All Things Centered In His Son
Union with the Son is the living connection that unlocks the life of God for everyday moments.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Paul’s opening lines in Romans do not start with a program. They start with a Person. Jesus is the promised Son, truly human from David’s line and declared Son of God in power through the resurrection. Ray Stedman helps us see that everything in the gospel flows from union with this living Lord. Justification, sanctification, hope, and daily walk are not separate centerpieces. They are the outflow of being joined to the Son.
Stedman also points out how the Old Testament promised this beforehand. The good news is not a sudden change of plan. From the prophets onward, God aimed our eyes toward His Son. When Jesus came, He showed true humanity, whole and unbroken. Then, by rising from the dead, He validated every promise of God. Our faith rests on this bedrock.
Here is the relief this brings. We are not following a set of ideas. We are joined to a Person who is both fully man and fully God. In Jesus, wholeness is no longer a wish. It becomes our present inheritance. The Spirit unites us to the Son so that His life becomes the source of our living.
Thank you, Ray Stedman, for keeping the spotlight where Scripture places it. Not on our performance, but on the Son who indwells His people. Union with Jesus is the fountain from which every grace flows, the center that holds when life tilts, and the reason we can walk in confident joy today.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My beloved, set your heart on My Son. I have promised Him from ages past, and in the fullness of time I revealed Him. He came in true humanity, and by resurrection power I declared Him to be the Son in power. In Him you stand secure.
You are joined to Jesus, and I have blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Him. You are not striving to become whole by your own effort. You share His life. I dwell in you to make this union your daily reality, so that you live from the Son and not from yourself.
When accusations rise, remember that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. When weakness shows, remember that His grace is sufficient, and His life is your strength. When fear presses in, remember that the risen Lord holds the keys and reigns. Keep your eyes on Him, and I will form His wholeness in you.
Walk today as one who belongs to the Son. Offer yourself to Me with a glad yes. I will work in you to will and to do, and I will bear fruit that remains as you abide.
Scripture References: Romans 1:1-4; Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 15:4-5; Romans 6:4-11; Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Philippians 2:13; Philippians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Colossians 2:9-10; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 1 Peter 1:3.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of unlocking your phone with a fingerprint. The screen will not open to its resources until the sensor recognizes a living connection. Features, messages, and maps were there the whole time, but they become available when the match is made. In the same way, union with the Son is the living connection that opens the life of God to us. We do not force the screen. We rest our identity on the One who already qualifies us.
A simple practice for today. When an email stings and you want to defend yourself, pause and whisper, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me right now, answering with Your wisdom and peace.” Then respond kindly and truthfully, steady in Him.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that the gospel centers on Your Son. In Jesus I have wholeness, acceptance, and resurrection life. I rejoice that I am united to Him, not trying to earn what You have already given. I rest in Your faithful love today, confident that the risen Lord expresses His life through me in every conversation and task.