Everything Redeemed!
When the lens is redeemed, the beauty is no longer distorted.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones opens our eyes to a stunning truth: redemption doesn’t merely rescue us from evil—it transforms even our good. Before anything can be truly redeemed, it must be revealed for what it is—limited, fallible, and often subtly warped by ego. Righteousness, wisdom, sanctification—all these wonderful virtues, when driven by self, end up failing us. They become a performance rather than a person. But in Christ, they are not discarded—they are fulfilled.
Jesus does not throw out the good; He perfects it in Himself. He takes our distorted strengths and makes them whole by placing His love at the core. Every beautiful trait we’ve relied upon—be it service, orderliness, or love—is prone to twisting when rooted in self. But when surrendered, these gifts are no longer enslaved by ego—they are redeemed, restored, and returned to us for God’s glory.
This is the beauty of life in Christ: not that we become better versions of ourselves, but that all things—even the good—are made new in Him. This is not self-improvement; it is divine exchange.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have never asked you to crucify only the obvious sins—I am calling for the surrender of the subtle goods that keep you from resting in Me. Even your righteousness, when fueled by pride, needs redeeming. Even your wisdom, if driven by control, must be laid down. Even your love, when possessive or performative, must be surrendered.
Do not be surprised when I bring you to the end of your best efforts. That is mercy. When you’ve exhausted the good, I reveal the True. In Me, your wisdom becomes a life-giving river. Your righteousness becomes peace. Your service becomes rest. Your love becomes Mine.
I redeemed you wholly—spirit, soul, and body—not to discard what was human, but to sanctify it. I took the vessel and remade it from the inside out. That’s what redemption is: not the replacement of what was, but the reclaiming of what was Mine all along.
Let My life be the pulse beneath every virtue. Then, even your personality reflects My presence. In Christ, your soul is not just forgiven—it is restored to what it was always meant to be. You are not defined by what you offer. You are defined by who indwells you.
Scriptures referenced: 1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans 12:1–2; Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 3:3–4
🧺 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like using a scratched, cloudy lens to take a photo. You may capture the shape of beauty, but the image is distorted. Then, someone replaces the lens—not throwing away the camera, but restoring its ability to reflect what’s real. That’s redemption. He doesn’t discard your gifts—He re-aims them through the clarity of His life in you.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Jesus, I thank You that You’ve not only rescued me from sin but have reclaimed even the good that I used to perform apart from You. You have exchanged my best efforts for Your best expression. I rejoice that I no longer need to offer You my strengths—I offer You myself, and in return, You give me Yourself. In You, every part of me is made new—not just purified but re-purposed. I rest in Your redeeming work today, confident that nothing offered to You in surrender is ever wasted. It is transformed.