Living By Faith

BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working. (James 5:16 Amplified)

You need to see how wonderful you are in God and how helpless you are in yourself.
Smith Wigglesworth

The blessings and benefits of righteousness are listed throughout the Old and New Testaments. The moment anyone receives Jesus, that man or woman is made the righteousness of God. Understanding righteousness has a mighty effect on every area of your life, including your prayer life. You must see yourself in Christ. Without Him, you could do nothing. You have tremendous power in prayer when you abide in Christ and His Words abide in you.

You are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) When you come on board in Christ, all heaven stands at attention. The blessings of heaven are yours in Him. The authority of heaven is yours in His name. God is your very own Father and you are His very own child!

Confession: For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

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FIRST CLASS RIGHTEOUSNESS

Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. (Romans 3:25)

There is no Economy class righteousness. All of the God-kind of righteousness is First class righteousness. Mark Hankins

I do a lot of international flying and know that you can fly Economy class, Business class, or First class. When you board the plane in First class, the attendant will immediately greet you and make sure you have everything to you need to be comfortable. You are offered something to drink or eat. They will take your coat, make sure you have a blanket or pillow, and help you put up your belongings.

In Economy class, however, they almost act irritated that you are there! The seating isn’t so comfortable. Don’t ask for anything special–they’ll tell you to get it yourself. If you have an aisle seat, you can look up the aisle and see into First class. You develop a real economy mentality as the person next to you goes to sleep and snores and slobbers.

However, God spoke to me through all of this and said, “There is no Economy class righteousness.” All of the God-kind of righteousness is First class righteousness!

Confession: I have the God-kind of righteousness – First class righteousness!

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A RIGHTEOUS NEW CREATURE

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 3:23-24)

You can never get any more righteous than the moment you are born again and washed in the blood of Jesus!
Mark Hankins

Righteousness is yours through faith in the precious blood of Jesus. God has not only forgiven the sinner, but He has made him His very own righteousness. He has not only forgiven the one who believes in Jesus, but He has forgotten that he has ever done anything wrong. (Isaiah 43:25-26) You are not only forgiven, but you have been recreated with God’s own righteousness imparted to you. We have been recreated in righteousness.

Jesus has given you His standing with the Father God. Jesus has let you share His place with God. Your place of righteousness is in Christ. In Him you are free from the power, control, and effects of sin. In Him you have confidence in the presence of God. In Christ and by faith in His blood, you have boldness not only before God, but also before your adversary, the devil, who comes to accuse you. You are a righteous new creature!

Confession: In Christ I am free from guilt and shame! In Him I am free from inferiority and unworthiness!

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SUBSTITUTION, IDENTIFICATION, UNION

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Your identification with Christ is activated by your identical confession of faith of who you are in Christ.
Mark Hankins

Everything Jesus did, He did for you; it is set to the credit of your account as though you did it. This is the progression from substitution to identification and union with Christ. When someone is born again, He is a new creature in Christ Jesus; old things are passed away and everything is new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) God would not make an unrighteous new creature. If you are saved, you must be righteous.

When Jesus was raised from the dead, you were justified or declared righteous. You could even say that Jesus was not raised from the dead until you were declared righteous. The penalty for sin was paid in full and God declared you righteous. This is the reason the Gospel is good news to every person!

Confession: The penalty for sin was paid in full and God has declared me righteous!

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UNDERSTANDING RIGHTEOUSNESS

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:16-17)

The Gospel is the revelation of how God makes man righteous.
Mark Hankins

Understanding righteousness and understanding redemption are essential to your faith working mightily. The main theme of the book of Romans is righteousness. The Apostle Paul begins by saying that the Gospel of Christ is fundamentally a revelation of righteousness.

Righteousness simply means “right standing with God.” It is living in a state of divine favor or being pleasing, accepted, or approved by God. Righteousness is a gift.

The Gospel is a revelation of how God makes man righteous. Jesus took your sinful condition so you could receive His righteous condition. He took your place so you could have His place.

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. I am the righteousness of God in Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:21)

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