit for the sick person to rest until the restoration of all things, that does not indicate that the sick person or the team that organised the anointing did not possess much faith in the Lord. Implicit faith in God is the kind of faith which is ready to trust the perfect workings of an omniscient God. Just as Christ ultimately accepted the Father's will at Gethsemane to die for mankind, so must God's people be prepared to accept whatever happens after a proper anointing service as the revelation of God's good will for the sick. With this background, it is clear that prayer for the sick should then "be offered in trust and submission, with quiet confidence in a wise heavenly Father who knows what is best and who never makes a mistake" (The SDA Bible Commentary, p. 541).

Exhortation: From the pen of inspiration, we read the following encouraging words in regard to the solemn ordinance of anointing: "Why is it that men are so unwilling to trust Him who created man, and who can, by a touch, a word, a look, heal all manner of disease? Who is more worthy of our confidence than the One who has made so great a sacrifice for our redemption? Our Lord has given us definite instruction, through the apostle James, as to our duty in case of sickness. When human help fails, God will be the helper of his people. 'Is any sick among you? 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; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.' James 5:14, 15" (CTBH 113.2). In our next study, which happens to be the last in our series on Christian Ordinances, we will consider the topic: Extra Biblical Festivals in Christendom. We will be focussing particularly on popular festivals in Christendom such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween. The Bible Study references for this study are Luke 2:1-8, Luke 23:33-56, Luke 24:1-8 and Genesis 3:1-6. Please do well to go through these passages before the next study is released.

NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, all Scriptural References are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

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