Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

You are not just a forgiven sinner; you are a brand-new person!
Mark Hankins

“Therefore if any man” means this will work for anyone. Notice what Paul wrote: “Therefore if any man be in Christ.” It does not say, “if any man be in church.” You can be in church and be the same old stinkin’ thing you have always been, but when you get “in Christ,” you cannot stay the same. You are changed.

When Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is,” Paul was not talking about males only; he was talking about mankind–man or woman. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he [or she] is a new creature.” One translation says it this way, “a new species of being that never existed before.” When you get born again, you are not just a forgiven sinner. You have been re-created.

In the Old Testament, sins were only covered and forgiven. But because of the death and resurrection of Christ, you have not simply been forgiven; you have become a whole new person–a whole new creation. You are not just a forgiven sinner. You are a brand new person. God has re-created you!

Confession: I am in Christ therefore I am a brand new person. I am not simply forgiven; I am a whole new creation in Christ!

For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. (2 Corinthians 5:13)

Religion and tradition bring death; Jesus brings life and a living experience with Him.
Mark Hankins

In 2 Corinthians 5:13, Paul simply said, “If we have lost our minds, it is God’s fault.” Many people thought Paul was crazy because he had such a radical experience with Jesus Christ. His life turned in a totally different direction. I am sure his mama, daddy, his kinfolks, and his old friends thought he was crazy and had lost his mind.

I believe your experience with Jesus ought to be so strong and put such a dividing line in your life that your old friends do not even want to be around you anymore! They will say, “We do not want to be around him. He is always talking about Jesus and wanting to go to church.”

Have you ever had the Holy Spirit come upon you with such revelation of the goodness of God and what God has done for you in Christ that you feel like you have lost your mind? You may want to shout, jump, run, and roll in the floor!

Confession: I am beside myself because of what God has done for me in Jesus! Oh, the possibilities that are mine in Jesus!

I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
(Exodus 17:14)

You can live and pray from your new place of identification with Christ.
Mark Hankins

God is going to take care of you so well that you will not even remember your past. The old person you used to be is dead and gone. You are seated with Him right now in heavenly places. That is a place of authority. You cannot get any higher than that! You can live and pray from your new place of identification with Christ.

God will give you answers in every area of your life. Anything you need help for–your marriage, prosperity, or healing–is in your identification with Christ.

It is like the Arc of Triumph in Paris, France. The streets of Paris go out like spokes on a wheel from the Arc of Triumph, which is the center of the city. You can get anywhere downtown Paris from the Arc of Triumph.

The same is true about Christianity. The center of the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. You can get anywhere you need to go from there when you see your identification with Christ!

Confession: I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. I can live and pray from my new place of identification with Christ!