“In Christ, You Can Do It!” by Nancy Dufresne

     In a recent service, Brother Copeland gave a testimony of something God said to him in the 1970s. Brother and Sister Copeland were just learning the principles of prosperity from the Word and were using their faith to get out of debt.

            During this time, God spoke to Brother Copeland and said, “I want you to sow $50,000 into Kenneth Hagin’s ministry.” At the time God said this, Brother and Sister Copeland didn’t have in their own resources that amount to give. But when Brother Copeland heard this command from God, he answered, “In Christ, I have it! And in Christ, I can give it!”

            Listen to the great skill of that answer! Brother Copeland didn’t answer God based on his own resources, but he answered based on what belonged to him in Christ. In Christ, no need goes unmet. Outside of Christ, he couldn’t give that, but IN Christ, he had it to give!

            At the end of every day, Brother Copeland would throw his change in a shoe box, and when the shoe box would get full, he would send it into Kenneth Hagin’s ministry. He did that several times. After some time, he called their office and asked, “How much have I given?” He was told, “You have given well over $50,000.” Brother Copeland said, “There is no way that my coins amounted to over $50,000!” But when he obeyed God, He multiplied his seed sown (2 Cor. 9:10). When Brother Copeland made movements of obedience to give his coins, God’s power met his movement of faith. God filled that movement with Himself, and the need was fully supplied!

            In hearing Brother Copeland’s testimony, we can see so clearly – in Christ, we have all, and we can do all He calls us and tells us to do. But outside of Christ, we can’t.

            Anything God calls us to do or tells us to do, He intends to do it through us. It cannot be done apart from Him. He is the only One who can accomplish it through us.

            Jesus declared, “…the Father that dwelleth in me, HE doeth the works” (John 14:10). Jesus never attempted to fulfill God’s plan and His work apart from God, but in total dependence on Him!

            God authored a plan for your life and then He filled you with Himself, because He never intended for you to fulfill that plan apart from Him! He’s the One who intends to fulfill that plan through you! His plan for you is so great that you cannot fulfill it apart from Him!

Give God Something To Work With

            That house, that property, that building, that business that God spoke to you about – in Him, you have it! He will fulfill it through you as you draw on and rely on Him to bring it to pass.

            But we must give God something to work with. Make movement toward what God said to you or toward what He told you to do. Go as far as you can go in the natural, and then the supernatural will kick in! He will do the work through you! But we must give God something to work with – we must make movement! Faith is an act! As you take actions of faith, God will fill those actions with Himself and His ability, bringing it to pass!

            Psalm 37:23 tells us, “The STEPS of a good man are ordered by the LORD….” Notice, the “steps” – not the stops – but the “steps” of a good man are ordered of the Lord. You can’t steer a parked car – a car must be in motion before you can steer it. Even so, faith must have you moving, then God can steer that movement. We must give God something to work with – a movement to direct.

            Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST which strengtheneth me.” But apart from Him, we can’t do all things.

            When faced with a need, we must learn to do what Brother Copeland did – immediately turn toward and draw on the Greater One in us to do the work through us! We are to put Him to work for us!

            We must learn to immediately draw on all that belongs to us in Christ. How do we do that? We are to speak words – words like Brother Copeland did. “In Christ, I have it! In Christ, I can do it!”

            What belongs to us in Christ? Ephesians 1:3 tells us: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” My favorite translation of this verse reads, “…who has blessed us with everything that Heaven itself enjoys.” Heaven has no need and no desire unmet. Heaven is enjoying the abundance of every good thing. That’s what belongs to us in Christ now!

            Tell every need, “In Christ, I have it, and in Christ, I can do it!” Then watch God work!