Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ • Deshen Daily

Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God: (2 Corinthians 1:21 KJV)

Paul describes two distinct but related spiritual realities in the verse above. First, he says God is the One who establishes us in Christ. Second, God is the One who has anointed us. The relationship between these two realities is not directly stated but is implicit that the Lord establishes us in Christ by anointing us.

The word establish brings to mind the idea of a house being set on a solid foundation or a tree that becomes grounded by its roots growing deeper. When something is established, it settles and is not longe moved from place to place by external forces. In fact, it is able to resist or withstand the pressure to change its position.

God has established you in Christ. As a house, your foundation has been firmly laid. As a tree, you are deeply rooted in Him. These words describe what God has already done in Christ when we received Him as our Savior. As is the case with every part of our salvation, there is a practical side of this truth which is dependent on us. God has established us already in Christ. You have to establish yourself practically by growing in the faith and becoming grounded in Christ. The context shows us we are established by the anointing we have received in Him, that is, the Holy Spirit. When God gave you the Spirit at salvation, that was planting your roots really deep in Him!