Living By Faith

THE HOPE OF MANKIND

For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. (2 Corinthians 5:14)

When you see what God has done for you in Christ, the reality of redemption will swallow up your old identity. Mark Hankins

How could Jesus Christ, one man, die on the cross and His death be for every man?  It is simply a law of identification. We were all identified with one man, Adam, and affected by him. God simply took the same law that allowed one man to mess up everyone, and allowed one man, Jesus Christ, to die for everyone.

There is no hope for man outside of the blood of Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection. A person has to be born again if he is going to get out of Adam. This changes your identity. No longer can you identify with defeat because you are identified with the triumph of Christ. No longer can you identify with failure, sickness, and bondage because you are identified with Christ. His victory is your victory! His life is your life! His blessing is your blessing! Everything that God put in Him now comes into you. You were identified with Adam before, but you are not in Adam now – you are in Christ!

Confession: I am born again! The blood of Jesus and the power of the Gospel has changed my life! I identify with the triumph and blessing of Christ!

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FIRST ADAM, LAST ADAM

For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)

The mystery of how you got here as damaged goods is solved in the Bible. Mark Hankins

Your identification with Christ is based on several spiritual laws. One of those laws is simply this: your first birth identified you with Adam. The whole Bible is really about two men – the first Adam and the last Adam. The old man is from Adam. The new man is Christ, who is called the last Adam.

The same law that allowed one man, Adam, to affect every man is also the same law that allowed Jesus Christ, the last Adam, to take the condition of sin, the curse, shame, and death. In His resurrection, God deposited everything in Christ that He wanted in man. God put in Christ what He wanted in you.

The power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ identifies you with a whole new humanity — a whole new creation. You are not the same person anymore! You can no longer identify only with your natural family. You are now identified with Christ!

Confession: I am a new creature in Christ! Old things are passed away. I am not the same person anymore! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

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CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

I have been crucified with Christ. Now it is not my old self, but Christ Himself who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20  Noli)

Little “I” moved out and big Christ moved in. T.L. Osborn

What does Paul mean, “I was crucified with Christ. It is no longer I that live but Christ lives in me”? You could say it this way: “Weak ‘I’ moved out, and strong Christ moved in. Defeated ‘I’ moved out, and victorious Christ moved in. Sick ‘I’ moved out, and healed Christ moved in. Poor ‘I’ moved out, and rich Christ moved in. Cursed ‘I’ moved out, and blessed Christ moved in.”  That is our identification with Christ!

How could you ever identify with defeat again when you are identified with Christ? You cannot identify with defeat because of the triumph of Christ. You are a thoroughbred — it is born into you. You are a brand-new breed, a new creation in Christ. Victory is in your genes.

God did not do one thing in Christ and do something of a lower quality in you. He put the same righteousness, life, victory, blessing, and other qualities that are in Christ into your spirit. God “cloned” you with Christ and made you identical to Him.

Confession: I consider myself as having died and now enjoying a second existence, which is simply Jesus using my body.  (Galatians 2:20  Distilled Bible)

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THE LANGUAGE OF REDEMPTION

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. (Romans 10:8)

The Gospel of Christ is a language of power; it is the power of God working in this world. Mark Hankins

Speaking the language of redemption will cause a radical change in your thinking and in your seeing. When you speak like God speaks, you will overthrow and overturn anything the devil has done in your life. We must boldly say, “I am who God says I am. I have what God says I have. I can do what God says I can do!”  The Gospel of Christ is a language of power, love, faith, victory, and blessing.

Instead of being controlled by the influences of the world, the flesh, and the devil, speaking the perfect language, will cause a revolution — a radical change — in your life.  Instead of seeing yourself as a failure, you begin to speak God’s Word. You speak that you are an overcomer and that you have been seated with Christ in heavenly places. You are a winner in Christ!

Confession: I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared before hand that I should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

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THE LANGUAGE OF FAITH

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. (Mark 11:23)

Many people would like to see different scenery in their lives. God says to make a different sound first. Mark Hankins

God wants us to learn the language of faith. Language includes understanding and speaking. God communicates to us through His Word. He wants us to see the same thing He sees and say the same thing He says. The spirit of wisdom and revelation and the spirit of faith work together for the will of God to be accomplished in us and through us.

In other words, it does not matter what the devil has done in your life. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, there is another language God wants to teach you — the language of redemption, restoration, and freedom. If you can dare to speak this new language, He will restore your dominion.

Confession: Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. I know I have eternal life. I am a child of God because of what Jesus has done. I have joy. I know the hope of His calling. I know I have an inheritance in Christ. Jesus has given me authority over the devil!

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