Living By Faith

CHANGE CLOTHES DAILY

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. (Colossians 3:10)

“Acting on the Word is the simplest definition of faith.” – Mark Hankins

Changing clothes is not something you do once in your lifetime. You do not say, “I changed clothes twenty years ago.” No, this is a daily thing. You did not get up this morning and say, “If God wanted me to wear clothes, He would have put them on me.” That is ridiculous, isn’t it? You cannot say, “If it is the will of God, I would have clothes on today.” No, you had to get up, pick them out, and put them on.

Often people say, “If it were the will of God for me to be healed, I would be healed because God wanted it.” No, did your clothes jump on you? In other words, healing is a part of your redemption, but you need to put it on.

Some people say, “If it is the will of God for me to have money, then I would have it.” No, God did not put your clothes on you; you put them on. Likewise, you have to “put on” prosperity.  That is what belongs to you in Christ. You have to dress yourself up by acknowledging who you are in Christ.

Confession: That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. (Philemon 6)

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EXPERIENCE JESUS

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!

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PATIENCE IN CHRIST

Through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12)

“You can outlast the devil!” – Mark Hankins

God is patient — He has the time and space for things to happen. The devil is not only stupid but also impatient. The devil will hang around and try to whip you. Eventually, he will get impatient and say, “I guess this is not going to work,” and take off! You can outlast the devil!

Some time ago when I visited someone in the hospital, I needed to ride the elevator.  I pushed the button and the light came on, but nothing seemed to happen. I waited and waited for the doors to open. Finally, I punched the button again even though the light was still on. I thought, “I guess I don’t need to punch it again. The light is on. It is on the way.” I could have been impatient and taken the stairs if I wanted, but I held steady.

When you exercise your faith, you have punched the button and the light is on. The devil will say, “It’s not going to come. It will never happen.” Keep the switch of faith turned on. Keep that light on!  The elevator is on the way!

Confession: Through faith and patience I am inheriting the promises. My faith is working. Miracles are coming to me. The light is on. The elevator is on the way!

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EXPERIENCING THE GLORY

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. (Ephesians 3:16)

“The man with an argument is always at the mercy of the man with an experience.” – Mark Hankins

What is the glory? The glory of God is not just something intellectual; the glory of God is something you experience. The Apostle Paul talks about experiencing the glory of God throughout the book of Ephesians.

In Ephesians 3, Paul says that God will strengthen your inner man; this strength comes from His glory.

Moses desired to see the glory. He cried out to God and said, “Show me your glory.” David did the same thing in Psalm 63, “My soul thirsteth for thee…to see thy power and thy glory….”

God will strengthen you and increase your capacity so you will be able to possess things in your life that are exceeding abundantly above what you could ever imagine. God wants to do something in you that will shock a generation!

Confession: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.  (Ephesians 3:20)

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THE LAW OF SUBSTITUTION

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

“Jesus was not a martyr; He was a substitute, one man who died for every man.” -Mark Hankins

Jesus took our place.  He took our curse and died our death.  He took our condition so that we could have His condition.  He was identified with us.  We were there in His death and resurrection, because He died for us, we died with Him. Because He was raised for us, we were raised with Him. Everything Jesus did, He did for us and it is credited to our account as if we did it. Substitution progresses to identification and union with Christ.

In the four Gospels, a disproportionate amount of space is given to the actual events of the death and resurrection of Christ. Every sermon in the book of Acts and all of Paul’s epistles center on what happened in the death and resurrection of Christ. You can get anything you need from this event. Healing, prosperity, joy, victory — whatever you need — you can get from the fact that,“I was crucified with Christ. He took my place because He was my substitute. He took my condition.”

Confession: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

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