Search Menu Toggle navigation
Living By Faith
Search Menu Toggle navigation

THE GOOD NEWS

Not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses, but [canceling them] (2 Corinthians 5:19  AMP)

Jesus wants you to stand up on your feet and look Him in the eye. Mark Hankins

People struggle with a sense of sin and condemnation throughout the religions of the world. There is a bronze statue of Peter in Rome that has the toe worn off by millions of religious people who think they will get blessed if they kiss Peter’s toe.  In various nations, people crawl for miles on holy days to certain shrines because they think their sins will be forgiven if they can crawl far enough.

The good news of the Gospel is that 2,000 years ago on the cross, God was in Christ reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.  You have been cleansed through the blood of Jesus. Your right standing with God is so secure that He has given you a seat at His right hand. God Himself can look at you with the most penetrating gaze and cannot find one thing wrong with you. How can that be? Because you are in Christ! God sees you in Christ.

Confession: I have been born again. I am a new creation. I have been made righteous now. I am forgiven. I am redeemed.

  • 0

BEFORE YOU DIE

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

For your faith to be effective, you must acknowledge those things with the words in your mouth. – Mark Hankins

I heard Jesse Duplantis tell this story about his grandma’s birthday. She had been poor all of her life, so they bought her the most beautiful dress they could find. They said, “Granny, won’t you wear it to church?”  She replied, “I can’t wear that dress. It’s too pretty. It’s just too beautiful. I can’t wear it. I’m going to keep it in the closet. I want to be buried in it.”

That is exactly the way most Christians are. As soon as you receive Christ, God gives you beautiful new clothes–robes of righteousness. Most Christians look at them and say, “Oh, I couldn’t wear that. I am unworthy, so I’ll hang it in the closet and wait until I am dead. When I die, I’ll be righteous.”

You are righteous now. You are righteous before you die! You are made righteous through faith in Christ!

Confession: I am made righteous through faith in Christ! God has reconciled me to Himself.  I am winning the war against my flesh and my mind because I am acknowledging who I am in Christ!

  • 0

LIVING FAITH WILL CARRY YOU

Faith is like that. If faith does not issue in action, if it is all alone by itself, it is dead. (James 2:17 Barclay)

The word of faith begins in your mouth. Mark Hankins

It is very difficult to carry dead faith around. Faith without action is dead. However, living faith will carry you. Living faith demands action.

Romans 10:8-9 says, “But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Again, the word of faith begins in your mouth.

The first act of faith a Christian makes is saying, “Jesus is Lord.”  The miracle of the new birth is activated by words. There are many important facets of faith, but the speaking part is vital. It seems that Satan wants to stop you before the initial act of faith. When God gets His foot in the door, His power changes everything.

Confession: The word of faith begins with my mouth. My faith is changing my words and as a result, it will change my world!

  • 0

MOVE YOUR MOUTH– MOVE YOUR MOUNTAIN

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain… (Mark 11:23)

Change your words; change your world. Mark Hankins

The speaking part of faith is very important. Speaking is vital to faith working effectively. In Mark 11:23, Jesus’ words indicate that the speaking part must be emphasized three times more than the believing part. Jesus emphasized the speaking part three times and believing only once.  

Faith moves God. Faith moves mountains, but faith will not move anything until it moves you. The first part of you that your faith will move is your mouth. Smith Wigglesworth said, “No man looks at appearances if he believes God. I’m not moved by what I see, I’m not moved by what I feel, I’m moved only by what I believe, and I believe God.”

Your faith must change your words before it will change your world. If you are silent, you lose by default. There is no silent faith in the Bible. Faith must have a voice.

Confession: I’m not moved by what I see, I’m not moved by what I feel, I’m moved only by what I believe, and I believe God!

  • 3

THE ATTITUDE OF FAITH

We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.   (2 Corinthians 4:13)

The last of all human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s own attitude regardless of circumstances. Viktor Frankl

I once read a book about a man named Viktor Frankl. Viktor was a Jew in a Nazi concentration camp in Word War II. He was constantly badgered harassed, beaten, and made to carry burdens. Viktor said that he could look into people’s eyes and see when they were ready to give up and die.

Viktor Frankl determined that there was one thing the Nazis could not control in his life; they could not control his attitude. He said, “The last of all human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s own attitude regardless of circumstances.”  In other words, he couldn’t control everything, but he could control himself and his attitude.

You may not be able to control what has happened to you in life, but you can control your attitude. God will get you to your destination if you maintain a spirit of faith.

Confession: I have an attitude of faith. I will not allow hopelessness to dominate my life. I believed, and therefore have I spoken. (2 Corinthians 4:13)

  • 1

Sign up for Living By Faith Blog Subscribers

* = required field

Recent Posts

Categories