If the act of annointing our home with oil is not in the Bible, then why do it? This practice is something that man invented, not God. I believe it is something that comes from Catholisim. I am far from being Catholic, therefore I won’t be doing their rituals. It is a man made ritual if not found in the Word of God.

Many people will compare it to Israel putting blood on the door posts so death would pass over them. You can not compare it as being the same thing. There is no replacement for the blood of Christ. His blood and His blood alone atones for sins. The practice that most charasmatics have today of “annointing” their home with oil, is a cheap imitation and counterfeit to the real thing.

I used to annoint every window and every wall in my home. Why? Because that is what I was taught. For years I went around like some crazy exorist commanding demons to flee while thinking my action was making my Father in heaven notice how much “faith” I had; and if He noticed, then He would do what I wanted.

Finally one day, something dawned on me: The night before I had watched a movie out of curiosity. It was a horror movie full of demonic images and demons. It scared the day lights out of me and I went to bed with the lights on that night. The next morning, I was still afraid. I got the oil and began rebuking all over the place–commanding demons to flee. What was wrong with that picture? I should have been more concerned about repenting than just trying to find an easy way out of making all my fear go away.

All the oil in the world would not have made my fear go away that day. It wouldn’t have mattered if I had a truck load of it and dumped it on my entire house. Exhausted and terrified, finally, I cried out something like this, “Oh God, how could I? How could I go back and do the things that You brought me out of? I have sinned! I have sinned before You! No one else saw me watch the movie, but You did. I even knew I was grieiving Your Holy Spirit, but I went and did it anyway. Please forgive me for what I did against You. If I never feel your peace again, it would serve me right. There is nothing I can do and I dare not try to fix this. You alone are the only One who can clean me up now. Please take away the horrible images in my head. Please have mercy on me and forgive me once again.”

Too many times, by annointing everything around me, I was trying to get my Father’s approval by being “spiritual.” Look at me Lord, I am using my faith. I bet I am one of your favorite kids, right, God?

No, I was not using my faith. I was using a ritual. Trusting in MY act, rather than one of trusting in God. What if one were somewhere in a prison cell where there would be no oil? What then? One would have to trust in Jesus and Jesus alone.

Too many times, it was just an excuse not to repent. After all, if I could fix my situation by putting oil everywhere, why would I need Jesus? I could go about my buisness after running from room to room, pretending I repented (But God knows) until the next time I wanted to get the oil out and cover my sin.

Now I know there is someone right now out there, who would say, “But you did it wrong. That’s not what it is about.” Maybe so, but I can tell you, that right now, there is someone somewhere who knows exatly what I am talking about and to that person I would simply say, “Stop trying to cover up your sin. Repent, for pete sake’s. God does not expect you to run all over your home trying to make it holy. Just repent.”

This ritual is also one of making the user look spiritual. It causes a dependence upon the annointer. Making them look a little higher than the one in need of prayer. It makes it look as if the annointer has all power to make demons flee. There is only One who has the power to make demons flee and that is Jesus Christ the Son of God, God Himself.

And yes, we are called to lay hands on the sick and to annoint them with oil. Yes, we are called to cast out demons, however, it is only through Jesus Christ. Taking oil and smearing it on every wall in the house is not an act of faith. That act is no better than the Word/Faith movement putting their faith in their words to create their own reality.

Repentence is a true act of faith. Repentence trusts in God. It will say, “Oh God, I messed up. I sinned before heaven and earth. I sinned when no one else saw me sin. But you did oh Lord, you did. I can not hide from You. There is nothing I can do but ask for forgiveness. Please forgive me!” No amount of oil will ever replace the blood of Jesus.

Some time ago, I was on a site and noticed someone had written something about christians annointing every thing around them. The writer was able to simply convey the truth. It was confirmation to me. I was excited, yes! Yippie! I was free! I would no longer have to go around and try to look spiritual to my fellow brothers and sisters. I would no longer have to try and get my Father’s approval by running all through my home annointing every window, door and wall. Jesus said, “It is finished.” If Jesus said, “It is finished,” then that is what He means.

“It is finished.” What wonderful and beautiful words! There is nothing I can add to that. Thank God, there is nothing I can add to that, for surely if I could, I would mess things up!

Thank you Jesus, even now, for the blood that was shed for the likes of me! You are worthy of all honor and praise! You are more than enough!

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