Beloved Object
Everything becomes clear when Christ is the focus.
Devotional Credit: Abide Above
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection from Miles Stanford highlights the Spirit’s dual work within us—developing both a distaste for the old self and a deepening hunger for the new life found in Christ. This exchange isn’t about moral improvement, but transformation through union. We are not simply called to better behavior; we are called into a deeper relationship with the risen Lord Jesus as our living standard.
When we gaze inward, we will always find things we wish we could overcome—patterns, thoughts, regrets. But the Spirit’s testimony to us is not a list of faults; it is the sweet declaration that our sins are remembered no more. We are accepted in the Beloved, not on the basis of moral performance, but because of our union with Christ.
We don’t grow by focusing on our shortcomings or by setting morality as our target. We grow by setting our eyes on Jesus Christ, risen and seated at the right hand of the Father. He is our object—not a concept, but a Person. Scripture confirms our union, but it is the daily fellowship with the Person of Christ that awakens us to its reality.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I formed you with purpose in mind—not for striving but for sharing My life with you. You are My workmanship, lovingly crafted in Christ Jesus, already accepted in the Beloved. When you look inward and see only weakness or failure, remember: I have already made you new. The old nature no longer defines you, even if it tries to make noise. I have placed in you a hunger for the new, because you are made for life, not for performance.
The accuser points to your flaws; I point to your righteousness in Christ. When your thoughts are clouded by shame or self-reproach, I remind you: your sins and lawless acts I remember no more. My testimony in you shows you what is not of Me so that you may let go of it. But My testimony to you is joyfully anchored in what I’ve done—your union with Christ, sealed forever.
Set your gaze above. If you make your morality the goal, you’ll always fall short. But if you fix your heart on Christ—your risen, living Lord—you will experience the upward pull of His resurrection life. That’s the power at work in you. Not your strength. Mine. You are not meant to live for Me—you are meant to live from Me.
You don’t have to prove your position in Me. I have already spoken it in My Word. But when you look to Jesus daily, you will begin to see that position come alive—because He is not just the truth you believe. He is the Life you now live.
Scriptures referenced: Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 8:12; Philippians 3:14; Ephesians 6:10
🔄 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like adjusting a camera lens. When the focus is off, everything appears blurry and distorted—even beautiful things seem unclear. But the moment the lens locks in on the subject, the whole image sharpens with clarity. In the same way, when your soul focuses on your flaws, the entire picture is out of sync. But when you fix your gaze on Christ, everything comes into focus—because He is the center, the subject, the source.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I am already accepted in the Beloved—not someday, not partially, but completely. I don’t have to live in the shadows of what I’m not, because Christ in me is all that I need. You’ve given me Your Spirit, who unveils both what must be released and what has already been received. I rejoice that I no longer measure myself by moral effort but by the reality of my union with Jesus. He is my life, my object, my joy. Today, I simply delight to abide.