Are they anointed? How can we tell?

There are many today who promote themselves as faith healers, prophets, apostles, and the like. The question comes to mind how can we tell if these people are truly anointed by God? I have heard some ministers point to the miracles that are taking place in their ministries as validation that they are greatly anointed by God. Even though I believe in the gifts of the Spirit, and signs and wonders following believers, I do not think they are the bench mark that should be used. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said that many would come to him saying, "Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in your name, have we not cast out devils and done many wonderful works?" But Jesus would say that he never knew them. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 said that if he could speak with tongues of men and angels, yet had no love he was nothing. If he had the gift of prophecy, understood all mysteries, had all knowledge, and had faith to move mountains, yet had no love, he was nothing.

A far better bench mark for discovering the anointing in someone's life is the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22,23. The cornerstone of this fruit is love. and going back to 1 Corinthians 13 we find the main point of the passage is the importance of love. I know people who claim to have all 9 gifts of the Spirit working in their lives but are mean as a snake. If I want to know if someone is truly walking in God's anointing I look to see how mature the fruit of the Spirit is in their lives