Study 9 – Three Dimensions of The Supernatural
“We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Introduction
God is everywhere—He is omnipresent—but, as we have learned, He does not manifest His glory everywhere. His glory manifests in visible and tangible form only where people worship Him in spirit and in truth (see John 4:23) and where they receive His revelation by faith. Receiving revelation requires understanding the interrelationship between three dimensions of the supernatural: (1) faith, (2) anointing, and (3) glory. In this study, we will look at the first 2 dimensions of the supernatural (faith and the anointing) and next week, we look at the third dimension (glory). In the study after, we will discover essential steps to transition from the anointing to the glory.
Study Questions
Part I: Faith
1. What has God dealt to each believer? (Romans 12:3b)
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2. How does the Bible define faith? (Hebrews 11:1)
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Key Definition: The word “faith” in Hebrews 11:1 comes from the Greek word pistis, meaning “conviction” or “firm persuasion.”
3. While we live on the earth, how are we to “walk” in such a way that we may remain connected to God in the spiritual realm? Complete the following:
2 Corinthians 5:7: “For _____ ____________ _____ __________, not by sight.”
4. (a) As we live according to faith, what do we not “look” at, and what do we “look” at? (2 Corinthians 4:18a)
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(b) For what reason should we take this perspective? (Verse 18b)
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Faith was given to us so we could reach beyond time into eternity.
5. Why is faith so essential to our relationship with God? (Hebrews 11:6a)
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6. (a) When we ask for things in prayer, what are we to believe? (Mark 11:24)
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(b) When we believe this, what will be the outcome? (Verse 24b)
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7. What did Jesus exhort His disciples to have? (Mark 11:22)
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Reflections on the Meaning of Faith
Faith has nothing to do with presumption or optimism. It is the confidence that the Lord will act because He cannot lie or fail to keep His Word. (See, for example, 1 Samuel 15:29; Isaiah 55:10–11.) If He said it, we can rest assured that it will be as He has said. Faith is a prerequisite for seeing the glory because having faith means we believe in what God can do. It is the ability to believe the “unreasonable” or “impossible.” A more literal translation of Jesus’ statement “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22) is “Have God’s faith.” Jesus did not ask us to have faith in God; He was saying that God gives us a measure of faith that belongs to Him. Because our human nature is incapable of generating faith on its own, we must take hold of God’s faith.
8. Since Christ lives in us, in what manner are we to live our lives, just as the apostle Paul did? (Galatians 2:20b)
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9. In the previous study, we saw that we are to progress “from faith to faith,” as Paul wrote in Romans 1:17. What statement did Paul quote from the book of Habakkuk when writing that verse? (Habakkuk 2:4b)
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Part II: Anointing
We need to walk by faith in every circumstance and realm of our lives, including our spiritual anointing from God. The anointing is the power of God working through us to do what He wants done on earth. Anointings are also given to set apart certain men and women for ministry roles and to enable them to carry out their callings.
10. In the Old Testament, people whom God had chosen and set apart for special roles were often anointed with oil. What happened to David when the prophet Samuel anointed him with oil to be the next king of Israel? (1 Samuel 16:13)
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11. When Bezalel was called by God to a special task, what endowment of the Spirit of God did he receive, enabling him to create intricate, beautiful ornamentation for the tabernacle and the ark of the testimony? (Exodus 31:3–5)
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12. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would temporarily come upon specific people so they could fulfil various purposes of God. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, all believers were given the privilege of having the Holy Spirit live within them. How did John describe the Spirit’s presence in our lives? (1 John 2:20a)
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13. (a) Shortly before He ascended to heaven, Jesus “breathed” on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). Yet what did He say His disciples would also soon experience in relation to the Holy Spirit? (Acts 1:5b)
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(b) What would they receive as a result? (Verse 8a)
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(c) What occurred when they had this experience on the day of Pentecost? (Acts 2:4)
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14. (a) Peter and John learned that the Samaritan believers had been baptized only in the name of Jesus but that the Holy Spirit had not yet “fallen upon…them” (Acts 8:16). What did Peter and John do next, and what followed their action? (Verse 17)
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(b) While Peter was preaching the gospel to Cornelius and other Gentiles, what happened to all who heard him? (Acts 10:44)
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(c) What was the evidence that this event had occurred? (Verse 46)
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(d) When Paul was in Ephesus, he met some followers of John the Baptist who had never heard of the Holy Spirit. After these followers heard the complete gospel, believed in Jesus, and were baptized in water, what did Paul do? (Acts 19:6a)
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(e) What happened next? (Verse 6b)
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15. The Holy Spirit has given all believers a measure of anointing to enable them to fulfil God’s will for their lives. What did Paul explain about this anointing? Complete the following:
(a) 1 Corinthians 12:7: “But the _________________________ _____ _______ _____________ _____ ______________ to each one ______ ________ _____________ ____ _______.”
(b) Verse 11: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, ___________________________ ______ _____________ _________ ___________________________ ______ __________ __________.”
16. (a) As a review, list the five roles included in the “ministry gifts” that Jesus has given. (Ephesians 4:11)
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(b) For what purposes does He give these ministry gifts? (Verse 12)
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17. What did the leaders of the church in Antioch do in commissioning Paul and Barnabas for the special work to which God had called them? (Acts 13:3)
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The anointing is God’s power working through us to do what He wants done on earth.
18. (a) When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles to minister the gospel in various towns, what practice did they follow that “set apart to God,” as it were, those who were sick to receive God’s healing power and also served as a symbol of the Spirit’s work in their lives? (Mark 6:13b)
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(b) What instructions did the apostle James write to the early Christians in regard to a believer who is sick? (James 5:14)
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(c) What will save the sick person, so that the Lord raises him up? (Verse 15a)
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(d) If a sick person has committed sins, what will also occur? (James 5:15b)
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19. (a) What did Jesus perceive when the woman with the flow of blood touched the hem of His robe? Complete the following: Luke 8:46: “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived ________________ ______________ _________ ____________ __________.”
(b) According to Jesus, what made the woman well? (Verse 48b)
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A minister of God cannot force the anointing on people— they must appropriate it by faith.
Reflections on Faith and the Anointing
It has been my experience that each measure of anointing given to a believer is made up of various levels. One level is equivalent to a “step” that must be taken or ascended as we progress in our ability to move in that anointing and to grow spiritually in relation to it. No step can be skipped, because each step represents an essential aspect of maturity in spiritual matters. We must go from step to step, or from level to level, without missing one, until we reach the level at which we have fully developed the measure of the anointing we have received. When we reach the last level, we can do nothing further in terms of our anointing—we have reached the fullness of that measure. At this point, the only option available to us is to enter the glory. Having the anointing is not the same thing as moving in the glory, which includes all of God’s attributes. The anointing is a part of God, operating through us. Another aspect of anointing is that the faith of one believer can draw out the anointing of another believer. In other words, a person can exercise faith that puts a spiritual “demand” on the anointing of another person to operate in that anointing. For example, a preacher may need to stop in the middle of his message and pray for someone in the congregation who is exercising faith, thinking, I believe that he will come now and lay hands on me for healing because I need a miracle. Faith attracts the anointing, in this way, faith and the anointing work together.
20. Describe the anointing Jesus had on His life. (Luke 4:18–19)
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21. (a) What did Peter say that God had anointed Jesus with? (Acts 10:38a)
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(b) What did Jesus do in accordance with this anointing? (Verse 38b)
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22. Recall what Jesus said about those who believe in Him. (John 14:12b)
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Prayer of Activation
Father of glory, we walk by faith and not by sight. May we exercise the faith You have given us, so that we may believe and see Your glory. Anoint us anew to minister to others according to Your gifts and power. And let us experience Your glory as You act sovereignly in marvellous ways in our midst! In Jesus’ name, amen.
