Living From the Source
Our new life does not originate in us; like a phone connected to its charger, we draw all we need from Jesus, our true source.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Photo Credit: Unsplash
In today’s meditation, T. Austin-Sparks invites us to examine whether our life is truly rooted in Jesus or still anchored in ourselves. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 13:5, he reminds us that the new creation is wholly in Him and never originates from us. Even though we have this life within, it remains entirely in Jesus. We are partakers by faith alone. If we begin to think the source lies in us, faith would no longer be necessary, and we would merely repeat the old life. Sparks makes it clear: we must recognize that the new life is never our own constitution but purely and always our union with Jesus.
He warns that our greatest obstacle will not be external circumstances but the self. Our own self-occupation, striving, and efforts to produce something “acceptable” to God inevitably interrupt the flow of His life. When our natural life rises up, it cuts in between us and the fullness that is in Jesus, leaving us disappointed and frustrated. Sparks challenges us to realize that looking within ourselves for good is a futile search. We will only find corruption there. This realization is not to crush us but to free us from the exhausting cycle of self-inspection.
The heart of the message is a call to shift our focus entirely onto Jesus. Sparks points out that many believers have all the right teachings, traditions, and activities, yet remain passengers rather than vital participants in this living union. He presses us to settle once and for all that nothing of value originates in us. This is not merely humility; it is the pathway to liberation. When we let go of self-effort and fix our faith in God’s Son, we step into the “all things” that are of God.
We can thank T. Austin-Sparks for his candid and loving reminder. His words help us see that the Christian life is not about trying harder but about embracing the reality that Jesus is our life. As we do so, we find true freedom and the joy of being part of the new creation. By acknowledging that our natural self has been put in the grave with Jesus and that we are alive in Him, we enter into a life that is truly new and full of His power.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My beloved child, do you see that your life is hidden with Jesus in God? The new creation does not begin in you. It begins and remains in My Son. When you examine yourself to see if you are in the faith, look not for evidence of self-produced goodness, but for the presence of My life in you. This life is not of your making. It is received by faith, and it is sustained by faith.
Lay down the burden of self-occupation. It will never bring you closer to Me. Your attempts to prove yourself, to produce something worthy, only stand in the way of what I long to pour into you. Trust that I have put your old self in the grave with Jesus and that I have raised you together with Him. Fix your faith on My Son and let Me live through you.
When you stop looking within for strength and instead set your gaze on Jesus, you will find freedom. You will discover that every spiritual blessing is already yours in Him. The more you rest in this truth, the more My life flows unhindered. Leave yourself alone. Let your hope and your identity be anchored in Jesus alone. I am faithful, and I will complete what I have begun in you.
Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4-11; 2 Corinthians 4:7; John 15:4-5; Colossians 2:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:1-2; Philippians 2:13; Colossians 3:3-4; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 1:30.
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine your phone’s battery has drained completely. No matter how many times you tap the screen or press the buttons, it will not spring to life. The phone is designed to function, but it cannot power itself. Only when you connect it to a charger does it begin to draw energy from an external source. Slowly, the screen lights up and the phone operates as it was intended. In the same way, our life cannot originate from ourselves. We are designed to live in union with Jesus, drawing all we need from Him. We do not produce this life; we receive it.
If you find yourself exhausted or frustrated by your own efforts, pause and connect with the true source. In that moment, you can whisper in your heart, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me right now.” As you do, the life of Jesus will flow into you, enabling you to respond in love, patience, or courage where your own strength fails.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that my life is hidden in You. You have placed my old self in the grave and raised me to newness of life with Jesus. I rejoice that nothing of value comes from me, and everything I need flows from You. I rest in the truth that Your life is my life. I will not look within for goodness but will fix my faith on Your Son. Thank You for freeing me from self-effort and filling me with the fullness of Your life.