Living By Faith

UNDERSTANDING REDEMPTION

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are the center of the Gospel!
Mark Hankins

The simple definition of redemption is, “Freedom through the payment of a price.” Webster’s Dictionary defines the word redeem as: “To buy back; to re-purchase; to get back; to recover; to ransom; to pay off (a mortgage or note); to liberate from captivity; to deliver; to reclaim.”

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, “First of all I delivered unto you.” The Revised Standard Version translates this, “as of first importance.” The matter of first importance is what God did for us in Christ Jesus in the great plan of redemption.

Redemption is an accomplished fact in Christ. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) The truth will not help you if you do no not know it. You must see what God has done for you. In John 16:13, Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. God wants you to be free. He has given you His Holy Spirit to show you the things of Christ.

Confession: In Christ Jesus, I am redeemed. I have been liberated from the captivity of sin. I am delivered!

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THE GLORY – A PLACE OF REVELATION

But we all with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

We must see the glory of God to do the will of God.
Mark Hankins

The glory is a place of revelation. God reveals Himself to us in ever increasing ways in the glory. He is the Lord our Provider, Healer, Shepherd, Righteousness, and Victory. He is everything we will ever need!

After Moses saw the glory of God, his understanding expanded of who God is and how great His goodness is. Now Moses could receive what was necessary for him to do all that God required of him. We must see the glory of God to do the will of God.

You will look a lot better in Christ than you do outside of Him. So what do you need to do? Get on the rock; climb into the rock, and in Him the glory of God will pass by. In Him you will be changed. In Him is revelation. In Him the goodness of God will come to your house.

Confession: Before I was formed in my mother’s womb you ordained a place for me in Christ. Christ is the Lord my Provider, my Healer, my Shepherd, my Righteousness, and my Victory! In Him, the goodness of God is coming to my house!

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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!

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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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