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FINDING YOURSELF IN THE GROUP PICTURE

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

At the cross, God was working “in” Christ, but He was working “on” us.
Mark Hankins

When looking at a group picture, the first thing you look for is yourself. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is a “group picture.” You need to look for yourself in the group picture of redemption. You were included on the cross and were there in His resurrection and triumph.

The greatest of all revelations in the Bible is in Paul’s New Testament letters. James Stalker said, “Paul’s letters contain the thoughts that Jesus carried away from this world unuttered. They are the advanced teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Apostle Paul gives us the great facts of redemption. He explains what happened in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything Jesus did, He did for us and has set it to the credit of our account as though we did it. We were identified with Him.

Confession: Even when I was dead in sins, God quickened me together with Christ. By His grace I am saved. He has raised me up and made me to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:5-6)

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POSITION, PRIVILEGE, POTENTIAL, POWER, AND PROMISE IN CHRIST

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. (Ephesians 3:12)

The blood of Jesus has given us great boldness and confidence!
Mark Hankins

We enjoy great position, privilege, potential, power, and promise In Christ. God sees us In Christ, and we look a lot better In Christ than we do outside of Him. If you are not impressed with who you are in Christ, you haven’t seen Him lately.

We are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained for us to walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) We have come into closest fellowship with Christ. We are In Him. The Apostle Paul uses the phrase In Christ, In Him, and In Whom, over 130 times in his letters. Take your position in Christ and live in the privileges and advantages God has provided for you.

Confession: God sees me in Christ. I am the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus unto good works. For in Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. I am complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:9-10)

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FILLED TO OVERFLOWING

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be IN you! (John 14:17)

We can apprehend Christ fully only when we are filled and overflowing with the Spirit of God. Smith Wigglesworth

One of my favorite things to eat is a blueberry pancake. So if I go out to eat somewhere that serves blueberry pancakes I always ask the server, “Do these blueberry pancakes just have blueberries poured on them or are the blueberries cooked in them?” Once you have had blueberry pancakes with the blueberries cooked in them, you don’t want to eat them any other way. When I eat blueberry pancakes I want the blueberries cooked in the batter. I want to hit a blueberry in every bite.

In the Old Testament, they just had blueberries (the Holy Spirit) on them. In the New Testament, the blueberries were cooked right in the batter.  In other words, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, nothing in life can take a bite out of you without hitting a blueberry.  When the devil takes a bite out of you, you can say, “Ha, ha, ha, devil, you just hit a blueberry! You just hit the Holy Ghost living on the inside of me!”

Confession:I am filled with the Holy Spirit to over flowing! He dwells with me and He is IN me!

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A NEW CREATURE

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

You look a whole lot better in Christ than you do outside of Christ. Mark Hankins

When you get born again, you become a brand-new creation in Christ Jesus. You are re-created. In the new birth you are not just a forgiven sinner, but a brand-new creation in several ways.

First, your spirit has been re-created with the very life and nature of God on the inside of you. Second, you are not a Jew, and you are not a Gentile. You are a new nationality, a new species of being. You are in Christ Jesus, so you are blessed with Abraham’s blessing. You are a new creation.

Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man BE in Christ, he is…”  We often talk about what we are trying to be, needing to be, struggling to be, or going to someday be, but nobody ever told us what we “be.”  We should be talking about who and what you are — every good thing that is in you now. This is something that is already yours the moment you are in Christ Jesus because of the grace of God.

Confession: I am a new creature in Christ! I am not trying to be–I AM NOW! Every good thing that is in Christ is now in me! 

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THE LAW OF SAMENESS

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwellin you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)

No other religion can say what the Christian can; that is, that our God lives in us. T. L. Osborn

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. The identical life that raised Christ from the dead is inside the believer. We share the same righteousness and the same victory that is in Christ. If we see what God sees, we would see that we have the same Spirit that raised Christ. We have the same anointing that was and is on Him. He is the Anointed One, and we are in Him.

God did not give us an inferior product. He gave us the very life of Christ Himself; it is identical! Satan does not want the Church to understand or walk in the reality of our redemption in Christ.

Once you climb up in Him, then God will change your name and tell you who you are. Your friends and family will not tell you who you are. God says, “I will tell you who you are!”

Confession: I was identified with Christ in His death and resurrection. Right now,I have the same spirit, the same righteousness, the same victory, and thesame blessing!

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