Affirm Christ Living in You - Derek Prince

Paul gives us a beautiful pattern of this affirmation:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

As I affirm that I have been crucified with Christ, then I am no longer alive; now Christ is living in me. Now I will no longer meet life’s problems as my old self; I meet life’s problems as a person in whom Christ is living. He has become my life.

We need to affirm this truth continually.

Every time you are under pressure and you think you cannot meet the challenges before you, speak as Paul spoke, "It’s not I who live, but Christ who is living in me.” It is important that we say these words out loud with our own mouths, actually verbalizing our faith. Verbalizing our faith is what the Bible calls "confession." The Greek word for confession literally means "to say the same thing as." Confession is saying the same thing with our mouths that the Bible declares and we believe in our heart. It is not sufficient merely to believe truth in our hearts. We must declare it with our mouths.

Here are just a few more truths that we need to affirm.

I am the righteousness of God in Christ.

I am holy as He is holy.

I am perfect as He is perfect.

I am in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

God the Father is very pleased with me.

I am dead to sin it has no power over me.

God does not remember my sins or iniquities.

I am sure you can add more.

MY THOUGHTS

I am the righteousness of God in Christ.

I am holy as He is holy.

SCRIPTURE:

2 Cor. 5:21 ”“
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Cor. 1:30 ”“
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God””and righteousness and sanctification and redemption””

Eph. 3:14-19 ”“
……so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith……that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Comment:
If Christ is in us His holiness and righteousness will also be in us. The fullness of God includes God’s righteousness and holiness.
God fills us with Christ's righteousness and holiness. What wondrous grace! Amazing grace!

I am in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Amen.

SCRIPTURE:

1 Cor. 3:16 ”“
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Rom. 8:9 --
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Rom. 8:11 ”“
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Rom. 8:1-2 ”“
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Comment:
Praise to God who sends His Holy Spirit to live in us! It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can have the holy and righteous life of Christ in us.

God the Father is very pleased with me.

Comment:
God will only very pleased with me when I am in Christ and Christ is in me. God only accepts us when we are in Christ.

Eph 1:6 (KJV) ”“
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

I am dead to sin it has no power over me.

SCRIPTURE:

Rom. 6:3-4 ”“
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Rom. 6:10-11 ”“
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Rom. 6:2 ”“
How shall we who have died to sin still live in it?

Rom. 6:7 ”“
For he who has died to sin is freed from sin

Rom. 6:18 ”“
And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness

Comment:
We are dead to sin and sin has no power over us when we are in Christ and Christ is in us, that is, when we are baptized into Christ Jesus.

God does not remember my sins or iniquities.

SCRIPTURE:

Heb. 10:1-17 ”“
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near……But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
"SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,
BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.
"THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME
(IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME)
TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”
………By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all………For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,”
He then says,
"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”

Comment:
God hates sin.
We must give up our fallen self-life of flesh and sin and let Christ's holy and abundant life be the only life in us (Gal. 2:20).
With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.
By the new covenant, God writes His laws upon our hearts and on our minds BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US and God remembers our sins no more.
(We are a letter of Christ, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stones but on the tablets of the human heart - 2 Cor. 3:3).
God puts us in Christ and Christ in us. He is the Vine and we are His branches (John 15). The Vine and the fruitful branches share the same life. When we are in Christ and He is in us, as He is we are. His holy life fills us.

ADD:

John 20:30-31 --
Therefore many other signs (or, attesting miracles) Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Christ lives in us by a miracle.

Unbelief robs us of Christ's life in us.

Matt. 13:58 --
And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

The choice is to believe and confess with our lips these truths.

Or not to believe and confress these truths or to believe lies and confess lies instead.

Which are you doing?

Hi Vern,

Derek Prince said:

It is not sufficient merely to believe truth in our hearts. We must declare it with our mouths.

I have doubts about this statement of his.

It seems he is saying that another "work” is required in addition to faith viz. "We must declare it with our mouth”.

But Eph. 2:8-9 says:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

I assume he was referring to Rom. 10:9-10 which says:
"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Against this scripture we have 2 Cor. 1:20 which says:
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (KJV)”

Pulpit Commentary explains:
"And in him Amen.” -- The true reading is," Wherefore by him also is the Amen to God, uttered by us to his glory" (א, A, B, C, F, G, etc.). In Christ is the "yea" of immutable promise and absolute fulfilment; the Church utters the "Amen" of perfect faith and grateful adoration.

My comment:
The "Amen” uttered by us here is not a "requirement” for salvation.

Note also that in Rom. 10:9, the confession of the mouth is "Jesus is Lord”. But no one can say "Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). And if the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are already saved. So, we really can only say "Jesus is Lord” when we are saved. Rom. 10:9 is therefore a difficult verse to me. All other scriptures on faith (if I am not mistaken) do not mention that we must also "declare it with our mouth.”

I hold on to verses that are simple and clear.

Like,

Ezek. 37:14 -- ……I, the LORD, have spoken and done it, declares the LORD.

To me, our confidence is not in "our” speaking the word. Faith rests absolutely on the utter faithfulness of God to perform His word. Great is His faithfulness.

Just some thoughts.

Blessings.

Yes our confidence is not in "our” speaking the word. Faith rests absolutely on the utter faithfulness of God to perform His word. Great is His faithfulness.

I do not consider that agreeing with God a "work".

Our agreeing with God's truth does not make it true - it is already true. When Mary said, "let it be done to me according to your word" was that a work?

Psa 107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Rom 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Rom 10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
Rom 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Rom 10:9 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.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Now BECAUSE you are in Christ and Christ is in you, you will speak His word but not as "your works" but as a result of HIM!

Joh 12:50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

I by all means also do no find the presented doctrine of affirming taught in the Holy Scriptures. While I would be very glad to, the hope my comment here is not to convince (as this is not always easily achievable in some cases) but mainly so that brother Vern may know that there indeed be those who find the doctrine he asserts as not evangelical/Biblical. If by any means it may lead to praying like David (Psalm 139:23-24)

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

More so because scriptures unfortunately suffer wresting as the Apostle Peter warned (2 Peter 3:16). This meaning that quoting verses to support one's position is not always enough - unless if the same Holy Spirit who gives interpretation dwells/works in the hearts of both parties. Fortunately, it is the place of those who are enlightened to interceded for them that have need for grace still. I am therefore hoping that as many of us who seen the ruin in the doctrine present by brother Vern shall, above being disturbed, be loving enough to entreat the Father on his behalf. A brother Baxter once said (and I agree):

"Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.”

Philemon 1:6, "That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging (affirming) of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." (Webster)

Scriptural examples of affirming

Gal 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Philippians 1:6, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

https://www.clintbyars.com/blog/2018/1/2/list-of-in-christ-in-him-scriptures

Ps. 33:9 ”“
For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

Who spoke and it was done?
God.

In these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son (Heb. 1:2). Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word of Life (John 1:1, John 1:14, John 1:4, 1 John 1:1). All the promises of God to us are in Christ and are YES.

2 Cor. 1:18-20 ”“
But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us””by me and Silvanus and Timothy””was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

What do we say?
"Amen!”

Comment:
We do not speak to secure the promises.
We say "Amen” to the promises that are already true and secured for us.
This demonstrates our faith in Jesus and in the faithfulness of God.

What do we "do”?

John 6:28-29 ”“
Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

1 John 3:23 ”“
This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

John 6:40 ”“
For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.

2 Cor. 3:18 ”“
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Hi Vern,

Because of my own previous encounter with a "word of faith” preacher, I want to be cautious with this "word of faith” preaching.

I affirm the name of Jesus and my salvation and position in Him all the time.

Ps. 20:5 ”“
We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

Ps. 71:15-16 ”“
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your salvation all day long;
For I do not know the sum of them.
I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

Ps. 113:3 ”“
From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the LORD is to be praised.

Ps. 145:1-2 ”“
I will exalt You, my God and King;
I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

We just must not glory in "our speaking” but in Jesus’ name only.

Ps. 115:1 ”“
Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.

As Peter said after he healed the lame beggar:

Acts 3:11-12 ”“
While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?

Verse 16 ”“
And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Blessings

"In God's plan of salvation, faith is linked directly to confession. "Confession" (or "profession") means that we systematically make the words of our mouth agree with the written word of God. This requires continuing self-discipline. In each situation that confronts us we refuse to be swayed by our feelings or our senses, but we resolutely affirm what Scripture has to say about such a situation. At first there may be struggle and tension, but ultimately the word of God becomes indelibly imprinted on pour heart, and thereafter it flows out naturally through our mouth."

"We must be careful that the practice of confession does not degenerate into a mere "technique." The following are five practical safeguards."

(1) We must begin by renouncing our own will and submitting to God's.

(2) We must keep our confession based strictly on Scripture.

(3) We must continually be led by the Holy Spirit.

(4) We must always rely on God's supernatural grace, never merely on our own natural ability.

(5) Where there is a conflict between our senses and God's word, we must take the same stand as Abraham: conditions revealed by our senses are real but not final.

"As we progressively apply the right confession to every areas of our lives, we move forward into an ever fuller expression of "salvation" - that is, God's total provision obtained for us by the death of Christ."

"Right confession links us directly to Christ as our high priest in God's presence, and invokes on our behalf His unchanging faithfulness, wisdom and power."

(From "Faith To Live By" - by Derek Prince. Copyright 1977. Ch 7 - "Faith Must Be Confessed")

David,

Where in the Bible are all that written?

Blessings

"In God's plan of salvation, faith is linked directly to confession. "Confession" (or "profession") means that we systematically make the words of our mouth agree with the written word of God. This requires continuing self-discipline. In each situation that confronts us we refuse to be swayed by our feelings or our senses, but we resolutely affirm what Scripture has to say about such a situation. At first there may be struggle and tension, but ultimately the word of God becomes indelibly imprinted on pour heart, and thereafter it flows out naturally through our mouth."

This is what the Bible says:

We have come to Jesus the Mediator of the NEW COVENANT.

Heb. 12:22-24 ”“
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, AND TO JESUS, THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

Like Isaac, we are children of the promise.

Gal. 4:28 ”“
And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.

Gal. 3:29 (KJV) ”“
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In the New Covenant, God gives us a new heart and a new spirit and puts His laws into our minds and writes them upon our hearts.

Ezek. 36:26-27(KJV) ”“
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Heb. 8:10 (KJV) ”“
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

2 Cor. 3:3 ”“
being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

2 Cor. 3:5-6 ”“
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We are God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10), not our own.

Isa. 64:8 ”“
But now, O LORD, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.

Zech. 4:6 ”“
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.

The New Covenant is everlasting and unbreakable.

Ps. Ps.105:8 ”“
He remembers His covenant forever……

Ps. 89:28 (ESV) ”“
My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,
and my covenant will stand firm for him.

Ps. 89:34 ”“
My covenant I will not violate,
Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.

Isa. 54:10 ”“
For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,"
Says the LORD who has compassion on you.

THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE ”“ THE FRUIT OF LIPS THAT CONFESS HIS NAME

Heb. 13:14 ”“

NASB:
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to (margin note: Lit. confess) His name.

CSB:
Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.