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VICTORY IN CHRIST

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto
the simple. (Psalm 119:130)

You are who God says you are; you can do what God says you can do; you can have what God says you can have!
Mark Hankins

My dad and mom pastored a full gospel church in West Columbia, Texas for more than 50 years. When my parents first moved to West Columbia, I was only a year old and my older brother, Mike, was four. Mom was sick and mentally tormented for two years. Dad not only pastored the church, but also had the pressure of all the family responsibilities. Dad began to have heart trouble. The church was small and struggling, and we were poor.
However, in the middle of this struggle a man gave my dad some books on the authority of the believer, the integrity of God’s Word, and who you are in Christ. Dad began to read and study the material and gained a new understanding of God’s Word. Dad began to speak the Word to Mom and had her repeat it after him. She began to say, “I am who God says I am. I have what God says I have. I can do what God says I can do!” As my parents saw who they were in Christ and spoke the Word, faith arose in their hearts. They knew that victory belonged to them in every area of their lives.

Confession: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

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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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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!

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A NEW DAY OF BOLDNESS

Having therefore, brethren, BOLDNESS to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. (Hebrews 10:19)

Instead of being a victim of our experiences, our experiences
are a victim of us.
Mark Hankins

The word boldness is an important word in the book of Hebrews. The blood of Jesus has given us great boldness and confidence.

“Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace.” (Hebrews 4:16)
“That we may BOLDLY say, ‘The Lord is my helper.’” (Hebrews 13:6)

Some other translations of Hebrews 10:19 translate boldness as freedom of speech or outspoken. As believers, we need to exercise our freedom of speech and be outspoken about the blood of Jesus and who we are in Christ. Instead of being a victim of our experiences, our experiences are a victim of us!

Confession: I have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. I can come boldly unto the throne of grace and I can boldly say the Lord is my helper! I am not a victim of my experiences. My experiences are a victim of me because the blood of Jesus has given me great boldness and confidence!

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LIFE AS GOD HAS IT

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

A man in Christ is a man with the life of God.
Mark Hankins

The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated life or eternal life is zoe. I like W.E. Vine’s definition of the word zoe (eternal life, everlasting life, or life):

“It is life as a principle…life in the absolute sense, as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself and which He gave to the incarnate Son to have in Himself. (John5: 26) Eternal life is the present actual possession of the believer because of his relationship with Christ.”

God has given us a new quality of life in Christ. He has given us His own life — the very same life that raised Jesus from the dead. (Ephesians 2:4-6) God wants us to know that we have eternal life now. We are not trying to get it or some day in the sweet by-and-by going to get it. The gift of God is eternal life. (Romans 6:23) What a great gift God has given us in Christ!

Confession: Eternal life is my present actual possession because of my relationship with Christ!

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