What is ‘anointing?’ - "you have an anointing from the Holy One..." 

The writer of this passage (I John 2:20) was encouraging and affirming the position the recipients of the letter had taken in opposing those Christian teachers whom he had termed as 'anti-Christ.'

For John, anything taught that was contrary to the express teachings of Jesus was 'anti-Christ' and those who taught such were 'antichrists.' He said there were some 'antichrists' then, and that there had been several others.

Using the emphasis of John in these little letters (I, II, and III John) we see an affirmation of Jesus' teachings on 'love' as being the pre-eminent requirement and trait of His followers.

In fact, John went so far as to say that this message wasn't something they even needed someone to teach them because if the Holy Spirit was resident with them then that Spirit was teaching them this truth.

It is the supernatural trait of love that enables us to obey God. This love isn't just for the brotherhood - it is to be the imprimatur of 'the Holy One' on our life.

A child of God cannot have enmity toward any part of mankind. In the Old Testament - yes. In the New Testament - no.

John said that those 'Christians' who were teaching something other than that were 'anti-Christ.'

There are several of those around today...adopting various people-groups as 'enemies.' Jesus said that we are to love those who have 'enmity' toward us.

We don't have the option of picking and choosing what nationality-types, what racial-types, what sexual-types, what sinner-types we are going to love. For God so loved the world...!

This is the 'greasing' (anointing) that God has given us - to love those of the world even as He loves us.

It takes a very secure person to love. Any insecure person can retaliate. It's a matter of grace and graciousness. It's a matter of 'anointing.'