Living By Faith

OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY

They [the former tyrant masters] are dead, they shall not live and reappear; they are powerless ghosts, they shall not rise and come back.
(Isaiah 26:14 AMP)

Wherever sin and Satan dominated your life, every trace of its supremacy has perished or come to an end.
Mark Hankins

Have you ever had your past come back like a ghost? The devil is the master of deception. He will tell you that fear, confusion, and sickness are still there.

Isaiah said the tyrants that ruled your past are powerless ghosts. They shall not rise and come back. God has visited you, made an end to them. He has caused every memory and trace of their supremacy to perish. Old habits, old attitudes, the devil, shame, and the past shall not control you.

God says that old things are passed away. You might think, “It sure doesn’t feel like old things have passed away.” It has nothing to do with the way you feel. You have to challenge every attitude and thought that comes against your mind with the Word of God. It doesn’t matter what the devil did to you; God said, “I swallowed that thing up, so there is no trace that it was ever there.”

Confession: I am God’ s property. Old things have passed away. I have a new life in Christ!

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POWER IN THE GOSPEL

That I may know him and the power of his resurrection…being conformable to his death. (Philippians 3:10)

The power of the Gospel is destructive and constructive; destructive to the works of the devil, and constructive to the believer.
Mark Hankins

The power of the Gospel is seen in both the death and resurrection of Christ. The Gospel gives you the ability to not only speak life but also to speak death to the works of the devil. The death of Christ put an end to what you were; the resurrection of Christ opened up who you are in your new identity.

Someone might say, “The doctors have told me that I have incurable cancer. They have given me only a few months to live.” Hold it just a second–not only was there a resurrection in the Gospel, but there was also a death. So you can say, “I curse that cancer and command it to die. I speak death to that cancer.”

What does that mean? “Death” means, “cease to exist.” You can speak to works of the devil that are ruling in your life today and command them to cease to exist in the name of Jesus!

Confession: I speak to the works of the devil that are ruling my life today and command them to cease to exist in the name of Jesus! Now life comes in!

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DEAD TO SIN, ALIVE TO GOD

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)

When you grasp the doctrine of what God has done for you in Christ, it becomes the center of your deliverance, redemption, and sanctification.
Mark Hankins

Paul says to “reckon” or count it to be so by faith. Reckon yourself to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God. Sometimes you should say to yourself, “I am dead to sin.” One translation says, “inert and motionless as a corpse in response to sin.” When sin comes around, say to it, “I am inert. I am motionless as a corpse. I am dead to sin!”

Sometimes people think if they can just get a certain evangelist to lay hands on them, their problems will go away. But your problems will remain unless you have received an understanding of who you are in Christ. The devil will try to challenge you saying, “Who do you think you are?” Thank God for the anointing, but you must live by faith saying, “I am who God says I am.” The just shall live by faith!

Confession: I am dead indeed to sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ my Lord!

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KNOWING THIS

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)

This is the power of being dead to sin: the old man no longer exists.
Mark Hankins

When Paul says “old man,” to whom is he referring? Other translations of Romans 6:6 say, “Our old sinful nature,” “The old person I used to be,” “My old inherited self,” (Jordan, Cressman, Bruce).

Here are a few things the “old man” refers to: my old sick self, my old poor self, my old confused self, my old defeated self, my old condemned self, my old guilty self, and my old sinful self was crucified with Him!

If someone were in the Mafia and decided to testify against the organization, the federal government would have to give him a new identity so that he could not be traced. He would be given a legal identity change including birth certificate, passport, etc. If anyone from his former lifestyle tried to contact him, his mail, legal notices, and bills would be returned marked, “Return to sender. No such person. No such place.” This is the power of being dead to sin: the old man no longer exists.

Confession: My old self was crucified with Christ. I am not the same person I used to be! No such person exists!

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RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. (Titus 3:5)

Your spirit is recreated in righteousness; it is a gift!
Mark Hankins

You can be born again and still have a sin-consciousness, constantly having guilt-consciousness. You can constantly be thinking about the past, your failures, and your weaknesses. You can develop a righteousness-consciousness.

When you start acknowledging every good thing that is in you in Christ, however, you develop a consciousness that you have been made righteous. You have been redeemed. You are a new creation. You are triumphant in Christ. Start speaking that; your spirit man will rise up, and you will bring your body under subjection.

Righteousness is a gift that has been imparted to your spirit. Your spirit is re-created in righteousness; it is a gift. You are pleasing to God. You are accepted before God just as if you had never sinned. You are justified or righteous just as if you had never sinned.

Confession: It is not by works of righteousness that I have done, but according to His mercy that has saved me! (Titus 3:5)

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