Living By Faith

BEFORE YOU DIE

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

For your faith to be effective, you must acknowledge those things with the words in your mouth. – Mark Hankins

I heard Jesse Duplantis tell this story about his grandma’s birthday. She had been poor all of her life, so they bought her the most beautiful dress they could find. They said, “Granny, won’t you wear it to church?”  She replied, “I can’t wear that dress. It’s too pretty. It’s just too beautiful. I can’t wear it. I’m going to keep it in the closet. I want to be buried in it.”

That is exactly the way most Christians are. As soon as you receive Christ, God gives you beautiful new clothes–robes of righteousness. Most Christians look at them and say, “Oh, I couldn’t wear that. I am unworthy, so I’ll hang it in the closet and wait until I am dead. When I die, I’ll be righteous.”

You are righteous now. You are righteous before you die! You are made righteous through faith in Christ!

Confession: I am made righteous through faith in Christ! God has reconciled me to Himself.  I am winning the war against my flesh and my mind because I am acknowledging who I am in Christ!

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LIVE BY FAITH

YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS NOW

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins…declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.  (Isaiah43:25-26)

You will never get God’s best blessings as long as you live with a sense of condemnation, guilt, and unworthiness. – Mark Hankins

In Smith Wigglesworth’s book, Ever Increasing Faith, he tells the story of praying for an Episcopalian priest who wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When he started to pray for him, the priest fell down on his knees and began to say, “O God, make me holy and clean.” Wigglesworth said, “Stop, old man! I thought you were saved! If you’re saved, then you are holy.”  The man said, “Well, I am aren’t I? I am righteous!” He lifted up his hands and got filled with the Holy Spirit right there!

In order to put on the new man in Christ you have to say something. You need to declare that you are righteous. If you fail to declare your righteousness, the devil will keep you in a sense of guilt and condemnation. He will try to cheat you out of God’s best blessings for your life. You will never get God’s best blessings as long as you live with a sense of condemnation, guilt, and unworthiness. In Christ, righteousness has been imparted to your spirit. You are a new creature in Christ.

Confession: I am a new creation, and this new man has been created in righteousness and true holiness!

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RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. (Titus 3:5)

Your spirit is recreated in righteousness; it is a gift! Mark Hankins

You can be born again and still have a sin-consciousness, constantly having guilt-consciousness. You can constantly be thinking about the past, your failures, and your weaknesses. You can develop a righteousness-consciousness.

When you start acknowledging every good thing that is in you in Christ, however, you develop a consciousness that you have been made righteous. You have been redeemed. You are a new creation. You are triumphant in Christ. Start speaking that; your spirit man will rise up, and you will bring your body under subjection.

Righteousness is a gift that has been imparted to your spirit. Your spirit is re-created in righteousness; it is a gift. You are pleasing to God. You are accepted before God just as if you had never sinned. You are justified or righteous just as if you had never sinned.

Confession: It is not by works of righteousness that I have done, but according to His mercy that has saved me! (Titus 3:5)

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IN CHRIST SURGERY

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17:28)

Mankind needed redemption; we needed the blood of Jesus. Mark Hankins

A firefighter from California once burned his hand so badly that the doctors thought they would have to amputate. They decided to try another procedure because of the human body’s regenerative powers. Surgeons operated on the firefighter, inserted his burned hand inside his body, and left it in there. When they removed the hand after some days, the skin had begun to grow back again.

God saw that man’s condition was so bad that it looked like he would have to be amputated. He said, “Before we do that, I will do a surgical procedure.”  The surgery God performed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was such a massive project; He planned it for thousands of years. Because of man’s condition, this “in Christ” surgical procedure was the only way man could be saved. Paul called this a mystery in Colossians 1:26-27.  We are joined and identified with Him through redemption!

Confession: In Him I live and move and have my being! I have been redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus!

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BEFORE YOU DIE

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

For your faith to be effective, you must acknowledge those things with the words in your mouth. – Mark Hankins

I heard Jesse Duplantis tell this story about his grandma’s birthday. She had been poor all of her life, so they bought her the most beautiful dress they could find. They said, “Granny, won’t you wear it to church?”  She replied, “I can’t wear that dress. It’s too pretty. It’s just too beautiful. I can’t wear it. I’m going to keep it in the closet. I want to be buried in it.”

That is exactly the way most Christians are. As soon as you receive Christ, God gives you beautiful new clothes–robes of righteousness. Most Christians look at them and say, “Oh, I couldn’t wear that. I am unworthy, so I’ll hang it in the closet and wait until I am dead. When I die, I’ll be righteous.”

You are righteous now. You are righteous before you die! You are made righteous through faith in Christ!

Confession: I am made righteous through faith in Christ! God has reconciled me to Himself.  I am winning the war against my flesh and my mind because I am acknowledging who I am in Christ!

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