From Stone to Son: Living in the New Age of Grace

Once brittle and dry, now soft and full of life—just like our hearts made new in Christ.

Devotional Credit: eManna, “The Age Has Changed”
Photo Credit: Unsplash

In today’s reading from Witness Lee, a clear line is drawn between the old religious order and the new reality ushered in through Christ. John the Baptist, addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees, declared that God was no longer building His people on the foundation of natural lineage or inherited status. The old markers—bloodline, rule-keeping, and outward religiosity—had no place in the kingdom of the heavens that was breaking in. Instead, this new kingdom would be made up of those born from above—living children of God birthed through faith, not the flesh.

The religious elite of Jesus’ day had confidence in their ancestry and their knowledge. But John’s rebuke showed that even if someone came from a lifeless background—as dead as a stone—God could raise up true children. This was not just a message of judgment for the self-righteous; it was a message of life for the hopeless. Even those who once lived like dead stones—void of spiritual life and enslaved by sin—could be made alive through spiritual rebirth.

The message is not just about leaving behind lifeless religion—it’s about stepping into a new kind of life altogether. God’s family is not formed by effort or inheritance but by regeneration. That means no matter how distant, lifeless, or unqualified someone may appear, God can call forth a child of faith where only hardness and death once ruled.

This is the age we now live in—the age of new birth, not natural birth. It is no longer about trying to be someone for God but resting in the truth that He has made us someone brand new in Christ. We were once lifeless, but now we are alive. Once we were just stones, but now we are sons and daughters.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

You are no longer defined by where you came from or what you once were. I have brought you into a kingdom that is not sustained by ancestry, effort, or law—but by life, My life, alive in you. You are My workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus. You were not grafted into My family by trying hard to measure up. I took what was dead in you and gave it life.

You were a stone—hard, unresponsive, indifferent. But I spoke, and life came rushing in. I gave you a heart that responds to Me. I replaced law with love, striving with sonship, and shadows with substance. You are not living a continuation of an old life but walking in newness of life, born not of flesh, but of My Spirit.

Do not look back to what once validated you—your background, performance, knowledge, or reputation. That age has passed. This is a new age. You now live by faith, not heritage. You walk by My Spirit, not human effort. You are no longer a slave, no longer a name on a scroll—you are My child, born of My own will.

So when you face the pressure to prove your worth, remember this: I have already declared it. You are Mine. You bear My name. And I have chosen to express My life through yours, not because of your bloodline or your works, but because of My great love. Walk today with the quiet confidence of one who has been brought from stone to son, from death to life.

Scripture References: Matthew 3:7–9, John 1:12–13, Romans 6:4–11, Galatians 3:26–29, Ephesians 2:1–10, Titus 3:4–7, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 5:11–12, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Real-Life Analogy

It’s like a dried-up sponge left on a windowsill—hard, brittle, seemingly useless. But place it in water, and in moments it becomes soft, pliable, and useful again. That’s what happened to us. The water of life soaked into our hardened hearts and awakened us to God.

Today, when you're tempted to define yourself by your past or perform your way into acceptance, stop and yield. Let the indwelling Spirit of Christ express the life you already possess. Maybe it's in a difficult conversation, a moment of discouragement, or an encounter with someone who's trapped in religiosity—pause, and inwardly trust: “Lord, I trust You to respond in and through me right now.” Watch as grace brings life where effort once ruled.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, thank You that I am not a product of lineage or law but of Your life. You have made me Your child, not by anything I’ve done but by everything Christ has done in me. I no longer have to pretend, perform, or prove—I only need to walk in what You’ve already accomplished. I rest in this new life, confident that You are living through me today.