Living By Faith

A MAN IN CHRIST

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)

What Jesus did in His death, burial, and resurrection changed all of heaven and earth—seen and unseen!
Mark Hankins

Jesus did not go through the agony of the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection just to help us a little bit. What Jesus did in His death, burial and resurrection, changed all of heaven and earth — seen and unseen!
The world is constantly fantasizing about Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Hercules, the Bionic Woman, the Six Million Dollar Man, Jedi Knights, and the Incredible Hulk. Each of these individuals is an amazing specimen among us. Many stories have been told, but God has produced the real thing — the most amazing specimen of all. He has created a man in Christ. This is no man- made fantasy. God has made a new creature that is a sign and a wonder in this world!

As we feed on the Word, we partake of the same power that fueled these world-changing events two thousand years ago. A man in Christ is a world-changing man!

Confession: I am a world-changing man. I am a man in Christ. Jesus is Lord in my life!

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ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ…wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:3,6)

You must take your place in Christ and hold yourself there!
Mark Hankins

You have been accepted in the beloved, so you do not need to live with a sense of rejection all the time, feeling like you do not quite measure up. You have been accepted in the beloved, and you are in Christ. God accepts you, and He loves you.

All the promises of God in Him are yes and amen to the glory of God by us! What God has done in your life will bring glory to God. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. People will say, “Who do you think you are? You think you can act like Christ?” You say, “Exactly. He lives in me, and I am putting Him on.”

It does not happen overnight. It is a process that matures daily. You put Him on, and it begins to affect every area of your life. What you used to be just disappears!

Confession: The person I used to be does not exist anymore. I am a brand-new person. Christ lives in me!

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THE ENFORCER OF THE WORD

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
(1 John 2:20)

The anointing actually comes to confirm the Word.
Mark Hankins

You have an unction, an anointing, from the Holy One, so you know all things. The anointing is a spiritual substance that enforces the Word. As you agree with the Word of God, that anointing rises up in you. When you begin to acknowledge the good things that are in you in Christ, the anointing comes out of your belly or your spirit. It rises up and hits your soul, your mind, and your emotions, and it runs into your bones and your blood!

The anointing will teach you what is real and what is true. The anointing will also teach you to abide in Him. As you abide in Him, that anointing abides in you. If you want to find God’s address, look right down on the inside of you — where He lives! The anointing will also teach you to abide in Him.

The anointing is the reality of your redemption and who you are in Christ. Being “in Christ” is not just a theological lesson; it is acknowledging every good thing that is in you in Him. The anointing rises up to produce and display this reality.

Confession: Christ the Anointed One lives in me. I am a new creation. I am redeemed. I am healed. I am blessed. I am prosperous!

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WINNING THE WAR

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

When you get in Christ you are introduced to a whole new realm—
the realm of God! – Mark Hankins

Paul said to put off the former lifestyle, your old conversation, and your old way of living and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Evidently this change doesn’t happen instantly when you are saved, because he was talking to Spirit-filled Christians. There is a battle between your born-again spirit and your unrenewed mind.

How are you going to win this war? You are going to have to have your weapons ready. What are your weapons? They are the blood, the Word, and the name of Jesus. You also have another help, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which destroys every yoke of bondage. You might think that all you need is a vacation when what you really need is the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit breaking that yoke off of your soul and your mind!

Confession: I put off my former lifestyle and renew my mind to the Word of God. The blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit destroy every yoke of bondage in my life!

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ELIJAH AND ELISHA

Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. (2 Kings 2:9-10)

It’s time to rip some things the devil has tried to make you wear.
Mark Hankins

Elijah said, “You cannot have my mantle unless you see me when I go up.” Elisha determined, “Nothing is going to stop me from seeing that man when he goes up.”

The day came when Elijah crossed the Jordan River, and Elisha went over with him. The chariot came down, the whirlwind took Elijah up, and Elisha said, “Hey, it is a new day!” When that mantle came down, he grabbed it. It represented a double anointing. He grabbed the mantle and ripped his own clothes. He said, “I am wearing some new clothes.”

It’s time to rip some things the devil has tried to make you wear. Get dressed in the reality of your redemption in Christ. You have access to new places. Dress up in honor. Put on a garment of praise right now!

Confession: I rejoice because I do not wear the same clothes that I used to wear! In Christ, I have new clothes!

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