THE PRACTICAL DETAILS IN SERVICE OF ANOINTING WITH OIL

THE PRACTICAL DETAILS IN SERVICE OF ANOINTING WITH OIL

 

 

lb. The instruction of the congregation on anointing.

lc. The reasons why public instruction should be given.

1d. Intellectual. Most people are totally ignorant of the provision the Lord has made for the physical welfare of his people. And even where there is a little knowledge it is greatly confused.

2d. Emotional. Whether people are intellectually brilliant or physically sick they will be touched emotionally with the information of God's provision for His own. This will produce good feel­ing.

3d. Physical. Very few of God's people, or for that matter anyone, get very far in this life without sickness. When God's people know of God's provision for physical welfare they are drawn near to Him and for some on the outside this may be the means of leading them to Christ. Most people are supremely conscious of their physical welfare, and they ought to be instructed in the truth.

4d. Spiritual. While the body is not minimized by the Lord, for He rose, and will raise and glorify all the bodies of the saints, basically His appeal is to the spiritual. And this service is a means of reaching the innermost recesses of the saints and drawing them nearer to Himself.

2c. The regularity of public instruction must be determined by circum­stances.

ld. It is best to do this rather often, at least twice a year, al­though not necessarily always in the same way. One may take this up in an exposition of James; or he may touch upon it in a series on vital practices of the church; or he may treat it as a special sermon.

2d. New people are always coming into the church and old ones need to be reminded, so frequent instruction is necessary. As long as the above are true regularity of instruction is in order. Need calls for remedy.

3d. The time to teach this truth is before the wholesale healing cults come to town. But inasmuch as some of these cults are making their appeal constantly this truth needs to be kept be­fore the people.

4d. Systematic and intricate teaching on this point is also in order for God's people need to be protected against the counterfeit at every point. And nothing will safeguard them so much as clear, thorough teaching on this subject.