Living By Faith

YOUR PLACE IN CHRIST

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7)

Take your place in Christ and get ready for a front-row seat for the glory of God!
Mark Hankins

When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, the first thing he said to Jesus was, “Who are thou, Lord?” (Acts 9:5) The second thing he said to Jesus was, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (v. 6) Saul, who became Paul, then spent the rest of his life finding out who Jesus was and doing what Jesus wanted him to do. Paul coined a phrase that is the signature of his letters: “in Christ.”

The Apostle Paul used the phrase in Christ, in Him, and in Whom over one hundred-thirty times. God sees you in Christ, but you must see yourself in Him. You are a new creature in Christ. In Him you are righteous now, blessed now, healed now, free now, forgiven now, and victorious now!

Take your place in Christ and get ready for a front-row seat for the glory of God! Experiencing the glory and goodness of God is not just for a select few believers. God has a reserved seat for you with your name on it!

Confession: I am taking my place in Christ! In Him I am the righteousness of God. In Him I am triumphant! In Him, I am blessed. In Him I am redeemed. In Him, I have a heritage — an identity and an inheritance!

  • 0

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!

  • 0

SHAME-FREE LIVING

For the scripture saith, Whosever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:11)

We must consistently see ourselves in the light of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
Mark Hankins

Many people try to fix their behavioral problems with more and more doses of shame and guilt. Instead of curing the problem, shame perpetuates the problem. The Complete Life Encyclopedia makes this interesting statement about shame:

“Shame is the issue that drives almost every compulsive, self-defeating behavior known to the human race. Shame is at the root of all addictions.”

The cure is at the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, God was working in Christ, but He was working on us. Jesus took our condition and we were engrafted into Him. Now, God sees us through the blood, through the cross, and through the resurrection!

Confession: I reign in life through the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness through one man Jesus Christ! I am free from guilt, shame, sin, death, and the curse! (Romans 5:17)

  • 0

JESUS TOOK OUR SHAME

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

We look a lot better in Christ than we do outside of Him. Mark Hankins

Jesus took our guilt, shame, sin, death, and curse so that we could be free. We were engrafted into His death that we might be one with His resurrection and victory. He was made to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God In Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Colossians chapter one, verses fourteen and twenty-two says, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins…In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.”

We are new creatures In Christ. God would not make an unrighteous new creature. We have the same righteousness as Jesus Christ Himself. He took our shame that we may live without guilt. We can now face life confident that we are qualified for God’s best blessings.

Confession: I am a new creature In Christ! I have the same righteousness as Jesus Christ Himself. I am qualified for God’s best blessings!

  • 0

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!

  • 0