Living By Faith

RIGHTEOUSNESS: REVELATION AND MOTIVATION

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written,The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)

God sees you in Christ, but you must see yourself in Him. Mark Hankins

It is important to understand that the Gospel of Christ is a revelation of righteousness.  Understanding righteousness is fundamental to Christianity. Understanding righteousness also enables us to win the fight of faith. The Apostle Paul’s letters help us to understand that righteousness is a free gift. His letters also help us to see ourselves In Christ.

Righteousness gives us right standing with God. Righteousness sets us free from sin, guilt, and shame. Since we are free from the motivating power of shame, we are now under a new motivating power of righteousness. The power of righteousness is the revelation of all true victory. We are no longer haunted by a sense of inadequacy or inferiority. God has given us First class righteousness in Christ!

Confession: I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I have right standing with God. I am free from the motivating power of shame. I am now under the motivating power of righteousness. I have victory in Christ!

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PRESS ON

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

There are some good things that are in you that you need to acknowledge! Mark Hankins

In tennis, baseball, or basketball, a good coach will always tell the player who missed a shot, “You do not have time to think about the last shot you missed. This game is too short, and if you keep thinking about the last shot you missed, you will get down on yourself. That will affect the rest of your game and the whole team. It will cause you to lose.” So the coach will say, “Shake it off fast! Forget about it.”

Press on to those things that are ahead. Do you know some things are just ahead for you? You must take your place in Christ and hold yourself in that place. Paul said, “Acknowledging every good thing that is in you in Christ.”  There are some good things that are in you that you need to acknowledge. Confess them. Your faith becomes effective when you acknowledge those things. “Acknowledge” means you have to say it.

Confession: I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I have been made right with God. In Christ Jesus, I am righteous. I am a new creation in Him. It is so good to be in Christ!

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JESUS WENT TO THE SYNAGOGUE

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (Luke 4:16)

Jesus had studied the Word and found Himself in the Word! Mark Hankins

Jesus went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and as His custom was, He went to the synagogue. Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day as He usually did and stood up to read. Jesus went there all the time. His mama and daddy taught Him to go there.

You might say, “I don’t need to go to church because the Lord and I have our own thing.”  If Jesus went to the synagogue as God, you ought to go to church.

They gave Jesus the book of the prophet Isaiah. When He opened the book, “he found the place where it was written.” (Luke 4:17) Jesus had studied the Word until He found Himself in the Word!

Do you know how He found it? He was looking. While everybody else was playing games, Jesus was studying the prophets. Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” You can grow in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man by finding yourself in the Word of God.

Confession: I am growing in God. I am increasing in wisdom and in favor with God and man.

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IT HAPPENS ON THE INSIDE

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Your identification with Christ is the center of the power of the Gospel. Mark Hankins

Mind renewal begins with understanding your identification with Christ. Some problems in your mind or soul can be so severe that they can only be dealt with at their roots by this part of the Gospel. You will never be normal and you will never fulfill the potential God has for your life unless those problems are dealt with.

Your identification with Christ is the center of the power of the Gospel. It will rise up inside you and will hit the root of mental, emotional, or behavioral issues. No matter what has happened to you — abuse, shame, what ever it is — you can say, “I am a new creature in Christ. Christ lives in me. I forget what I used to be.”

There is miracle-working power in Christ. The world may say you will never recover. But in Christ, you can be restored. It cannot happen from the outside, but it can happen on the inside!

Confession:I am being transformed from the inside out by the renewing of my mind! I was crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!

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A GLORY FASHION SHOW

Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith. (I Peter 5:8-9)

If the devil can get you under condemnation, he can cheat you out of your inheritance! Mark Hankins

Do not expect to breeze through this life without an adversary. The more anointing and glory you get, the more you move up on the devil’s hit list! Your picture is up in the post office of hell announcing, “MOST WANTED – Get him, stop him somehow!”

The devil is the accuser of the brethren. He will take you back as many years as necessary to get you under guilt and condemnation until you hang your head. Revelation 12:10-11 tells us the way to overcome him is by the word of your testimony. 

It is time for some new clothes! Get dressed up in the glory! God wants to have a fashion show like Paris or Rome has never seen. He wants to dress you in righteousness, glory, honor, and humility and let you come walking out with the glory of Jesus on you!

Confession:I know what God can do. He brought my family, my children, and my grandchildren, and me out of the horrible pit and put my feet on the rock. Look what the Lord has done!

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