In many churches or religious groups there has been a trend where various items such as anointing oil, holy water, handkerchiefs, and many other “anointed” products are sold to church members with the belief that the purchase and use of such objects or products will attract God’s blessings, favour and protection.
Therefore church leaders will encourage their followers to purchase their products with the promise that if the followers purchase and use their “anointed” products, then God will answer their prayers.
However, what does the Bible say about the sales of anointing oil and holy water? Should Christians use various “anointed” objects or church products in order to attract God’s favour and protection in their lives?
In the Bible, there is no record of Jesus Christ nor His disciples ever selling anointing oil, holy water or any product with the belief and promise that these products will attract God’s blessing or protection.
Jesus said the following in Matthew 10:7-9: “And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts,”
There is no record in the scriptures where Jesus or His disciples healed anyone for a price.
God does not sell miracles. The gifts of God are for free and God’s gifts and blessings cannot be bought or sold by anyone.
Selling of “Anointed” Objects Is a Form of Witchcraft and Idolatry
In Acts 8:9-24 there is the story of Simon the Sorcerer who was strongly rebuked by Peter for thinking that the gifts of the Holy Spirit could be purchased.
Acts 8:18-22
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
The selling or purchasing of “anointed” items or products such as anointing oil or holy water in exchange for blessings and miracles is equivalent to practicing witchcraft and other New Age movement beliefs.
God’s word does not teach that people must purchase “anointed” or “holy” objects in exchange for God’s miracles because the power to heal or bless does not come from objects but the power comes directly from God.
It is a form of practicing witchcraft when people purchase objects and trust in those “anointed” objects in exchange for blessings and miracles. It is the same practice when a person visits a sorcerer or witchdoctor. Such practices are therefore cult-like and demonic in nature. Any power or results that are experienced because of trusting in various objects for miracles is likely sourced from satan and not from God.
Having faith in an object for miracles and blessings is also similar to practicing idolatry. Our trust and faith must be directed towards God alone (Mark 11:22) and not towards objects.
Our function as Christians is simply to pray to God whenever we have a problem or petition (Philippians 4:6-7).
We do not need to pray PLUS purchase an “anointed” object for God to answer our prayers.
God is sovereign. Therefore God cannot be manipulated or coerced by the purchase and usage of “anointed” or “holy” objects or products which are sold by various church leaders.
God will answer our prayers without the need for us to pay anybody any money.
False Teachers Are Profiteering From Sales of “Anointed” Objects
The crux of the matter is that the selling of such products as anointing oil or holy water is done for the purposes of making money and exploiting gullible followers.
The Bible warns that there will be many false teachers who will exploit people for the purposes of making money and enriching themselves.
For example, 2 Peter 2:1-3 (KJV) speaks about false teachers and says “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you”
1 Timothy 6:3-5 says that we must beware of anyone who teaches false doctrines and of false teachers who “think that godliness is a means to financial gain”
Romans 16:18 says “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”
Therefore, one of the primary objectives of many false teachers is to make a lot of money by exploiting the gullibility of their followers. They deceive their followers by suggesting that their products have the power to miraculously change the lives of their followers if their followers purchase and use their “anointed” products.
These false teachers exploit people who are in genuine need of help and who are desperate by selling them “anointed” oil and water. Yet this was never what Jesus did nor what Jesus taught.
It is therefore necessary to avoid any religious group or persons who exploits followers through selling “anointed” objects and products. Such people are false teachers who seek monetary gain and they are used as instruments of the devil to lead people into both witchcraft and idolatry.
