If We Could Get One Thing Done
Letting go of the false identity we once wore—lightness returns when we rest in who we are in Christ.
Devotional Credit: In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
E. Stanley Jones continues reflecting on the equal calling and potential fruitfulness of every believer in Christ. He draws from a stunning real-life event in post-WWII Japan: the emperor’s public renunciation of his supposed divinity. For centuries, Japanese citizens believed their emperor was a god—but in 1946, that belief was shattered. Not through political manipulation or military conquest, but through a quiet and strategic conversation between two men who knew that truth had the power to bring liberty.
Dr. Vorhees, a naturalized Japanese citizen and Christian leader, worked behind the scenes to initiate the emperor’s declaration. And once that single statement—"I am not divine"—was broadcast to the nation, a powerful spiritual stronghold collapsed. The result? Humility, transformation, and national restoration.
Jones uses this historical event as a metaphor for what happens when we, too, acknowledge our true identity: not as little gods trying to control our world, but as new creations in Christ, resting in His divinity. When we stop pretending to be self-sufficient and surrender to the One who truly reigns, everything realigns. The emperor’s announcement didn’t just shake a nation—it restructured its future. So it is when a soul relinquishes false identity and embraces its rightful place in Christ.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit
You were never meant to carry the weight of being your own source. You were never designed to rule yourself in isolation. The throne you built in your heart—decorated with effort, independence, and appearances—has no foundation. But I have not condemned you. I have simply waited.
I am not asking you to deflate yourself, but to release the illusion. You are not divine, but you are Mine. You are not sovereign, but you are secure. You are not your own, and that is where your liberty lives. You were bought with a price—not to be enslaved, but to be indwelt.
Just as the emperor’s voice rang out and a nation sighed in relief, so your soul exhales when it agrees with truth. In Christ, you are no longer trying to prove your worth. You no longer need to manage impressions. You are free to walk in the light as I walk with you. The real you—the you I created and indwell—is hidden with Christ in Me.
Let today be your New Year’s Day. Let the false identity be renounced, and let My life be your declaration. You no longer rule alone—you reign with Me.
Scriptures: Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6, Colossians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20
Real-Life Analogy
It’s like taking off a heavy winter coat indoors. You’ve been wearing it for so long, you forgot it wasn’t part of your body. But once you slip it off, warmth and ease return. The burden wasn’t necessary—you just hadn’t realized the climate had changed.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that I don’t need to live as if everything depends on me. I’m not the one holding my life together—You are. I renounce the false idea that I must appear strong, wise, or divine in my own right. In Christ, I am already secure. I trust that Your Spirit is living through me right now, aligning my heart with truth, freeing me from all pretense, and restoring me to rest. You are enough, and You are in me.