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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!

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CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

Yes, I have shared Messiah’s crucifixion. I am living indeed, but it is not I that live, it is Messiah whose life is in me. (Galatians 2:20; Arthur S. Way)

There is only one escape from sin, and that is an empty tomb! Mark Hankins

You inherited sin through your genetics. The psalmist David said, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5) Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This is why everyone has to be born again.

The only way you can get out of Adam and into Christ is to receive Him. Salvation comes through the death and resurrection of Christ. Your old man (or your old genetic self) was crucified with Christ.  

Crucifixion was common punishment for criminals in the Roman Empire in New Testament times. How could you be crucified as a criminal in the Roman Empire? The answer is this: you have to get rid of “I” and let Christ live in you. It can be quite difficult to get little “I” to move out because he really likes to run things. But when “I” moves out and Christ moves in, sin will no longer dominate you! There is only one escape from sin, and that is an empty tomb!

Confession: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. (Galatians 2:20)

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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!

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YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS NOW

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins… declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.  (Isaiah 43:25-26)

You will never get God’s best blessings as long as you live with a sense of condemnation, guilt, and unworthiness. – Mark Hankins

In Smith Wigglesworth’s book, Ever Increasing Faith, he tells the story of praying for an Episcopalian priest who wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When he started to pray for him, the priest fell down on his knees and began to say, “O God, make me holy and clean.” Wigglesworth said, “Stop, old man! I thought you were saved! If you’re saved, then you are holy.”  The man said, “Well, I am aren’t I? I am righteous!” He lifted up his hands and got filled with the Holy Spirit right there!

In order to put on the new man in Christ you have to say something. You need to declare that you are righteous. If you fail to declare your righteousness, the devil will keep you in a sense of guilt and condemnation. He will try to cheat you out of God’s best blessings for your life. You will never get God’s best blessings as long as you live with a sense of condemnation, guilt, and unworthiness. In Christ, righteousness has been imparted to your spirit. You are a new creature in Christ.

Confession: I am a new creation, and this new man has been created in righteousness and true holiness!

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LIVE BY FAITH

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

You are justified by faith in what Christ has done, not in how you feel. Mark Hankins

What does it mean to have been cleansed from all unrighteousness? It means you have been made righteous again. It has nothing to do with what you feel. You may say, “I still do not feel righteous.”  It has nothing to do with your feelings. You are justified by faith in what Christ has done, not by how you feel. Do you feel saved when you get up in the morning? Most people don’t get up and say, “I feel saved.”  Most people don’t get up and say, “I feel righteous today. I really feel redeemed. I feel victorious.”  It has nothing to do with feelings.

Romans 1:17 tells us, “The just shall live by faith.” Righteousness is a part of your faith walk when you acknowledge everything that is in you in Christ. Get up in the morning and say, “I have been made righteous today.” When the devil comes against your mind, he brings a picture of failure or weakness. Will the devil bring you a picture? Yes, but you tell him, “That is all right devil. I know you have a picture, but that does not exist anymore.”

Confession: I have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I have been forgiven, and I am redeemed by faith.

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